Discrimination against women persists in the world of work

The OGBL women’s department – OGBL Equality – member of the JIF platform, calls for participation in the feminist march on 8 March 2023 starting at 5pm on the Place Hamilius in Luxembourg city.

OGBL Equality would like to remind in this context that the gender pay gap still persists in Luxembourg: on average, women earn 7.2% less per year than men. However, this figure does not reflect the whole reality, as it is based on full time equivalents. However, it should be noted that women work part-time 6 times more often than men (36% for women against 6% for men). The main reason given by women who work part-time is that they have family responsibilities. Women still take on twice as much unpaid work in the private sphere: cooking, cleaning, caring for children or other dependents, emotional work, etc.

The most effective way to combat wage discrimination is through wage transparency, with wage scales that guarantee negotiated career development in the framework of collective bargaining agreements.

OGBL Equality also notes that many women working part-time did not want to do so, but are forced to do so because they work in sectors such as trade or cleaning where full-time contracts are more rare. In these low-wage sectors, which are essential to the proper functioning of our society, women are clearly over-represented. Their work must be valued and recognized! It should also be stressed that the maintenance of the automatic system of wage indexation is all the more important to guarantee the maintenance of purchasing power, especially in these sectors.

The high rate of part-time work as well as the frequent career interruptions among women also lead to a considerable gap with men in terms of pensions. In Luxembourg, this gap is the highest in the European Union, with women receiving on average 43% less.

It should also be noted that the vast majority of parents in single-parent families are women. These families are fiscally disadvantaged, as our tax class system is more advantageous for married couples. It is high time for a reform of the tax classes and tax scales to reduce these families‘ risk for of falling below the poverty line.

OGBL Equality demands a reduction in working time for equal pay in order to ensure a better balance between working and living time and thus allow families to better distribute the unpaid work which still today is largely on the shoulders of women. The reduction of working time would bring family, social, economic and political benefits.

OGBL Equality also stands in solidarity with women fighting for their pensions in France. Women will indeed be particularly affected by the pension reform if it comes into force, as split careers are already pushing back the retirement age for many women.

Finally, since 2022, OGBL Equality has been conducting a survey on violence against women and structural sexism in the workplace. A first survey among OGBL’s female members revealed unequivocal figures: 1 out of 2 women is a victim of sexism at work and 2 out of 3 victims do not inform their employer!

Upcoming events
– Feminist march organized by the JIF platform: March 8 at 5pm – Place Hamilius in Luxembourg-City
– Screening of the film “Made in Dagenham” in French: March 9 at 7:30 pm – Maison du Peuple in Esch/Alzette

Communicated by OGBL Equality,
March 3, 2023