Government move to kill pay equity process is an attack on women workers w/ E Tu’s Rachel Mackintosh: 7 May, 2025

Just yesterday, Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced a series of radical changes to New Zealand’s Pay Equity Legislation.

The changes would increase the pay equity claims of gender-discrimination from 60-70% and adjust the comparators to make sure claims met standards that Brooke Van Velden has described as “Genuine” and Sustainable for employers.

This would cause all 33 current pending claims representing thousands of workers in the care industry and health sector to be dropped.

Subsequently, a number of unions and Women’s groups have condemned the government’s changes and have vowed to protest outside parliament in opposition to them.

Oto spoke to Rachel Mackintosh, Assistant National Secretary for E tū Union, to discuss Brooke Van Velden’s changes to Pay Equity Laws and how they will impact Women Workers