Unions call for tripartite negotiations to tackle gender pay gap

Denmark

Fifty-one public service unions are backing a further call on the government to engage in tripartite negotiations to tackle the gender pay gap. The recently concluded three-year public sector agreements include specific amounts to reduce the gap, as did the previous agreements in 2018. However, the unions argue that this is simply not enough to properly address the problem and that the economic constraints on the normal collective bargaining process prevent action on the scale necessary to make real progress. The 51 trade unions that represent well over half a million employees in municipalities and regions argue that this is a broader societal issue, with the need for a substantial pool of money that can best be negotiated by the government and the social partners.