Unequal pay for women miners

by Annelie Wressmark

April 30, 2008

A survey in 2007 shows a salary increase of 18 per cent in WA’s mining industry was not equally spread between males and females.

The survey by The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy was introduced after undergoing skills shortages in the mining industry. Now an increase of female participation has become a priority for the industry.

AusIMM policy and research coordinator Monika Sarder says that calculating for hours worked, men still earn more per hour than women at almost every level in the mining industry.

Males at senior management level are earning almost 25 per cent more than their female counterparts.

“The only exception is at graduate level, where women are paid slightly more,” Ms Sarder says.

She says this may be due to companies wishing to increase gender diversity by seeking to entice female graduates.

“It’s clear that encouraging gender diversity is about more than just increasing the number of young women professionals getting through the door,” Ms Sarder says.

Manager of the WA government’s Pay Equity Unit, Jenness Gardner, said WA had a gender pay gap of 27 per cent, and in the mining industry it is 23.7.

 “The industry is currently experiencing a need for more labour workers than is available,” Ms Gardner said. “I don’t think the mining industry is a huge part of WA’s big gender pay gap since the mining industry counts for less than five per cent of all industries in WA.”