Moncton — The New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity welcomes the government’s commitments in the 2025-2026 budget, notably the investment in additional resources for the Pay Equity Bureau to work on developing pay equity legislation for the private sector.
"This government is the first to commit to adopting pay equity legislation in the private sector. This investment shows a real commitment to ensuring the implementation of pay equity," says Raphaëlle Valay-Nadeau, Chair of the Coalition. "We are awaiting further details and remain ready to collaborate with the government."
The Pay Equity Bureau, established under the Pay Equity Act, 2009, monitors the implementation and maintenance of pay equity in New Brunswick’s public sector. This investment will enable the Bureau to consult stakeholders and conduct research to develop a strong law for the private sector. It will also help create tools and provide resources for employers and employees to implement pay equity.
The Coalition also applauds the government’s prioritization of social services over balancing the budget, which aligns with its own recommendations. "In these uncertain times, it’s essential to pull together and support the most vulnerable," adds Valay-Nadeau.
The Coalition highlights the government’s investments in essential services mostly provided by women: long-term care, child care services, and services for people leaving abusive relationships. However, achieving pay equity in these sectors requires investments in these workers’ wages.
"We applaud these investments, but we remind the government that the quality of services depends on wages and working conditions. Too many workers are still underpaid and undervalued. The government has not specified the amounts earmarked to improve their wages, leaving these professionals in uncertainty. We will closely monitor upcoming announcements and ensure that these investments lead to progress toward pay equity in these sectors," says the Coalition Chair.
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The New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity is a group of individuals and organizations that pursues and ensures the realization of the right to pay equity and to just conditions of work for women. To that end, the Coalition engages in communication, education, research, advocacy for the adoption and the implementation of adequate legislation, as well as public policy dialogue and development.
Pay equity is equal pay for work of equal value. To achieve pay equity, the value of female-dominated jobs must be compared to the value of male-dominated jobs.