Auckland library workers win pay deal after Government scrapped dozens of pay equity claims

Auckland Council library staff are covered by a collective agreement and have won a new pay deal. Photo / File

Hundreds of Auckland city library workers are set to receive a significant pay increase, despite the Government scrapping pay equity for them and others.

The pay bump affects about 800 library workers, all of whom will receive a pay rise backdated to September 1, at a cost of $8.16 million.

The Public Service Association (PSA) had a pay equity claim before the employment authority under the Equal Pay Act 1972 before reforms were made to the law earlier this year.

Those changes were passed under urgency and led to dozens of pay equity claims being cancelled, most of which related to female-dominated jobs.

However, Auckland Council has committed to pay equity, which will increase the average annual amounts paid to each worker by thousands of dollars.

“We welcome this increase as a positive step towards recognising the true value of the work of library workers in Auckland,” Public Service Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said.

“Our members are having a hard time just covering the basics of living. They struggle to save. I often talk to women working well past retirement age because they simply cannot afford to stop, so this will make a real difference to their ability to support themselves and their families.

“Auckland Council is doing what’s right in closing pay gaps and we hope other councils that were covered by the pay equity claim follow suit.”

Auckland Council chief people officer Mirla Edmundson said the pay boost was managed from within its existing budget.

She said the pay increase ensured library roles were paid fairly.

“Following discontinuation of the library assistants’ pay equity claim earlier this year, Auckland Council continued to progress a comprehensive pay review of our library roles using the thorough body of work commenced as part of earlier analysis,” Edmundson said.

The increase followed a similar move by Christchurch City Council, which gave its library worker a significant pay increase in June this year.