The Equal Pay Amendment Act has now come into force.

"We are now closer to achieving equal pay in New Zealand. Now we are better able to remove the barriers which have stood between working women and fair pay," CTU President Richard Wagstaff said.

"It is to be celebrated that the Government has made it clear that they want the gender pay imbalance to be a thing of the past."

"This new law means that it is simpler to pursue an equal pay claim. It is a process that Unions have, and will continue to, take a lead on as a matter of priority. Recent significant settlements achieved by CTU union affiliates in education, health and the public service have demonstrated the effectiveness of the processes set out in the legislation which now comes into effect."

"This new process is based on New Zealand’s existing bargaining framework with additional support for reaching settlement if needed."

‘We look forward to working with employers, most of whom share our commitment to eliminating the gender pay gap in NZ," CTU President Richard Wagstaff said.