Rechtb: "BTW, in your job, were you paid less than the men you worked with, rate of pay I'm talking about."

Yes. There were two parallel units, each responsible for an equivalent aspect of the legislation. I worked in a regional office with the equivalent person from the other unit. My position was graded at a lower level than his so I got several thousand dollars less (even though my qualifications were higher). As it happened that person was male, but a female in that position would also have earned more.

The grading of position I held was relative to the head of my unit, which position was also graded less than the equivalent head of the other unit. Why? Because in the past when the unit I worked in was created, the head position was established at a lower grade because a female was in it and this then had a knock on effect to all subsequent positions in the unit (male and female)over the years.

[Slightly more complicated - the newly created head position was an upgrade of a position held by a female, who was promoted to it. Previously she had been doing single-handed all the work that was equivalent to the whole other unit with several staff. Overall, she lost most - lower pay for not just equal but excessive workload over a career. I left after just 2 years.)

So technically people did get 'equal pay' but the discrepancy between the units in pay for the same work was due to an earlier sexist discrimination that had become entrenched.

What's interesting is that I think very few people in the organisation (other than those in the lower paid positions) were aware of the discrepancy because of the way talking about what you earn is a bit of a taboo topic.

For years feminists have been desperate to find examples where women are getting paid less for doing the exact same duties as men and under the same conditions. There are more than enough publicity seekers for any so affected to come forward. However alleged instances are rare and certainly would be pursued by a number of taxpayer-funded bodies with an interest in furthering their own existence.

I have never worked for Award wages, but as someone has already suggested but did not say it outright, it would be an impossibility and highly costly for any organisation, public or private to discriminate. Feminists, unions, guvvy bodies, they would be all over it like a fat kid with a packet of Smarties.

The whole concept of individual workplace agreements - which I support for most employment - ensures that is most unlikely to occur. That you would be remunerated according to what you bring to the job (gender is not one!) and your performance. I knew in advance what I would be paid and generally the expected bonuses (Yay!) because I negotiated up-front and was encouraged to be very specific in my performance goals. Did I do better than women, YES!. Did I do better than men, YES! Both for the performance outcomes that were the subject of my self-initiated performance discussions.

You have to have the ability and commitment and actually put in the hard yards, no BS, and the rest will flow.
to be continued..

contd..

Commenting on sports stars, advertisers determined the prizes and pay, from cold, hard numbers of audience they drew. It is trite to mention that men sports stars attract a larger women audience.

Things have a habit of evening out over time. Technology has created a men's tennis game where the service dominates. However audiences like rallies so women's tennis is more entertaining and is doing very well.

I prefer to watch women play the round ball game, and cricket too. Female referees don't encourage nor do they cop the dives that are endemic in the men's round ball game. Sadly, a well known AFL player is introducing dives into that game now. Maybe it is time for women to get off their butts and get their own game going there too.

As for cricket, thankfully the women's game doesn't have the prima donnas, endless posing and BS of mens' cricket. Women's cricket retains a lot of the amateurism - have a go and enjoy playing with your opponent - so appreciated by audiences. The women's game doesn't have match fixing and gambling either.

On the beach: "For years feminists have been desperate to find examples where women are getting paid less for doing the exact same duties as men and under the same conditions. There are more than enough publicity seekers for any so affected to come forward. However alleged instances are rare and certainly would be pursued by a number of taxpayer-funded bodies with an interest in furthering their own existence."

I think there are lost of hidden examples because not everyone is a publicity seeker.

About 6 years ago a female relative was employed as manager (well, manager, shop assistant, cleaner, one-woman-band) of a small underperforming shop. She was really keen to prove herself and totally revolutionised the shop layout and design, built up the stock and increased turnover. The owner them fired her and employed a man. I encouraged her to take some action, since she had a pretty strong case, but she refused. She was embarrassed that she had been taken advantage off, didn't think she'd win and would be up for legal costs, worried that whatever happened, it would count as a black mark against her in future work and so on. I said that not taking action would just help perpetuate this kind of thing, but I couldn't convince her.

So, for every 'rare' case you hear about, I suspect there are a lot more than never get 'publicity.'

PS If these cases are so rare, how come I can continue providing examples from personal experience?

Cossomby, "PS If these cases are so rare, how come I can continue providing examples from personal experience?"

Anecdotal.

If there are so many examples:

- why aren't they in the media, where there are talking heads who would go ape [bleep] over them? Where the mighty dollar is involved there would be complaints and easily put through the many avenues available outside of the media; and

- if discrimination continues as has been suggested and contrary to laws, I'd sack the shebag of feminists who have been advising policy. Honestly, where have all of those millions of taxpayers' dollars been expended by these rogues um experts, all of these years?

Yeah..but, it's not about publicity, the bigger law firms take those unfair dismissal cases on a no win no fee basis and they're usually settled out of court.
I was unfairly dismissed once,forced to resign due to violence from an employer and all it took was a solicitor's letter to settle the matter and get my money and group certificate.
Employers will cave in if a mere handful of people complain on Twitter or the aggrieved employee starts a Facebook page, I don't believe women are "suffering in silence" in a society which is geared toward the needs of women and in which they're always given the benefit of the doubt even in extreme criminal cases.