Protests across NZ today targeted the Government’s rollback of pay equity laws. The PSA says it impacts underpaid women in female-led jobs. Video / Jason Dorday
From Auckland to Invercargill, crowds marched on or gathered at the offices of ministers and MPs to oppose the Government’s decision to raise the thresholds that need to be satisfied before pay equity claims will be made, cancelling claims currently in progress.
Most protest groups found the empty offices, including the hundreds that marched in the rain to Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden’s office in Auckland.
Van Velden, who is leading the reform which passed through the House under urgency this week, released a brief statement late on Friday, reiterating the Government’s position.
“The changes we’ve progressed will stamp out sex-based discrimination, in a workable and sustainable way.”
Protesters rally outside Minister Brooke van Velden’s electorate office in Auckland. Photo / Jason Dorday
While pre-arranged plans had meant she wasn’t in her Auckland office, van Velden noted “all Kiwis have the right to protest”.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, speaking from a similarly sodden Tauranga, insisted the changes ensured the pay equity scheme was “workable”, while some National MPs who faced protests argued they were battling “misinformation” about the reform spread by opponents.
The introduction of the Pay Equity Amendment Bill, which meant 33 current claims of pay inequity by female-dominated workforces would have to be resubmitted and comply with new conditions including a higher threshold for the proportion of women in a sector, garnered fierce and immediate opposition since it was announced by van Velden on Tuesday.
Protest action, co-ordinated by several unions, was planned for today and in some places would stretch over the weekend and into next week.
Protests were held in many towns and cities, including Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Thames, Matamata, Whakatāne, Napier, Hastings, Feilding, Whanganui, Levin, Paraparaumu, Masterton, Lower Hutt, Nelson, Blenheim, Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin, Queenstown, Gore and Invercargill.
Protesters came dressed in costumes. Photo / Jason Dorday
Many offices belonging to National Party caucus members were the focal point of protests, including those of Tama Potaka, Dana Kirkpatrick, Dan Bidois, Tim van der Molen, Carl Bates, Catherine Wedd, Katie Nimon, Tim Costley, Scott Simpson, Chris Bishop, Mike Butterick, Nicola Grigg, James Meager and Penny Simmonds.
As the minister responsible and with an office based in Auckland, the protest for van Velden was always likely to outnumber the rest with hundreds assembling at a nearby church before braving the rain and marching on the St Johns office.
The crowd, which included senior Labour and Green Party MPs, was described as very peaceful but armed with several impassioned chants and strong messages.
“Shame on you, Brooke, shame on you,” blared through a megaphone at van Velden’s premises.
Several in the group spoke of their anger and shock at the bill, which hadn’t been forecast by the Government.
Protester Simon Moodie was critical of the lack of consultation afforded by the Government, which he believed had acted with hypocrisy.
“Don’t say that you value these people and that you are doing this for the good, when really it’s blatantly obvious it’s done for budgetary reasons only, and they’re just sacrificing the lower-paid and the vulnerable to balance their budget.”
Minister Tama Potaka’s electorate office faced a significant protest. Photo / Mike Scott
Luxon and his National colleagues had denied the move, expected to save the Government billions of dollars, had been influenced by the upcoming Budget while Act leader David Seymour praised van Velden for “saving” the Budget.
Megan Halbert, a retired social worker, had benefited from a successful pay equity claim while she was still working and said it made a “huge difference”.
“The amount of difference in the pay as a trained social worker against my male trained colleagues was just absurd.”
Union delegate Benedict Ferguson said his tears had turned to anger, predicting the changes would lead to the current Government being voted out at the next election.
“One-term Government. See you at the next election, you’re out.”
A Hamilton protest outside Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka’s electorate office also drew a sizeable crowd of about 200.
Protesters braved some gnarly conditions. Photo / Mike Scott
Speakers at the protest included Waikato Unions convenor and former Labour Hamilton East candidate Georgie Dansey and Hamilton City councillor Louise Hutt.
Protestors lined both sides of Rostrevor St, singing, chanting and waving flags. Slogans on signs included “Pay fair for care” and “Our vaginas birthed you! Pay us what we’re worth!”
A spokesman for Potaka said he was unavailable to comment.
Ōtaki MP Tim Costley had tried to arrange a time to meet with protesters outside his electorate offices but was unable to do so.
He told the Herald he had engaged with people raising concerns online or via email, saying there had been “confusion” between pay equity and equal pay which he had sought to clear up.
Some of the protest signs were creative. Photo / Mike Scott
Whanganui MP Carl Bates, who had been in Rotorua for a party conference, said people had asked for clarification on National’s position.
“There’s certainly been some challenging feedback online and in email but a lot has been driven by the misinformation about what the Government did this week.”
Several other MPs attended the Rotorua conference so hadn’t observed the protests.
Northcote MP Dan Bidois said he had spoken to “a few protesters” outside his office and said it was “good to hear their perspective” on the changes.
Council of Trade Unions national secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges had taken part in the Auckland protest and said participants portrayed the anger and hurt they felt at the Government.
She cited those who felt disrespected and others who had been taken aback by the lack of consultation.
Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.
