Catalan parties fail to specify measures against gender gap

Women in Catalonia earn 24% less than men in Catalonia, according to an independent observatory, and when they retire, their pension is 40% less than their male counterparts, says trade union CCOO. Gender pay gap continues to be a huge problem in 2018. Yet this does not only affect Catalan women, but women throughout the world. Even in the 21st century, it continues to be a global issue.

Earlier this year, Iceland became the first country in the world to make employers show evidence that they pay men and women in the same jobs equally. Is there such a proposal on the table in Catalonia? On the run up to last December’s election, all parties expressed their concern for inequality at work in their manifestoes. Yet while all of them are committed to fighting against the gender pay gap, they all tend to fail to specify measures.

JxCat: a unifying pact

In their manifesto, Carles Puigdemont’s Junts per Catalunya party (JxCat) proposed to make a "unifying pact" against gender pay gap.

ERC: equal rights, equal wage

Esquerra Republicana (ERC) says that women should "earn as much as men for the same work". The party also vows to make "equal rights" between women and men a reality in all areas of society, both public and professional. What's more, they also stress that the party will fight against gender discrimination.

CUP: specific labor inspection

The CUP party vows to fight against "gender wage discrimination", applying "equality plans" and "positive measures", aiming at fostering women's presence and conditions at the workplace. The far left-wing party, which defends a Catalan republic "detached from patriarchal domination", proposed to "supervise" the work of enterprises, both public and private, in the gender discrimination field. It proposes to launch a labor inspection programme to demand an explanation from employers paying more to men than women in the same position, and fine them if necessary.

CeC: "emergency plan" against discrimination

The Catalunya en Comú-Podem (CeC) party wants to boost an "emergency plan" to fight against woman's job insecurity, and to eradicate gender job discrimination, including the gender pay gap. 

Cs: a "pact" for equality

Similarly to JxCat, the Ciutadans party (Cs), the largest party in the chamber, vows to boost a "pact" for equality between women and men at the workplace, which is supposed to include measures to reduce the gender wage gap, as well as to fight against woman's job insecurity.

PSC: a "law" against gender wage gap

The Catalan Socialists (PSC) have promised to pass "laws" to fight against gender pay inequality and job discrimination in order to ensure everybody is paid the same for the same job, regardless of sex. In addition, it wants to promote campaigns in order to make companies aware of gender discrimination in the workplace.

PP: "labor inspection to guarantee equal wages"

In their manifesto, the Catalan People's Party (PP) said that they “will promote specific measures and step up labor inspection in order to guarantee equal wages between men and women.” The idea of carrying out specific work inspections is shared between the right-wing PP and the far-left CUP.