Women still trailing in pay stakes

The Equal Pay Alliance comprises 135 community, business and welfare bodies and has formed to coincide with the Equal Pay Day on September 1st.

The alliance is calling for mandatory audits of pay rates so women have a better of idea where they stand in the work place.

President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions Sharon Burrow says a woman must work more than a year to earn the same that a man would make in a year.

"It's almost 40 years since Australian women were officially granted equal pay for equal work," Ms Burrows said in a statement.

"Yet women still earn 17 per cent less than men or $1 million less over a lifetime.

"For the first time, a broad coalition of organisations will campaign to close the pay gap between men and women."

The ACTU President says women are now more likely to have tertiary qualifications than men, but will still earn $2,000 less than male graduates.

"It is unacceptable that working women are still being short-changed in their pay packets," she said.

The alliance is calling on the federal government to help close that gap.

"We look forward to the support of the Rudd government, employers and the community to achieve these reforms so our daughters don't need to work an extra two months to earn as much as their brothers," Ms Burrow said in a statement.