The Albanese and Minns Labor Governments are jointly working to make sure women have access to important legal advice and representation on workplace issues with the establishment of a new Working Women’s Centre in New South Wales.
Fulfilling an election commitment, the Minns Labor Government has invested $8 million over four years in the Centre, which will provide free legal advice and support to women in the workplace, plus education and training to businesses and staff, enhancing workplace safety for women across the state.
Women’s Legal Service NSW has been selected to deliver the NSW Working Women’s Centre and has also received $8.1 million over 5 years in Commonwealth funding.
The Commonwealth Government has committed a total of $32 million over five years to establish or fund existing working women centres in all states and territories and create a new national body. This is in response to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Respect@Work Report (2020) that recommended all jurisdictions establish or re-establish working women’s centres.
The Minns Labor Government’s investment in the Working Women’s Centre will provide for frontline services that help women across New South Wales navigate workplace issues such as underpayment, wage theft, parental leave, sexual harassment and non-disclosure agreements. The holistic, trauma-informed service includes free and confidential legal advice, representation, individual advocacy and support.
It enhances and complements the Commonwealth service, ensuring priority access for a diverse range of service users that face additional barriers to legal supports including:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
- women in regional, rural and remote NSW
- women with disability
- LGBTQIA+ women
- young women
- women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- older women
- solo mothers in one parent families.
In tandem, the Working Women’s Centre will provide state-wide advocacy, education and training programs for businesses and their employees in occupation-specific sectors that support the prevention and elimination of workplace discrimination, sexual harassment and gender inequality.
Women who need advice on workplace issues, including workplace entitlements and rights, gender issues, cultural diversity, discrimination and sexual harassment can reach out to the NSW Working Women’s Centre for free assistance via: https://www.wlsnsw.org.au/legal-services/wwc/
Federal Assistant Minister for Social Services and the Prevention of Family Violence, Ged Kearney said:
“Places like the Working Women’s Centre are so important, giving women an access point to seek protection in the event of experiencing workplace discrimination or harassment.
“Whether it’s workplace harassment, underpayment or discrimination against working mothers – no woman should face that alone. The Working Women’s Centre will be there for all women; it’s free confidential and on her side.”
NSW Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis said:
“I welcome the establishment of a new Working Women’s Centre in New South Wales which will help support women with the legal advice, advocacy, and workplace protections they deserve.
“It follows the Minns Labor Government passing major reforms that enhance the rights and conditions of over four million workers in NSW. This includes enshrining gender equality and the elimination of workplace bullying and sexual harassment as explicit objectives of the Industrial Relations Act.
“The recently established NSW Anti-Bullying and Sexual Harassment jurisdiction allows for the order of damages for more than 400,000 NSW Government workers in hospitals, schools, local councils and other public services.
“These workers can now seek orders and damages from the NSW Industrial Relations Commission to stop workplace bullying and sexual harassment.
“While landmark reforms this year by the NSW Government saw paid leave rights expanded for 250,000 Community Services sector workers, three-quarters of them women.”
NSW Attorney General Michael Daley said:
"No one deserves to be harassed or discriminated against at work because of their gender.
"The Working Women's Centre will provide free, dedicated legal advice and representation for women regarding their workplace rights.
"It will also provide support and training for businesses to create safer workplaces across industries."
NSW Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:
“The NSW Government is continuing work to make sure working women in across the state
“The Women’s Legal Service NSW has more than 40 years’ experience providing specialist legal support to working women. During that time, their work has improved the safety and economic security of working women, and their advocacy has advanced gender equality and women’s rights at work.
“It is this longstanding passion and commitment, as well as their significant experience, that makes Women’s Legal Service NSW highly qualified and best placed to deliver these crucial legal, education and advocacy services that will ultimately help make workplaces fairer and safer for women across NSW.”
CEO Women’s Legal Service Katrina Ironside said:
“We are enormously grateful to the NSW Government for its commitment to gender equity and for partnering with us to support a best-practice, specialist Working Women’s Centre in NSW. This investment reflects the Government’s recognition that women’s economic security, safety, and wellbeing must be central to workplace and social policy.
"For the first time, women across NSW will have access to a dedicated, free service for legal assistance on workplace issues that disproportionately affect them and compound inequality. We look forward to working closely with key stakeholders including unions to build and expand this much needed service for working women.
“Whether it’s a single mother in Nowra dismissed after returning from parental leave, a migrant woman in Griffith being underpaid, a young woman in Bourke bullied by her employer after disclosing her sexuality, or a First Nations woman in Western Sydney threatened with defamation for seeking medical care following a workplace sexual assault, the Working Women’s Centre will ensure they can access the free legal help and wrap-around support they need.”
