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Australian mining improving in gender equity

NEW data from the Workplace Gender Equity Agency (WGEA) shows mining companies are working to decrease the gender pay gap and increase the number of women in management positions.

Welcoming the 2015-16 WGEA Gender Equality Scorecard, which drawn from data of companies with 100 or more employees, AREEA executive director and spokesperson for the Australian Women in Resources Alliance (AWRA), Tara Diamond, said the findings are positive but there is still more work to be done.

“The WGEA data shows that the mining industry’s total remuneration gender pay gap is at 15.8 per cent, down from 17.6 per cent in 2014-15. We know that the current  pay per week for women working full time in mining averages $2162.60 before overtime and bonuses, which is more than any other industry, but the pay gap is still there,” Ms Diamond said.

“While ten sectors recorded a higher pay gap than mining, it is imperative that resource employers continue to strive towards closing gender pay gaps within their own organisations, starting with a review of remuneration practices.

“In another promising sign, the number of women in mining management has increased to 15.3 per cent from 14.6 per cent last year. While this is a step in the right direction the sector must keep the momentum going to adjust the gender imbalance in leadership roles.”

The WGEA data gives further evidence companies are striving to change, with the number of mining employers with specific gender pay equity objectives increasing to 14.25 per cent.

However, the data shows only 2.5 per cent of females were employed as mining technicians or as trade workers and only 3.4 per cent of women are employed as labourers.

Only 33.9 per cent of graduates employed in mining were female and only 10.1 per cent were female apprentices.

The data also showed overall, 79.4 percent of men in mining received a promotion compared to 19.2 percent of women.

Click here to explore the full WGEA data set on the mining sector.

AWRA has a range of toolkits and programs to assist resource employers to increase their workforce diversity and address gender equality issues such as gender pay gaps. Visit awra.org.au or call 1800 627 771.

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