Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Greece (Ratification: 1975)

The Committee notes the observations of the Greek General Confederation of Labour (GSEE) received on 1 September 2021 and 1 September 2023.

Articles 1 to 4 of the Convention. Assessing and addressing the gender pay gap. Referring to its previous comments on the persistent gender pay gap and occupational gender segregation of the labour market, the Committee notes, from the statistical information forwarded by the Government in its report, that while the gender pay gap decreased from 12.5 per cent in 2014 to 10.4 per cent in 2018, the average gross monthly earnings of women remained substantially lower than those of men with a gap of 16.9 per cent in 2018 (compared to 17.5 per cent in 2014). In that regard, it notes that the National Action Plan for Gender Equality (NAPGE) for 2021–2025 sets the specific objective of reducing the gender pay gap and pension gap, including through legislative actions and awareness-raising activities (priority axis 2, objective 3), but observes that no information has been made available on the concrete measures implemented to that end so far. As regards the awarding of the “Equality Label”, provided for under Law No. 4206/2019, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that a methodology, which includes the equal pay for work of equal value criteria and the elaboration and implementation of an Equality Plan, has been elaborated and 18 enterprises have been awarded the Equality Label so far. Welcoming this information, the Committee however notes that, in its observations, the GSEE expressed concern about: (1) the persistence of the gender pay gap; (2) the interventions made by the Government that limit collective autonomy and the scope of collective agreements and negatively impact the gender pay gap; and (3) the lack of reliable statistical data collection that hinders an accurate assessment of gender discrimination. In that regard, the Committee notes with regret the persistent lack of updated statistical data as the most recent data on the gender pay gap were collected in 2018 and no data are available for the period 2019–23. It further notes that, in its 2024 concluding observations, the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) also expressed concern about: (1) the persistent gender pay gap; (2) the concentration of women in lower-paid jobs and in the informal economy, where they are exposed to exploitation and have no access to social security systems; and (3) the large number of women engaged in unpaid care work (CEDAW/C/GRC/CO/8-9, 20 February 2024, paragraph 33). In light of the significant gender pay gap, the Committee wishes to stress that it is important to deal with the persistent underlying causes of pay inequality that still need to be addressed in the country. A comprehensive approach to the reduction and elimination of pay disparity between men and women involving societal, political, cultural and labour market interventions is required. In that regard, the Committee observes that the Directive (EU) 2023/970 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between women and men through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms (EU Pay Transparency Directive) entered into force on 6 June 2023, and that EU Member States must implement it within three years. The Committee asks the Government to strengthen its efforts to effectively reduce the persistent gender pay gap and address its underlying causes, such as occupational gender segregation, gender stereotypes and the unequal distribution of unpaid care work between men and women. It asks the Government to provide information on: (i) the specific measures implemented to that end, including in the framework of the NAPGE for 2021–2025; (ii) any assessment made of the impact of such measures and any initiatives undertaken as a follow-up, including in collaboration with the social partners; and (iii) the earnings of men and women, disaggregated by economic activity and occupation, both in the public and private sectors. Recalling that regularly collecting, analysing and disseminating information is important for addressing unequal pay appropriately, the Committee further asks the Government to take all necessary measures to regularly collect statistical information on the gender pay gap and to provide information on any steps implemented to that end. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the transposition of the EU Directive on Pay Transparency into the national legal framework and its implementation.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.