Brussels, 24/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - By unanimously adopting the own-initiative report by Miet Smet (EPP-ED, Belgium) relating to the principal of "equal work, equal pay" during its meeting last 11 July in Brussels, the parliamentary committee of women's rights calls for the resolution of the problem of differences in remuneration between men and women for the same work, in order to improve the situation of women in the labour market.
The gap in remuneration between the sexes is presently 28% in the EU. The European Parliament's committee invites: 1) the Commission to propose a revision of the 1975 Directive, by taking into account a neutral and non-sexist assessment of jobs, during the campaign that it will implement in 2002 on equal pay; 2) the social partners to enhance the participation of women in wage negotiations; 3) the Member States to do what is necessary to help women overcome obstacles making it harder to gain high level positions.
In her report, Mrs Smet also calls to: - breakdown the statistical data in relation to sex and profession, while taking into account the atypical work that is especially carried out by women; - implement, other than indicative indicators, explanatory indicators such as the relationship existing between the need for a good articulation of the professional life and family life and the wage level. This relationship will be submitted to the second plenary session in September.