Code of practice on the implementation of equal pay for work of equal value for women and men

The Committee adopted a report by Laura GONZALEZ ALVAREZ (EUL-NGL, S) on the code of practice for the implementation of equal pay for work of equal value. The Committee believes that the code of practice can help to eliminate pay discrimination between women and men, although it is unlikely to remove pay inequalities altogether. The social partners, the member states and the Commission should ensure that it is applied as widely as possible and to all the employees. First requirement for putting it into practice is job evaluation. The Commission should undertake research on "gender free" job evaluation schemes and prepare model job evaluation guidelines. Since the collective bargaining process is essential for establishing equal pay. Collective agreements must respect non-discriminatory principles. Women should be more involved in the collective bargaining process. The Committee called on the Commission to monitor the implementation of the code of practice and if it does not result in narrowing the pay differences within three years, the Commission should consider legally binding measures. �