The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has called on the European Commission to review its enforcement priorities, arguing that delays in implementing gender pay transparency rules are receiving less attention than missed deadlines for technical agricultural directives.
In a statement issued on Friday, the ETUC said the Commission had moved against member states over delays in transposing several EU directives, while no action has yet been announced against countries that have not incorporated the Gender Pay Transparency Directive into national law.
Concerns over enforcement priorities
The European Commission announced last week that it was taking action against member states for failing to transpose 15 directives within the required deadlines.
Among them was a directive concerning protocols for the examination of certain agricultural plant and vegetable varieties, which had not been transposed by three member states by the 30 June deadline.
However, according to the ETUC, the Commission has not taken measures against the 22 member states, including Cyprus, that have yet to transpose the Gender Pay Transparency Directive, despite the deadline expiring on 7 June.
Trade unions call for action
The ETUC said the Commission should urgently begin infringement procedures against member states that continue to delay implementation of the legislation.
The organisation argues that the directive is intended to strengthen transparency in pay practices and help address differences in remuneration between men and women.
Research highlights impact of pay gap
According to new trade union research cited by the ETUC, the average female worker would be €672 poorer per year compared with a scenario in which pay transparency measures resulted in a 10% reduction in the gender pay gap.
The ETUC also said the average working woman currently loses around €3,800 annually because of the gender pay gap.
ETUC statement
ETUC Deputy General Secretary Isabelle Schömann said the Commission should act urgently to ensure implementation of the directive.
"The Gender Pay Transparency Directive should be among the directives that the Commission prioritises to ensure swift and ambitious transposition into national law," she said.
Ms Schömann added that many directives with later transposition deadlines had already attracted the Commission's attention, while the pay transparency legislation remained unenforced.
Gender pay transparency rules
The ETUC said the directive is intended to increase transparency around remuneration practices and help identify factors contributing to pay inequalities between men and women.
According to Ms Schömann, workers have waited decades for effective implementation of equal pay commitments and expect the European Commission to take steps to ensure the legislation is applied across the European Union.
