Switzerland
The Swiss trade union confederation SGB/USS, backed by the VPOD/SSP public services union, is launching a year-long campaign for higher pay and equal pay. The campaign kicks off on 8 March with a series of events around the country including a demonstration outside parliament, leafleting at a range of different venues, public meetings and other public events highlighting the continuing pay gap between men and women.
Read more at > SGB/USS
Public services union UNISON has launched an equal pay campaign in Scotland. It has submitted an invoice to the Scottish Executive highlighting the amount of pay owed to women in the public services. UNISON points out that it is 30 years since the Equal Pay Act and eight years since the single status agreement was signed in local government. Both were supposed to deliver equal pay but women are still waiting. Read more at > UNISON (EN)
Following a decision at its Congress in Sevilla last year, the ETUC is launching campaign on fair pay with a major demonstration in Ljubljana in Slovenia on 5 April to coincide with a meeting of European finance ministers. In recent months the ETUC has responded to continuing comments, particularly from the European Central Bank (ECB), that wage moderation needs to continue and that current pay claims, particularly in the public sector, risk fuelling inflation. The ETUC campaign will highlight the declining share of wages in economic output and the fact that company profits and executive pay
The PCS civil service union has submitted an equal pay claim on behalf of 38 women who work for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). They have compared their pay with pay rates for similar jobs in the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) that are predominantly carried out by men. Both agencies are part of the Department for Transport. The union has found that pay rates for similar jobs are 21% lower in the DVLA than in the DSA. Read more at > PCS (EN)
