Equal pay for work of equal value - job evaluation issues

Abstract

Equal pay is again an issue on the political and industrial relations scene, as it has been in each recent decade despite a few quiet years. 'The current campaign is for legislation to amend or replace the 1972 Equal Pay Act to clearly incorporate the principle of equal pay for work of equal value ('comparable worth' or 'pay equity' in North American parlance). While the Act appears to extend well beyond equal pay for identical work to allow comparisons on the basis of skills, effort, responsibility and conditions, there is considerable doubt that it was ever applied in this way, and the Arbitration Court judgement in the 1986 Clerical Workers case (A.C. 24/86 D.I. 176/85) means that for all practical purposes this is now impossible.