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Pay cuts and the public sector: Gender perspectives on the new austerity

 

This panel addresses the gender implications of salary freezes, pay reductions and other cost cutting measures in public institutions.

There is an emerging wave of proposals for reducing public sector wage bills in federal and state governments, as well as universities. The differential impact of such policy urgently needs to be assessed.
 
The economic crisis and its management raises large gender and related equity questions. Key issues addressed by our panellists include:
  • What are the gendered economic impacts of public austerity?
  • What gender inequalities exist within public sector workforces?
  • What are the short and long run gendered impacts of pay freezes? 
  • Can pay cuts be equitable? What are the alternatives? 
 
Associate Professor Fiona Jenkins, Convenor of the ANU Gender Institute, will chair the discussion. 
 
Panellists:
Trish Bergin, Co-Director Governance, 50/50 by 2030 Foundation, University of Canberra
Alison Pennington, Senior Economist, Centre for Future Work, Australia Institute
Tony Dreise, Director, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, ANU
Rebecca Pearse, Lecturer in School of Sociology and the Fenner School, ANU
 

Updated:  15 December 2020/Responsible Officer:  Convenor, Gender Institute/Page Contact:  Gender Institute