Il-Fondi tal-UE m’għandhomx imorru għal kumpaniji li jiddiskriminaw kontra n-nisa

Waqt li vvota favur riżoluzzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew dwar id-differenza fil-pagi bejn is-sessi fl-UE, Alfred Sant qal li l-prinċipju ta’ paga indaqs għal xogħol ta’ valur ugwali ġie mtenni fil-Pilastru Ewropew tad-Drittijiet Soċjali u d-differenza fil-pagi bejn is-sessi għandu jkun  fuq quddiem fil-ġlieda għall-ġustizzja soċjali.

Id-diskriminazzjoni illegali fil-pagi bejn l-irġiel u n-nisa għadha tiġi pprattikata fl-UE.  Kumpaniji li jippersistu f’dan qed jipprevjenu lin-nisa milli jkunu awtonomi u indipendenti u jiċħdu l-emanċipazzjoni tagħhom.

 “Il-kawżi huma numerużi.  In-nisa li huma l-persuni li jieħdu ħsieb il-familji jistgħu jispjegawha, bi brejk tal-karriera u sigħat baxxi.  Il-karrieri mhux kontinwi għandhom jiġu vvalutati aħjar mis-soċjetajiet tagħna peress li aktar tard ikun rifless fid-distakk fil-pensjoni u l-etajiet ta’ rtirar.  Madankollu, kawżi oħra jibqgħu mhux spjegati, marbuta mal-isterjotipi tal-ġeneru u mal-valutazzjoni baxxa ta’ xogħol iddominat min-nisa.  Dan huwa inaċċettabbli”, iddikjara Alfred Sant.

It-trasparenza fil-pagi għadha rari fis-settur privat.  In-nuqqas ta’ trasparenza fil-pagi tiftaħ opportunità biex tipperpetwa l-inugwaljanza.

Alfred Sant rrikonoxxa li l-UE bħalissa qed taħdem fuq risposta fl-Ewropa kollha, bil-għan li tgħin lill-vittmi biex ikunu infurmati aħjar dwar l-istrutturi tal-pagi u sabiex ikunu jistgħu jikkontestaw id-diskriminazzjoni.

---

EU Funds should not go to companies that discriminate against women

While voting in favour of a European Parliament resolution on the gender pay gap in the EU, MEP Alfred Sant said that the principle of equal pay for work of equal value was reiterated in the European Pillar of Social Rights and closing the gender pay gap should be at the forefront of the fight for social justice.

Illegal pay discrimination among men and women is still practiced in the EU. Companies participating in its persistence are preventing women from being autonomous and independent, denying their empowerment.

“The causes are numerous. Women being the main caregivers of families can explain it, with career breaks and lower hours. Discontinuous careers should be better valued by our societies as this is later reflected in the pension gap and retirement ages. Nevertheless, other causes remain unexplained, linked to gender stereotypes and undervaluation of female-dominated work. This is unacceptable”, stated Dr Sant.

Pay transparency is still rare in the private sector. Lack of pay transparency opens opportunity to perpetuate inequality.

Dr Sant concluded his explanation of vote in the European Parliament acknowledging that the EU is currently working on a European-wide answer, with the aim of helping the victims to be better informed on wage structures and in order for them to contest unequal treatments.