As one of the largest rail network managers in Australia, we are committed to building a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace, which fosters gender equality and a sense of belonging for all at ARTC
Our gender pay gap, as calculated using the WGEA methodology, currently sits at 17.5% average (19.8% median) which is just below our industry average. Whilst we are below the average, ARTC recognise there is an imperative for us to do more to address the drivers of our gender pay gap.
It is important to note that the gender pay gap is not the same as equal pay (where women and men are paid the same for performing the same role or different work of equal or comparable value). Rather it is a calculation of the difference between average earnings of women and men.
The ARTC overall workforce gender composition is 31% female, while males account for over 93% of our frontline and operational workforce. The rail industry has historically been male dominated, particularly in these non-traditional roles.
Whilst our pay levels in non-traditional roles are equitable across genders, the historical male dominance of these roles has afforded them greater time than their female counterparts to attain competencies and progress pay levels, thus being a major contributor to our gender pay gap. We remain focused on systemic and sustainable change to this outcome. Overtime and on-call payments are also generally available to higher-skilled employees who, at this point in time, are predominantly male.
At ARTC we are successfully attracting more females into non-traditional roles and are actively seeking opportunities to increase female participation further. We have a strong retention and development focus for females in these non-traditional roles, so that they may increase earning capacity through the time to gain competence and progress pay levels (as per our enterprise agreements).
We continue to align our efforts through our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan, and are partnering with various educational and industry organisations to improve female participation across all occupation groups and leadership levels within ARTC. Our flexible working arrangements, above-industry parental leave options (including paid superannuation during periods of paid and unpaid parental leave), and development programs support our drive towards gender equality throughout our organisation.
We recognise there is more to do to reduce our gender pay gap. We are committed to this journey and will continue to listen to our people, leverage best practice and demonstrate our dedication towards a richly diverse and inclusive ARTC.