New Brunswick Private Sector
There is still no provincial legislation to protect the right to pay equity in the private sector.
In the past, the government encouraged voluntary measures through promotion and the 2005-2010 Wage Gap Action Plan. However, voluntary measures have not produced the expected results: they simply don’t work.
Did you know that over 65% of NB women in the workplace are employed in the private sector?
In 2018, the provincial government has introduced two initiatives linking pay equity with access to funding.The following were in place until the end of 2019:
- Employers with 50 or more employees who applied for government tenders of $1 million or more were required to complete an online pay equity learning module.
- Employers applying for funding through the One-Job Pledge program were also required to complete the learning module while those with 50 or more employees also had to complete a pay equity implementation plan.
While this approach can increase employers’ awareness, the requirements apply to only a few private sector employers and do not go beyond learning and planning.
Without pay equity evaluations, employers and employees may not be aware that wage disparities even exist!
“I work 40 hours a week to devote myself to my client (patient), but I cannot support my own family. Basically, I think I do a lot but I’m not recognized for the work I do. But at $14 an hour, I cannot provide for my family—we live paycheck to paycheck.”
— A home care worker
That’s why New Brunswick needs pay equity legislation for the private sector! And that’s why the Coalition continues to advocate for pay equity legislation for the whole private sector.
As a result of the Coalition’s work, three out of five political parties promised to adopt pay equity legislation for the private sector in the 2018 provincial election : the Liberal Party, the Green Party, and the New Democratic Party.
We need all political parties’ support.
Women cannot afford to wait any longer!
