Workers in aged care and early childhood education, many of whom are women, have seen real wages growth according to new figures released by Australia's peak union body.
Ahead of International Women's Day on Saturday, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has released its wages analysis.
Women working full-time on an average wage have earned an extra $7,800 more than they would have under the policies of the former Coalition government, the ACTU said.
The boost in women's wages equates to an extra $2,800 on average per year for a full-time working woman.
The ACTU analysis found overall wages growth between 2013 and 2022 was just 2.1 per cent on average, and has since lifted to 3.7 per cent.
It said a number of federal government reforms have been credited with shifting wages, including raising award and minimum wages, reforms in 2022 which expanded worker bargaining coverage and improved paid parental leave.
Nearly six in 10 workers on award wages are women, with many of the legislative changes leading to wage increases for workers in aged care and early childhood education.
Right to disconnect laws that came into effect in 2024 allow employees to reasonably refuse contact from their employer outside paid hours, which the union said had reduced unpaid overtime.
"The change of government in May 2022 signalled an end to the wages' stagnation of nine years under the Coalition," ACTU president Michele O'Neil said.
"Now wages are growing, and the gender pay gap shrinking it is critical these new wage settings and rights remain in place and are built upon."
Recent data released by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency showed just one-in-five Australian employers have an average gender pay gap in the target range of -5 per cent and +5 per cent.
The analysis also showed 56 per cent of employers had improved their gender pay gap in the last year.
