PM Transcripts

PY,. NQ, / 10162
EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN
Statement bythe Prime Minister,. Rt Hon. ReG. MenzLes)
The four Government women S; ators Senators RankinW( Q)
Robertson, Buttfield, and Nedgwood ( Vic.) today
made representations to me on matters affecting the conditions of
employment of women in the Commonwealth Public Service, Their
representations dealt more specifically with proposals which they
first raised last year and again a few weeks -go, and on which
Senator Buttfield already has a question on the Notice Paper of
the Senate, The proposals fell into three categories:
Equal pay for women for work of equal value
Equal opportunity for women
Elimination of the marriage bar in respect of women
who are parmanent officers in the Commonwealth
Public Service
The four Senators advanced strong arguments in respect
of the three matters and I have promised that the points raised
in our discussions will be brought before the Cabinet.
On the question of equal pay for women for work of
equal value I pointed out to the four Senators that the
discrimination which existed at the present time related only to
the base rates of payment and that where margins for skill were
involved there was no discrimination on the basis of sex.
I also pointed out that the Government had always been
most reluctant to interfere in the function of industrial
tribunals to determine tho question of base rates.
With respect to the continued employment of women after
they had married I pointed out that the High Council of Public
Service Organisations had expressed the view last year that
because of the employment situation and other considerations there
should not be any change in the present attitude of the Public
Service Board, I told the Senators that some of the suggestions they
had made warranted further examination and that I would seek
information from the Public Service Board to place before the
Cabinet for a thorough discussion of the issues.
CANBERRA April, 1962.