ASU calls for decisive action to close the gender pay gap

Australian Services Union Media Release 3rd March 2026

The Australian Services Union (ASU) has today expressed deep concern following the release of the 2024/25 Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) data. 

The results for some of Australia’s largest companies like Qantas with a 40.1% pay gap are deeply disappointing. These results show a persistent failure to deliver meaningful economic security for women.

Despite years of talk there’s been a failure to act. The latest data shows that Qantas and many of Australia’s biggest companies are not progressing gender equity in their businesses.

ASU National Secretary Emeline Gaske said the data confirms that high-level policies and broad statements from executives aren’t translating into better pay for women on the frontlines.

“The 2024/25 data proves that while big businesses like Qantas might be ticking boxes on reporting requirements, they’re still failing to close the gender pay gap,” Ms. Gaske said.

“We are seeing a continued and narrow focus on filling specific vacancies like female pilots, but the structural problem is being ignored: women are paid less than men.

“There is one surefire way to reduce inequality and that is to pay women in the workforce more. 

“Our members at Qantas don’t need more glossy brochures about diversity; they need a pay rise. They need to see an investment in female dominated sectors of the workforce, and they need to see gender equality treated as a hard industrial right rather than a corporate social responsibility initiative.

“The 40.1% pay gap at Qantas is not an isolated incident; it is a glaring case study of a broader corporate culture that continues to fail women. While executive boards talk about equality, the data tells a story of a systemic refusal to prioritise the economic security of the female workforce.

“We’re not willing to accept incremental progress as an excuse for another year of pay inequity. 

“It’s time for these companies to put their money where their mouth is and embed real, enforceable wage justice for women into our workplace agreements.

“We are calling for a fundamental shift in how both companies and governments approach this crisis. We need targeted measures that go beyond corporate HR policies and actually address the structural undervaluing of women-dominated professions across the entire economy.

The ASU remains committed to advocating for the rights of its members and we’ll be using the latest WGEA data to hold employers accountable and ensuring that the work performed by women is finally given its true value.