New data reveals 15% gender pay gap in Fraser Coast Council

Jobs traditionally dominated by women at the Fraser Coast Regional Council pay significantly less than their male-dominated counterparts, with new data revealing a massive gender pay gap in the council workforce.

Women-dominated jobs at Fraser Coast Regional Council (CEO Ken Diehm pictured) are falling short of matching their male-dominated counterparts with a wage gap of up to 15 per cent.

Jobs traditionally dominated by women at the Fraser Coast Regional Council pay significantly less than their male-dominated counterparts with union data revealing a massive 15 per cent gender pay gap in the council workforce.

Figures provided by the Services Union show the current relative wage gap for graduate level positions at the council was 15 per cent.

At the base entry level position, women-dominated positions were earning 5 per cent less than their relative male-dominated equivalents.

The relative wage gap was calculated by measuring indoor workforce award stream where “most employees … are women” against outdoor jobs.

The union said the relativities of these wages were fixed “under the 1989 structural efficiency principles by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission” and “the wage relativities used in the Queensland Local Government Award 1992 remain intact in our current award today”.

Women-dominated jobs at Fraser Coast Regional Council (CEO Ken Diehm pictured) pay less than their male-dominated counterparts with a gender wage gap of up to 15 per cent.

The relativities include benchmarks for tertiary education entry points by comparing predominantly male-dominated jobs with female-dominated ones.

The union’s figures reveal Fraser Coast council roles predominantly filled by women at the lowest relative entry point paid $3449 less ($64,472) than their male-dominated equivalents ($67,921).

That pay gap widens significantly at the three-year degree entry point.

At this level women-dominated jobs in the council are paid $74,931 compared to the $84,901 wage for men, a gap of $9970 and about 15 per cent.

The rate held at the equivalent level of another year on in the career thanks to a wage comparison of $76,469 to $86,938.

A Fraser Coast Regional Council spokesperson said the organisation “is dedicated to achieving pay equity, fostering an inclusive workplace, and ensuring fair compensation for all employees, regardless of gender”.

“Presently, 32 per cent of our leadership positions are occupied by women, and women make up 38 per cent of our entire workforce.

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The Services Union’s data shows at the three-year graduate degree entry point women-dominated jobs in the council are paid $74,931 compared to the $84,901 wage for men, a gap of $9970 and about 15 per cent. Photo: Valerie Horton / Fraser Coast Chronicle

“This demonstrates our dedication to fostering female growth and development and providing advancement opportunities for women.

“We offer a range of benefits under our employee value proposition, including work-life balance options and increasing our Primary Carer leave provisions to 12 weeks of paid leave.

“Importantly, there is no gap in pay between males and females doing the same role at the Fraser Coast Regional Council.

“As an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, Fraser Coast Regional Council encourages applications from women, Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders, people with disability and members of racial, ethnic and ethno-religious minority groups.”

Services Union local government lead organiser Tom Rivers said the figures showed an ongoing problem in need of fixing.

Mr Rivers said it was “important that areas that are traditionally female dominated are remunerated equally to areas that are male dominated where the training requirements, skill level and responsibilities are relative”.

“There is a significant gender pay gap issue in Queensland local government,” he said.

“There have been recent changes to the Queensland Industrial Relations Act that have put the gender pay gap to the front of the agenda.

“Councils now must provide detailed information on the gender wage gap and if there is an issue how they propose to address this issue.”