Pay equity protesters in Christchurch. Photo: Delphine Herbert / RNZ
When the government passed a law change under urgency in May, effectively wiping out 33 pay equity claims affecting 150,000 people - mainly women - it caused an uproar.
The claims were from female-dominated industries, seeking remuneration that was on a par with similar male-dominated sectors.
The passage of the law under urgency bypassed the usual public input - that led former National Minister and academic Marilyn Waring to set up the People's Select Committee to do the work instead.
With cross-party support from nine former MPs, public hearings were held from August through to October and the Committee's report will be out next year. In the meantime, at least two unions have sought to continue to progress their claims with the higher thresholds the new law requires, five unions have filed a legal challenge to the pay equity law and Auckland Council went ahead and raised its pay for the city's librarians, who'd been among the 33 claims affected.
Marilyn joins Kathryn with an update on her progress.
