Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Greece (Ratification: 1975)

The Committee takes note of the supplementary information provided by the Government in light of the decision adopted by the Governing Body at its 338th Session (June 2020). The Committee proceeded with the examination of the application of the Convention on the basis of the observations received from the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) and the International Organisation for Employers received on 1 October 2020, as well as on the basis of the information at its disposal in 2019. The Committee notes the observations of the Greek General Confederation of Labour (GSEE) received on 31 August 2017 and 30 August 2019.

Legislative developments. The Committee refers to its comments on the application of the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) regarding the application of Law No. 4604/2019 on Substantive Gender Equality Preventing and Combating Gender-Based Violence of 12 June 2019 which encourages public and private enterprises to draft and implement “Equality Plans” with specific strategies and targets to prevent all forms of discrimination against women and provides that the General Secretariat for Family Policy and Gender Equality (GSFPGE) can award “Equality Labels” to them as a reward for their engagement in favour of equal treatment, including equal pay for equal work, and balanced participation of women and men in managerial positions or in professional and scientific groups set up in the enterprise (section 21).

Article 2 of the Convention. Gender pay gap. Referring to its previous comments on the gender pay gap and the occupational gender segregation of the labour market, the Committee notes, from the statistical information forwarded by the Government, that while the gender pay gap decreased from 15 per cent in 2010 to 12.5 per cent in 2014, the average monthly salary of women remained substantially lower than that of men in almost all economic sectors, even when men and women workers are employed in the same occupational category. It observes that, in 2018, the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) carried out a Labour Force Survey (LFS), but regrets that no updated information on the gender pay gap has been included in this survey nor has such information been published since 2014. The Committee notes that the GSEE highlights that the gender pay gap may be higher if data was properly collected, which demonstrates that there is an urgent need to establish an independent mechanism that will monitor this phenomenon, record and process targeted data already stored in existing information systems for employment and social security purposes. The Committee notes, from the 2018 LFS, that the employment rates for women slightly increased from 46.8 per cent in 2016 to 49.1 per cent in 2018, but remained 21 percentage points below that of men (70.1 per cent in 2018), being still one of the lowest employment rates for women among the European Union (EU average of 66.5 per cent), as highlighted by the GSEE. It further notes that women are still mostly concentrated in low-paid jobs, representing 61.2 per cent of clerical support workers but only 26.8 per cent of senior officials and managers and 9.1 per cent of board members of the largest publicly listed companies in the EU (Labour Force Survey of ELSTAT and European Commission, 2019 Report on equality between men and women in the EU, page 27). In this regard, the Government refers in its supplementary information to Law No. 4706/2020 on Corporate Governance, Capital Market Modernization, which is a transposition into the Greek legislation of Directive 2017/828 of the European Parliament and European Council, and measures for the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2017/1131 and other provisions, adopted on 17 July 2020, which provide that the eligibility criteria for the appointment of members of Boards of Directors shall include at least the adequate representation by gender indicated as not less than 25 per cent of the total number of members. The Committee also notes that, as highlighted by the European Commission and Eurostat, the gender gap in unpaid working time is one of the highest in the EU which is reflected in the labour market by the fact that more than twice as many women as men are in part-time employment (13.2 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively in 2018). It welcomes the Government’s indication of the establishment of the SHARE Project (3.2.2020–2.2.2022), which aims to challenge traditional stereotypes and roles within the family and promote work and life balance, focusing on companies’ workplaces and their involvement in the promotion of gender equality and work-life balance. The Committee takes note of the adoption of the National Action Plan for Gender Equality (NAPGE) for 2016–20 and more particularly of the Government’s acknowledgement that: (1) the gender pay gap and pension gap persist, and that this matter will be a priority in the new National Action Plan for Gender Equality 2021-2025, which is being elaborated; (2) employed women have low-paid and precarious jobs, with little room for promotion and are unable to develop professionally and educationally; and (3) women still undertake the bulk of domestic work and spend periods away from the labour market more frequently than men, which also impact their future earnings and pensions. It notes that, as a result, the NAPGE sets specific actions to examine the transferability of good practices to tackle the gender pay gap, such as an annual report on the gender pay structure, and the design of a “salary and wage calculator” which provides up-to-date and easily accessible information on the usual wages in different industries and regions. The Committee also notes SEV’s observation that with a view to changing the culture of stereotypes and gender segregation to tackle the gender pay gap, measures need to address gender stereotypes including through pre-school education and special educational programs on career orientation, as well as promoting young women’s access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). While welcoming the adoption of the NAPGE, the Committee notes that, in April 2019, the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Discrimination Against Women in Law and in Practice highlighted the need for women’s equal access to the labour market and improved pay and conditions at work, and expressed specific concern at the persistence of the gender pay gap and the absence of women in leadership roles (OHCHR, Press statement of 12 April 2019). In light of the persistent gender pay gap and occupational gender segregation of the labour market, the Committee asks the Government to provide information on: (i) the application of Law No. 4706/2020 and its impact on the presence of women on Boards of Directors; and (ii) any other measures taken, including in collaboration with employers’ and workers’ organizations, to raise awareness, make assessments, and promote and enforce the application of the Convention. It asks the Government to provide information on the proactive measures implemented, including in the framework of the National Action Plan for Gender Equality for 2016–20 and for 2021–2025, to address the gender pay gap by identifying and addressing its underlying causes, such as vertical and horizontal occupational gender segregation and stereotypes regarding women’s professional aspirations, preferences and capabilities, and their role in the family, and by promoting women’s access to a wider range of jobs with career prospects and higher pay. Recalling that regularly collecting, analysing and disseminating information is important for addressing appropriately unequal pay, determining if measures taken are having a positive impact on the actual situation and the underlying causes of the gender pay gap, the Committee requests the Government to take all necessary measures to provide updated statistical information on the gender pay gaps, both in the public and private sectors.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government which reiterates the content of its previous request adopted in 2019.