Brussels, 18/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European directive on equal treatment for men and women on wages and salaries has reached its limits and needs to be updated, said MEPs on the European Parliament's women's rights and gender equality (FEMM) committee, in a report adopted on Wednesday 17 June by 24 votes to 2, with 6 abstentions. The Committee calls on the European Commission to prepare a new legislative proposal to replace the 2006 directive. “The main problems women face in the workplace mostly result from indirect discrimination based on the ill-founded belief of many employers that women with children are less productive than men. We believe that it is time to introduce binding measures in order to tackle the very roots of this discrimination”, said rapporteur Anna Zaborska (EPP, Slovakia).
The pay gap between men and women is an indicator of the inequality between men and women on the labour market, states the report, and it calls compulsory pay audits for stock-exchange listed companies (small businesses excepted) and penalties for companies that do not abide by the rules. Women with children often choose to work part-time or in sectors which offer a better balance between work and family but are less well paid. The report calls for more flexible working conditions and create a better work-life balance. (Isabelle Lamberty)