Again, I've expressed some concerns on that.
The committee is studying some models from the past, including PSECA. We're looking forward to your recommendations. We agree that pay equity shouldn't be collectively bargained. Among other things, it would create logjams at the bargaining table. It's an enormously complex issue, and it takes years to resolve with the largest employers.
It's important to understand the relationship between pay equity and collective bargaining. Both have important objectives, and they're important to understand and to preserve. There is a tension between them. We need to understand and address that in any pay equity reform.
In terms of PSECA, I've expressed my views. I'm speaking on behalf of the government in terms of our views on PSECA, the way it was introduced, and the need to have meaningful consultation on something that is this important. We're looking forward to this committee's work because this is part of the consultation with you as parliamentarians.
I want to make one point. There has been some progress within the public service, from I'm told 1999, when there was a 17% pay gap, to 2003-04 at 14%, and now it's down to about 9% in 2013. There's been some progress and there are some reasons behind that.
In terms of the pay gap within the public service, there is an occupational segregation within the public service. Right now, 56% of the federal public service are women. There are more women than men doing lower-paid work, and there are more men doing work in higher-paid fields like engineering, for instance, and computer systems.
There has been some specific progress. For instance, 46% of senior and executive ranks are women now, compared to 35% in 2004-05. There is 56% of women in the economics and social science group, compared to 53% in 2004-05; 57% of the law group are women, compared to 51% in 2004-05; 47% of the commerce officer group, compared to 40%. There has been some progress, but we need to do more.
One of the things we want to do more of is to attract millennials to the public service. We believe that this has the capacity to really move the needle in terms of gender balance within the public service as well. We can talk about that in subsequent questions.