BusinessNZ has welcomed changes to the Pay Equity Bill that aims to get better pay for women in undervalued occupations.

BusinessNZ was part of the Pay Equity Joint Working Group that agreed on a set of principles for pay equity bargaining.

Chief Executive Kirk Hope says the principles agreed in the tripartite working group have now been reaffirmed by the current Government and will clarify the process for settling pay equity claims, more clearly aligning it with the collective bargaining framework in the Employment Relations Act.

"The Bill will now get the issues on the table for discussion and is a big step forward in the process of rebalancing pay outcomes for historically undervalued occupations," Mr Hope said.