(20 November 2014) The Social Partners represented by ETUC, EPSU, ETUCE, Business Europe, CEEP and UAPME met in Vilnius on 17 November to discuss how to work together to promote and support gender equality in the EU. EPSU was represented by C. Jakob, Policy Officer for Local and Regional Government and Gender Equality.
The Social Partners and EIGE discussed how to identify common priorities. A joint analysis made was that the crisis has reduced certain gender equality achievements and particularly shared by EIGE. This will be visible when EIGE will update its Gender Equality Indicator next year where some of the indicators will have to be revised with a downward trend in a lot of EU countries. The Jobs and Growth Agenda of the European Commission presented by Juncker Commission last week is lacking a perspective how women employment in the EU can be promoted more visibly.
On the trade union side, the Social Partners mentioned the joint achievements as e.g. the Parental Leave Directive which needed to be monitored if rightly implemented by Member States. The Gender Pay Gap in the EU is an important issue that is yet not enough addressed in practical terms in the public and private sector and the Commission Recommendation on Equal Pay adopted on 7 March 2014 on strengthening the principle of equal pay between men and women through transparency provides a first tool to reduce pay inequalities if supported by the employers in its implementation. Collective bargaining was acknowledged as a very effective solution to reduce inequalities in sectors where women are overrepresented in low-paid jobs and needs to be promoted by Social Partners jointly.
Other issues discussed were the EIGE draft work programme for 2015, projects on Gender Training for Civil Servants and related to improve gender equality in the pre-accession countries of the EU as for example in Turkey, BiH or Kosovo and the promotion of women in ICT jobs (GirlsgoDigital).
- Log in to post comments
