Social Dialogue Committee for Central Government Administrations. Recommendations towards closing the gender pay gap. Adopted on 30 September 2014

Transcription

1 TUNED Trade Unin s Natinal and Eurpean Delegatin EUPAE Eurpean Public Administratin Emplyers Scial Dialgue Cmmittee fr Central Gvernment Administratins Adpted n 30 September 2014 Backgrund In 2011, the Scial Dialgue Cmmittee fr Central Gvernment Administratins (SDC CGA) 1 adpted a statement Twards equal pay that calls fr, amngst thers, wage transparency as a prerequisite fr clsing the gender pay gap. At Eurpean level, a first bstacle t pay transparency is the absence f cmparative gendered pay data fr Central Gvernment Administratins (CGA). Whilst Eurstat prvides data n the gender pay gap based n average grss hurly earnings, these d nt autmatically cver public administratins and exclude the sectr f CGA. Until this shrtcming has been rectified by the Cmmissin, as a first step, the SDC CGA endeavured t cllect gendered pay data t try and assess the size f the pay gap with a view t identify the causes and remedies in a sectr where wmen accunt fr at least 40% f the wrkfrce. Data cllectin started in the curse f 2012 n the basis f a cmmnly agreed set f indicatrs such as age, grade, educatin, department/ ministry. It was assumed that the data wuld be available frm the gvernment s statistics ffices, in line with natinal and EU legislatin and cllective agreements (e.g. the 2002 revised directive encurages the drawing up f equality plans thrugh scial dialgue). Hwever, the exercise f data cllectin has prven t be mre difficult than planned, is yet t be cmpleted and cntains a number f incnsistencies. The difficulties stem partly frm mismatches between the agreed indicatrs and available statistics at natinal level, and, as stated in ne case, the impact f budgetary austerity n natinal statistics regarding equal pay. Despite its limitatins, the infrmatin cllected prvides a first baseline against which t seek and measure imprvements and develp plicy accrdingly that best suits the sectr; it is als timely in view f the Cmmissin Recmmendatin f 7 March last that seeks t strengthen the principle f equal pay between men and wmen thrugh transparency 2. The infrmatin received by the SDC CGA was analysed by the Labur Research Department (UK research institute), whse initial findings were presented and discussed at the SDC CGA 8 Octber 2013 meeting. A mre general presentatin n gender equality in the public sectr and the crisis by UK expert, Jill Rubbery, als fed int the discussins f the Cmmittee in the curse f Accrdingly, the fllwing recmmendatins are agreed fr implementatin by natinal scial partners within their respective scial dialgue structures in the next 15 mnths: 1 The SDC CGA cnsists f TUNED fr the trade unin delegatin (cntact persn nsalsn@epsu.rg) and EUPAE fr the emplyers (cntact persn nacer-eddine.djider@finances.guv.fr) 2

