Pay tweets were after resigning

A FORMER senior manager at Geelong council says her resignation was handed in a fortnight before she complained on Twitter about being paid less than a male colleague.

Yesterday former Central Geelong and Waterfront Manager Dr Fiona Gray, pictured, said her decision had nothing to do with pay or equity.

“The decision was entirely my own and was one that I gave careful consideration to in the weeks leading up to my resignation,” Dr Gray said.

Dr Gray said she left council to pursue a consultancy business, and that she did not have to explain views shared on Twitter to council management before her resignation.

“I leave the organisation with no ill-will on either (council’s) part or mine.

“At no time did my boss, or any other executive at the city, call me into a meeting to ask me to explain comments I made on Twitter in regard to Equal Pay Day. In fact, I have always enjoyed total freedom to express my personal opinions.”

On August 31 Dr Gray said she was being paid less than a male colleague when quoting a tweet from the national Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

“So today on Equal Pay Day I inadvertently learnt that I am being paid 18% less than a male colleague performing an equivalent role with the same level of responsibility but who possesses lesser qualifications. Umm, what …? #GenderPayGap” she tweeted.

“To add some perspective, that’s almost one full day per week that I work for free when compared to my colleague! Without any conceit, I am quite certain that my output and value are not four fifths that of my colleague’s so how is this okay? #StillSeething”