Pay equity extended to thousands more social workers

The Government will extend pay equity to all community and iwi organisations who employ social workers and receive funding from the Crown, Minister for Women Jan Tinetti announced today. We expect this will improve the lives of approximately 4,600 social workers.

“This extension means thousands more social workers will be paid fairly,” Jan Tinetti said.

“It will also streamline the process by removing the requirement for providers to work through their own separate pay equity claim. 

“This agreement from Government means that officials from the pay equity taskforce at Te Kawa Mataaho will immediately begin a significant piece of work to identify all the relevant providers in the sector and identify how many social workers they have that are covered by this extension.

“It follows work in October, when we announced a pay equity settlement for almost 500 social workers employed in five community and iwi organisations. They join the over 105,000 other working people who, since 2017, have now received a pay correction as a result of a pay equity claim.

“The extension is the first under the Framework for Oversight and Support of pay equity claims in the funded sector and will represent real and significant change for our valuable and hardworking community social workers.

“I encourage the community sector to engage with this upcoming piece of work as your voices will be critical in ensuring all providers and working people are captured to deliver pay equity for all,” Jan Tinetti said.

“Today’s announcement is another step in the right direction,” Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni said.

“As a Government we have supported the sector by continuing the work which professionalised social work through the mandatory registration of social workers, increased investment across the social sector and our next step is to implement the new social sector commissioning work which will help us better support the work of social worker across communities. 

“This pay equity agreement recognises social workers right across the system and shows that the work they are doing is important, valued and deserves pay equity. It will also have a positive impact on the sectors ability to retain staff as well as provide certainty for new staff members and trainees. 

“While we acknowledge there is more to do when it comes to supporting the sector, today marks a key milestone in our journey,” Carmel Sepuloni said.

“I want to acknowledge the work of the Public Service Association (PSA) and their members who have ensured the voices of social workers have been heard,” Jan Tinetti said.

Further information on next steps can be found at on the Public Service Commission website.