2 Recmmendatin 1: clsing the gender pay gap estimated at 11.4% must remain a pririty fr scial partners At the end f 2013, infrmatin n men s and wmen s pay was available fr a ttal f 12 cuntries: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxemburg, Rmania, Slvakia and the UK, as well as nn-eupae Pland and the Nrdic cuntries. Spain nly prvided infrmatin n the number f men and wmen emplyed, nt n the pay gaps. The data are based n grss annual earnings, except fr Denmark, (hurly pay), Finland and Sweden (mnthly pay), n a full time equivalent basis. Data n a mnthly r annual basis are mre accurate than thse based n hurly pay because they capture the incidence f wrking time n the size f the pay gap (given that men typically wrk lnger hurs than wmen, even if bth are full time, and that mst part-timers are female). The data cllected cnfirm the existence f a gender pay gap in central gvernment administratins f an estimated 11.4% n average in 10 cuntries. Tw cuntries, Rmania and Luxemburg, indicate a reverse gender pay gap i.e. wmen are better paid than men. Fr Luxemburg, this is explained by the fact that the educatin and justice sectr where high wages are paid have a quite high prprtin f wmen. Besides, in the public sectr wmen ften start wrk earlier than men and therefre, at the same age, have prgressed further in their career. Unlike fr wmen, starting a career within central gvernment is ften nt a man s first chice. In additin, cnsidering that the Luxemburg data are based n a full time equivalent basis and that wmen at lwest grade are ften part-time wrkers, there are mre men emplyed at the lwest grade. Fr Rmania the data cllected cvers central and lcal public administratin, excluding the armed frces and assimilated. Als, all secndary activities carried ut in the central and lcal public administratin were excluded frm the public administratin activity: scial assistance, cultural, sprt and recreatinal activities, landscaping and services fr buildings, agriculture, water supply, waste management, cnstructins, transprt and strage, prductin and supply f electricity, heat, gas and ht water, renting and subletting f real estate. This estimated pay gap in the cuntries cvered by the survey is smaller than the pay gap f 16.4% acrss the EU ecnmy (Eurstat, 2013) bearing in mind the different calculatins, sample and indicatrs being used. Whilst there is n rm fr cmplacency, it cnfirms that the public sectr has a better recrd n equal pay than the private sectr. This histrical psitin stems frm mre regulated pay arrangements and greater influence f public plicies in favur f gender equality (wrking time, wrk/life arrangement..). Hwever, the situatin may well be changing. The latest Eurstat figures shw that the verall gender pay gap in the EU has pened up slightly rather than clsing, after a slight decrease between 2008 and As freseen by UK expert Jill Rubbery, this is the result f the lss f generally better paid jbs fr wmen, taking int accunt the public sectr pay premium fr wmen, nt fr men, cmpared t the private sectr in the EU15. It is recmmended t: Prmte the gender equality supprting advantage f the public sectr that cntributes t its attractivity and its psitive influence n the verall psitin f wmen in the labur market; 2

3 Reinfrce measures t clse the gender pay gap that, hwever smaller in CGA than in the rest f the ecnmy, remains unacceptable; Assess critically the impact f jb and pay reductins and changes in the pay system n wmen bth in CGA and n the verall gender pay gap and wmen s emplyment; Draw up annual gender equality reprts s that they can be used fr cherent actin plans t clse pay gaps. Recmmendatin 2: develping a lifelng apprach t gender equality Only 6 cuntries, ut f the 12 surveyed, have prvided data n wmen s and men s pay brken dwn per age. In these cuntries, with the exceptin f Slvakia, the gender pay gap increases with age with the age range f faring the wrst. In the case f 3 cuntries (France, Slvakia, Italy) it is a three fld aggravatin frm abut 4 r 5% pay gap fr thse under 30 up t 15% r mre fr thse aged In Belgium, it is the senirity factr that causes the average gender pay gap t the detriment f wmen. In this cuntry, wmen are better paid than men (3.3% difference) within the age grup belw 30, but the situatin reverses in the age grup Fr Luxemburg the situatin reverses quite late in a civil servant s career (see explanatin abve). It is recmmended: That thse cuntries wh d nt mnitr the size f the pay gap per age grups, d s, in line with the abvementined EC Recmmendatin n equal pay and transparency; That the 40+ grup becmes a pririty area with a view t ensuring that maternity and parental leave d nt penalise wmen and supprting fathers t share family respnsibilities, with mechanisms such as: Individualized supprt upn leaving and returning t activity fr wmen and men benefiting frm maternity and parental leaves; Cnsidering ways t better neutralise any negative cnsequences f maternity and paternity leave arrangements, and by develping ptins t share parental and family leaves by bth parents; Develp further negtiated measures supprtive f a better wrk/life balance including regarding wrking time arrangements; T raise awareness and fight against steretypes within the yunger grups t ensure the gender equality premium is maintained as they get lder, fr example by: Including gender equality as a main item f the initial training f yung civil servants Offering training abut gender equality t executive fficers and human resurces departments. In additin, such training shuld encmpass preventin and management f harassment and vilence. Recmmendatin 3 : tackling hrizntal segregatin It was assumed that pay differences fr the same jb r f the same value wuld be bigger in men-dminated ministries reflecting a bigger prprtin f additinal individual payments. This assumptin was based n tw case studies in France and the Czech Republic. Hwever, nly 4 cuntries have prvided data brken dwn int 3 r 4 ministries, Italy, Luxemburg, Pland and Slvakia. Even within such small a sample, n clear patterns emerge. There is a higher gender pay gap in favur f men in the freign affairs ministry fr Pland and Luxemburg, but in Slvakia, the highest gap is fund in the Interir affairs. In the ecnmy and finance traditinally men-dminated, this is the smallest gap in Pland. Scial affairs, wmen-dminated, has the smallest gap in Slvakia. 3

