THE Fair Work Commission has found that minimum award rates of pay for several health and care sector occupations - including pharmacy - have been undervalued based on gender, with pharmacists' award pay rates set to increase by 4.7% from 30 Jun.
The Commission's decision into its Gender-Based Undervaluation Review, released yesterday, found that pharmacists covered by the Pharmacy Industry Award 2020 have been the subject of gender-based undervaluation.
The Commission noted that the findings "constitute work value reasons justifying the variation of the modern award minimum wage rates applying to each category of employees".
Rectifying the undervaluation in the award will involve a total increase in minimum wage rates of 14.1% over three years, to be implemented in three phases from 30 Jun 2025, 30 Jun 2026 and 30 Jun 2027.
The first round of increases will see full-time pharmacists paid a minimum of $1,400 per week, up from $1,337.60; pharmacists in charge will get $1,570 instead of $1,499; and pharmacist managers $1,749.40 instead of $1,671.
"This is an historic and welcome decision from the Fair Work Commission," Health Services Union (HSU) National Secretary Lloyd Williams said.
"The health, care and support sectors are critical, and most of the people performing the essential roles in these sectors are women," he noted.
"Boosting the minimum award rates for these workers is well overdue and will make a huge difference for members in the current cost-of-living crisis.
"There's still work to be done, but this is a major win for our members, and for women more broadly," he said.
Williams also acknowledged the Albanese Labor Government for paving the way for the Fair Work Commission to be able to examine gender-based undervaluation.
See the determination HERE. KB
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