"We couldn’t agree more with CHRC Chief Commissioner Falardeau-Ramsay’s statement that it is time for the government to make the necessary changes to ensure that pay equity becomes a reality," says Turmel. "As the Commission points out, unless women are unionized and their unions have considerable resources, the pay equity law is meaningless. A non-unionized bank teller who files a pay equity complaint is just not in a position to challenge the financial might of her employer in order to have pay equity implemented in her workplace.

"We support the call for a pro-active, consistent scheme which would see pay equity implemented for employees of all federally-regulated employers. We believe the five guiding principles outlined by the Commission in its report provide a solid basis for improving the existing legislation."

"One major problem with the current complaints-based system is the almost uniform resistance by federal employers to accept and abide by the pay equity provisions of the Canadian Human Rights Act," according to Turmel.

"Employers, including the federal government, have been notorious for their delaying tactics, using every legal manoeuver imaginable to frustrate the process. It took almost 16 years to resolve the PSAC’s pay equity complaint against the federal government. A pay equity complaint filed against Canada Post back in 1983 is still unresolved after 17 years and 348 days of hearings before a Human Rights Tribunal, with no end in sight.

"Even the Commission acknowledges that many of the employers’ court challenges have either been procedural motions or dealt with technicalities and have rarely addressed the substance of the case. And while they take up considerable time and resources, these challenges rarely have been successful.

"PSAC is eager to work with the Task Force to review the federal pay equity legislation headed by Dr. Beth Bilson," says Turmel. Our union has extensive experience with the application of the law and the complaints-based process. Unfortunately, our experience also indicates that many federal employers are probably not interested in making pay equity more accessible and will do whatever they can to try to render the law as ineffective as possible. Women in federally-regulated workplaces deserve better."

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For information: Nycole Turmel, national president, PSAC - (613) 560-4330