Post on 25-Dec-2015
transcript
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Catelene Passchier, confederal secretary European Trade Union Confederation
Reconciliation policies: precondition for quality jobs and equal pay
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Challenges for the next decades(1)
42 Percent of German women believes
that having children will mean the end
of their career …………..
Financial Times Deutschland, Monday 25 June 2007
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Challenges for the next decades (2)
In the autumn of 2007 in Bulgaria, 85 % of teachers were on strike.
Most of them women. They demanded a substantial wage increase. Their current wage is 150 Euro per month (compared to around 400 for a skilled blue collar worker).
Wages in Bulgaria are the lowest in EU 27. Fertility rates as well ……….
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Scenario 1: compromise strategies
(fitting women into a male world) • The ‘standard worker’ is a full time (male) worker;
the organization of work is based on full time availability (plus overtime and/or irregular hours…..)
• Careers are linear; career breaks lead to ‘wage penalties’ • Children are a private matter, for which women/families
can receive ‘support’ • Household chores are done by ‘invisible hands’;
care (female work) does not have a ‘value’ • Individual solutions to cope (with ‘income-penalties’):
part time, flexi-time, (unpaid) leave, childcare
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Scenario 1: results
Perpetuation of – traditional division of labour of men and
women at home – segregation in the workplace– precarious jobs for women
Short term advantages: – low visible costs or investments needed
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Scenario 1: results (continued)
Long term negative effects: – low fertility,
– stagnating labour market participation
– under-utilisation of female human capital,
– persistent gender gaps in terms of pay and pension rights etc. (majority of working poor are women, because of low wages and/or low working hours)
Burden of adjustment on women !
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Scenario 2: structural changes (for men and women)
• The ‘standard worker’ is a worker (m/f) who cares (in various degrees throughout life course)
• Careers are flexible, with alternating periods of high work intensity and lower work intensity;
• Work organizations are responsive to change and diversity
• It is a public interest to invest in an environment that supports and facilitates the (private) choice to have children, and combine paid work with care
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Scenario 2: results
Gradual change towards – more equal division of labour between men and women
at home
– diminishing gender segregation in the workplace
– ‘flexibility’ for worker in mainstream job
– care (both paid and unpaid) is higher valued
Short term costs: – (public and private) investment in childcare, dependent
care, social security, leave, etc.
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Scenario 2: results (continued)
Long term benefits: – higher fertility
– higher (and more adaptable!) labour market participation (and economic performance …?!)
– full utilisation of male and female human capital
– higher wages/ more income security for women, more gender equality
Burden of adjustment more evenly spread over women and men, workplaces and societies
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Some evidence
• a positive correlation between female employment and fertility (with different outcomes for NMS related to low wage levels)
• a negative correlation between female unemployment and fertility
• a wage gap between full time and part time working women
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1 May poster 1907: the three eight-s (8 hours work, 8 hours sleep, 8 hours free) by Albert Hahn (source: IISG, NL)
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8 hours work (NL in 1907: male physical work in agriculture)
Albert Hahn, source: IISG NL
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8 hours sleep (Albert Hahn, source: IISG NL)
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8 hours free (for men…..)(and who cares?)
(Albert Hahn, source: IISG NL)
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21-st century: we need new images
….. and policy coherence! • in flexicurity debate • when revising the Working Time Directive• when tackling demographic change
Longer working lives and more adaptability?
then shorter working days and more flexibility for workers!
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8 March 1908:
• Mass meeting in New York, organized by women from the clothing and textile trades, for – higher wages– an eight hour working day – women’s suffrage
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8 march 2008………
• Tackle the pay gap
• Tackle the time gap
• Tackle the representation gap
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European Social PartnersFramework of actions on Gender equality (2005)
4 priority areas for action:
- Addressing gender stereotypes /segregation
- Promoting women in decision-making
- Supporting work life balance
- Tackling the gender pay gap
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Tackle the pay gap
– Raise low (women’s) wages – Demand equal pay men/women– Mainstream in general wage policies
ETUC 2008: campaign ‘Europe’s workers need a pay rise’, with emphasis on equal pay
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Tackle the time gap
• Measures to improve reconciliation (men/women): – Leave arrangements – Care infra structure
• Rights to flexibility for workers – schedules working time – volume of work (reversible part time)
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Reconciliation of work, private and family life
Joint evaluation European Social Partners of Parental Leave Directive:
• evaluation of parental leave arrangements • in connection with other arrangements supporting parents
and work life balance ( flexible work arrangements, childcare, other forms of leave)
• to assess if joint actions need to be taken….Report to Social Summit March 2008 • Yes, joint action will be taken on: leave, care, time • But details to be further decided (before summer)• Negotiations can start after the summer
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Tackle the representation gap
ETUC Congress 2007
Charter on Gender mainstreaming • Elimination of gender representation gap:
– good and comparable data – increase of women in decision making
• Stronger role equality bodies • Enhancing role and visibility of women in all
ETUC structures
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First annual 8 March Survey 2008
• Women are driving up trade union membership across majority ETUC affiliates
• Women are still inadequately represented in leadership positions: the glass ceiling is still strongly in place (slow or no progress!)
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Thank you !
www.etuc.org