Parliament Takes On Pay Equity In The Workplace

On Wednesday, February 3, 2016, the House of Commons adopted a motion forming a new Special Committee on Pay Equity (Comité spécial sur l'équité salariale in French) [the "Committee"]. The motion was passed with 224 votes in favour and 91 against.

The Committee's mandate includes, but is not limited to, taking legislative action to address wage disparities between men and women in the Canadian work force. The Committee also will consider current provincial legislative regimes on pay equity, namely in Ontario and Québec, and may seek to implement the 2004 Pay Equity Task Force Report which urges the government to formally recognize pay equity as a fundamental human right protected by law. The Committee must report to the House of Commons by June 10^th of this year.