Brussels, 11/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - MEPs have drawn attention to working conditions in the services sector, a segment whose workforce is mainly made up of women. On Tuesday 11 September, they adopted a report illustrating all the different problems confronting women in this field. Rapporteur Iratxe García Pérez (S&D, Spain) made an appeal during the debate before the vote, “we should not allow the economic crisis to undermine working conditions because on the labour market this hits the most vulnerable, particularly women”.
Eight women out of ten work in the services sector, as opposed to six out of every ten men. It is, however, striking to see that women are concentrated in around ten different professions in the services sector alone: shop assistants, home helps, office and hotel employees and nurses, for example. In the report we discover that MEPs consider that this is the result of horizontal segregation, “dictated by deeply held stereotypes in society”. MEPs are also highly critical of political segregation, the famous glass ceiling preventing women from getting into the most senior positions. Although 60% of university graduates are women, they find it difficult to obtain decision-making positions in the economic field (they account for 13.7% of those on the boards of directors). MEPs are calling for this glass ceiling to be removed from public administration.
The report also emphasises that women still earn an average of 17.1% less than men. Ms Pérez said that this wage disparity, “must absolutely be tackled by the Commission and member states and we need to work to reduce this disparity”. Finally, flexible working hours appear to be widespread in positions occupied by women in the services sector. The rapporteur expressed concern during the debate because, “flexibility should not mean it is the company that decides on the working conditions”. (MD/trans/fl)