Data reveals gender pay gap at Australia’s biggest companies; Voters support stamp duty change

Staying with news about the gender pay gap, as Labor senator Malarndirri McCarthy said the gap at some companies was “unacceptable”.

Figures from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s report showed the mining sector had the most companies that paid men more, while at the end of the scale, most employers in accommodation and food services had neutral pay gaps.

McCarthy, who is also the assistant indigenous affairs minister, said women and employers would be able to monitor sectors with the gap.

“I think today’s, a really important day in terms of showing where our country is going in wanting to bring, transparency … to what women can earn and should earn,” she told Nine’s Today show.

But she said the gap in some industries was unacceptable.

“When you continue to struggle for women to receive … respect in the workplace, but certainly in their pay, it’s pretty unacceptable,” she told Nine’s Today show.

Deputy Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie said it was important for workplaces to change their makeup of workplaces, so more women would be in high-paying roles.

“When you look at the aviation sector, it shows that our engineers and our pilots, those big, high-paying jobs are predominantly men and that women are predominantly make up the air hostesses … it is really about changing the makeup of the workforces of these big companies.”

According to the figures, airlines were also poor performers on the list in terms of pay gaps. Jetstar had a total remuneration pay gap of 43.7 per cent; Virgin Australia’s was 41.7 per cent, and Qantas 37 per cent.

McKenzie said experience was also a factor in roles, saying people with more experience in any field should be paid more to reflect their expertise.

“When it comes to like for like they should be the same. I mean it’s quite absolutely astonishing that it’s not.”