Pay equity: The FIQ celebrates the Supreme Court of Canada’s historical ruling
After ten years of relentless battle, the highest court in the country ruled in favour of the FIQ and a coalition of unions who denounced amendments to the Pay Equity Act. For FIQ President Nancy Bédard, one of the instigators of this case, “This ruling is a major step forward for women’s rights. It clearly states that the amendments the Quebec government made to the Act in 2009 perpetrate systemic discrimination against women.”
Remember that for several years, women lost the option to have ongoing pay adjustments. They had to wait until the employer underwent a pay equity audit, which could be done up to five years after the wage gap was reported and without any retroactive compensation. “Judge Abella’s ruling is unequivocal: she strengthened the right to equal pay because she struck down the amendments made to the law by the government,” explained Ms. Bédard.
The FIQ is proud it stood up to the injustices its members were facing and that it waged a battle against compensation discrimination all the way to the highest court in Canada. “The struggle for equity and equality has always been central to our feminist organization and we will continue to mobilize so that together we will be able to declare victory,” said Nancy Bédard.