The recent Fair Work Commission aged care work value decision confirmed that the work of aged care sector employees and nurses has been undervalued on the basis of gender assumptions.

The decision sets out a fascinating history of how and why gender-based assumptions about the value of women’s work has permeated Australia’s industrial relations system since its inception in the early 20th century. A brief look at what those assumptions were, helps us to understand why achieving gender equality in wage setting is so important.

The 1907 Harvester decision is the starting point in the role of industrial tribunals setting minimum wages. Justice Higgins looked at what was required to meet ‘the normal needs of the average employee’ being a married man with three children.

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