A living wage as a human right

This paper highlights the use of human rights-based strategies as one means to help bring a living wage to low-paid disadvantaged workers. It focuses on those referred to in the 2004 Federal Pay Equity Task Force Final Report, although other groups suffer pay discrimination on other prohibited grounds, such as age, social status and sexual orientation. The paper outlines the human rights obligations of governments and employers, including the mainstreaming of measures to close such pay gaps into their internal policies and practices. This includes the need to map and identify such pay gaps for each group and the systemic dynamics that sustain low pay practices. It also reviews the need to develop plans to close the gaps by setting out targeted and multi-faceted measures that promote the reduction of pay inequities and the creation of decent work. With the collaboration of legislators, public policy makers, employers, trade unions and civil society, these plans need to be developed not only at the governmental level, but also at the community and workplace level. Protecting workers from human rights violations is a bedrock requirement for a society and economy to function fairly.