Senate debates

Thursday, 21 March 2024

Statements by Senators

Workplace Relations: Mable

1:58 pm

Photo of Tony SheldonTony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The government passed laws last year that mean we can finally look under the hood of private employers to see their progress in closing the gender pay gap. In late February we saw the first-ever publication of data for nearly 5,000 companies, but some stood out more than others. I'm particularly concerned by the unregulated spread of gig work in the Australian disability support and aged care sectors. I wondered, as I read through the data, where would the care sector gig platform Mable be? Surely, with their profit-for-purpose values and their $100 million in foreign investment they would be doing okay.

Given the feminised aged-care and disability sectors that Mable have spread into, their business model of contracting workers can lead to the exploitation of women. But clearly women in the head office fared no better. Mable's medium total remuneration gender pay gap is a whopping 23 per cent, higher than the national figure and far higher than the category of social assistance services, which stands at 5.7 per cent.

There is more than just a gender pay gap at Mable; there is an integrity gap. The inquiry into the closing loopholes bill heard from a registered support worker who has been on the platform since 2017. She said that Mable is taking advantage of the caring and compassionate nature of workers. I call on Mable to join with other platforms to support Labor's gig reforms and give the workers—

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