By James Massola

The Federal Government and the Australian Services Union will take the first step towards ensuring fair pay across the community sector today. The union and the Government have joined forces to seek a landmark agreement, which will be taken to Fair Work Australia early next year, to streamline 47 community sector awards across the country and place workers into one national wage agreement.

By MISHA SCHUBERT AND BEN SCHNEIDERS

FORTY years after Australian women won the right to equal pay, the Rudd Government will back a major test case seeking hefty pay rises for 200,000 mostly female workers in the community sector.

By KIRSTY NEEDHAM

TWO hundred thousand women working in homeless and domestic violence shelters, aged care and other community services stand to win a 30 per cent pay rise under a major gender equity test case.

The Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, today welcomed the Australian Government’s agreement with the Australian Services Union, which represents social and community services workers, to support the first federal test case on pay equity for community sector employees under the new Fair Work system.

The ASU has issued a Press Release this afternoon.

The release announces the agreement between the ASU and the Australian Government on Equal Pay.

Click here to view the release.

Community sector workers around the country are one step closer to higher wages following the announcement of a landmark pay equity test case in the new Fair Work system.

HISTORIC TEST CASE BRINGS WAGE INCREASES FOR COMMUNITY WORKERS A STEP CLOSER

Community sector workers around the country are one step closer to higher wages following the announcement of a landmark pay equity test case in the new Fair Work system.

Community sector workers to move to Fair Work system and seek national pay equity order

The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Julia Gillard, today announced that the Government has reached agreement with the major union representing social and community services workers, to support the conduct of a major test case on pay equity for community sector employees under the new Fair Work system.

Tens of thousands of low paid social and community services workers could receive pay rises of more than $100 a week as a result of a landmark pay equity test case to be launched by unions tomorrow.