4 It is recmmended t n lnger cntinue wrking n this indicatr which des nt seem t be relevant. Hwever it remains relevant: t assess the impact f individual payments, bnuses that are knwn t be higher in sme ministries n the gender pay gap and better identify prcesses and structures that lead t gender segregatin in jbs e.g. under-feminisatin f technical jbs; t prmte a greater prprtin f wmen in scial dialgue including cllective bargaining structures with a view t cntribute t clsing the pay gap. Recmmendatin 4: tackling vertical segregatin Seven cuntries have prvided data n the gender pay gap brken dwn per grade. With the exceptins f middle and tp management in Pland, the gender pay gap permeates every grade. There is hwever n clear pattern as t which level is mre prne t gender inequalities, althugh the indicatrs used were perhaps nt adequate in sme cuntries i.e. educatin backgrund. In Belgium, France and Luxemburg, the widest pay gap is fund fr jbs requiring a master s degree, while in the UK and Slvakia it is the ppsite with the greatest gap fund fr lwest levels. In terms f emplyment, the prprtin f wmen is highest at the bttm f the hierarchy and lwest at the tp in all cuntries surveyed, except in Slvakia. Belgium in this regard is the cuntry with the smallest number f female managers, whilst Slvakia has the highest number f female tp managers. The verrepresentatin f wmen in lwer paid psitins (sticking flr), and its underrepresentatin at the highest levels (glass ceiling) are key factrs f the gender pay gap. It is recmmended t adpt r reinfrce a tw-prnged apprach with a view t: increase the number f wmen at the tp with a view t achieve gender parity a number f cuntries have adpted, via legislatin r cllective agreements, qutas r quantified targets, measures t imprve access t tp psitins, mre and/r better training and better wrk-life balance, such as: Establishment f verificatin methds t check recruitment prcesses are nndiscriminatry Develpment f adapted training cnditins with a view t lift time and gegraphical cnstraints that prevent wmen frm jining them Further imprvement f transparency by prviding the trade unin representatives within the scial dialgue structures with yearly gender equality reprts regarding men and wmen s prmtins with a view t make the necessary adjustments and crrectins where necessary. review wmen-dminated jb categries in light f the required cmpetences, qualificatins and pay levels cmpared t men-dminated categries with a view t achieve a better gender cmpsitin and t prevent a lw-pay penalty fr wmen s wrk. Recmmendatin 5: maintaining and imprving data cllectin Clearly, as the abvementined SDC CGA Statement n equal pay calls fr, Eurstat shuld prvide data n the gender pay gap in ur sectr. In the cases where natinal statistics 4

5 agencies are nt in psitin t prvide thse data, relevant slutins shuld be studied t redress the situatin. In view f the difficulties identified during the data cllectin and analysis and f the prblems described abve, mre cllabratin with Eurstat is indispensable. The SDC CGA will take the necessary steps with Eurstat t harmnize the data and indicatrs that shuld be presented by the states. T facilitate the cmparisns between cuntries and make the exercise wrthwhile, it is recmmended that member states cmplete and imprve their data cllectin as fllws update the data cvering all emplyees f CGA in particular, t better identify mre specific areas f ptential inequality, fr example: impact f bnuses paid t emplyees wh wrk a certain number f hurs r in certain ccupatins; distributin f wrking time patterns e.g. f full-time, part-time -the wrking time indicatr has becme all the mre imprtant in view f recent changes in sme cuntries twards lnger wrking weeks; access t prmtin, educatin and training experienced by part-time wrkers r wmen s ccupatins; type f emplyment cntract, civil service status; prvide examples f cllective agreements n gender equality e.g. supprt fr cllective bargaining, equality wage pls, training n equal pay, revisin f jb classificatin and r pay scales, arrangement t return t full time r wrk part-time amngst managers, mentring systems etc. An annual review will be carried ut by the SDC CGA regarding the abve recmmendatins. 5