Difference in Wages between Men and Women Investigated by the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia
The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia (FNPR) surveyed 38,000 men and women to investigate the difference in their wages in similar positions. Trade unions want equal pay for work of equal value.
The survey confirmed the established inequality: the difference in favour of men remains up to 57% in mining, up to 54% in construction industry (among unskilled personnel). In information technology the wage of female managers is 64.5% less than that of male managers, in manufacturing industries – 42% less than that of male managers. This violates the Labour Code and Russia’s international obligations.
The minimum gap is in the public and financial sectors, as well as in the water supply sector; in government agencies, there is complete equality in wages for managers, the study says. It revealed the “stabilizing role of trade unions”: when they participate in the systematization of wages (through primary cells), the wage gap among unskilled workers is 12% smaller.
Recommendations of the FNPR Commission for the protection of women workers’ rights: The State Duma should oblige companies with a staff of more than 100 people to report to Rostrud on gender equality; the Ministry of Labour should introduce retraining of women in well-paid professions; employers should pay wages based on the complexity of work (and not on historically established rates), eliminate unjustified gaps, develop mentoring for women’s career growth and to enshrine equality in industry agreements and collective agreements; trade unions should demand the abolition of discriminatory payment systems and offer women workers consulting and judicial support by using FNPR’s research.
GCTU News
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Viktor Pinsky: GCTU Should Play a Leading Role in Organizing Trade Union Education in the CIS
Viktor Pinsky, Secretary General of the General Confederation of Trade Unions (GCTU), believes that the GCTU should take a leading role in developing a system for training, retraining, and upgrading the skills of personnel, exchanging experiences, and educating leaders and trade union activists across the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
"We already have successful experience in organizing trade union education. This year over 400 people from six countries participated in the GCTU’s first two educational programs. The idea to launch such programs came directly from the requests of our member organizations. Internships are another in-demand format, especially among young people. They provide an opportunity to personally visit international organizations and see their work from the inside," said Viktor Pinsky.
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For trade unions, March 8 is not just a day of spring and renewal.
For trade unions, March 8 is not just a day of spring and renewal.
For trade unions, March 8 is not merely a day of spring and renewal. Above all, it is an opportunity to once again reflect on the role of women in the world of work and in global development as a whole. Today, women perform 55% of the world’s total labor. They work longer hours than men—by 6 to 13 hours per week—and still earn less: on average, women’s wages amount to 66–84% of men’s wages, depending on the country. There is objective evidence that the more a country values women’s labor and the smaller the gender pay gap, the more developed its economy. A special issue is the “invisibility” of women’s domestic and, as experts call it, reproductive labor. This is why trade unions should continue to fight for justice for working women.
I congratulate all women of the CIS, my colleagues in the parliamentary corps, and women in trade unions on International Women’s Day. I wish you justice, decent work, success, and prosperity!
Viktor Pinsky
General Secretary of the General Confederation of Trade Unions, Member of the State Duma
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General Confederation of Trade Unions Proposes Securing Trade Union Rights in Enterprise Bankruptcy
General Confederation of Trade Unions Proposes Securing Trade Union Rights in Enterprise Bankruptcy
The General Confederation of Trade Unions’ (GCTU) proposals are reflected in the draft CIS model law “On Cross-Border Insolvency and Bankruptcy.”
Trade unions must have the right to represent and protect workers’ interests in the bankruptcy of international companies, according to Viktor Pinsky, Member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation and General Secretary of the GCTU.