Trade unions call for better reconciliation between work and family

Each year, Belgium’s trade unions organise several events during the month of March to highlight the issue of gender equality at the workplace. While gender discrimination is legally forbidden, a gender pay gap remains; the trade unions have thus sought to raise awareness of this issue among workers and politicians. In particular, they have focused on working women’s difficulties in reconciling their job and family life.

Focus on gender inequality at workplace

Since 2006, trade unions in Belgium have been organising a number of events during the month of March to highlight the gender pay gap and women’s working conditions in general. The events coincide with the International Women’s Day on 8 March and are organised by the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (Confédération des Syndicats Chrétiens/Algemeen Christelijk Vakverbond, CSC/ACV) and the Belgian General Federation of Labour (Fédération Générale du Travail de Belgique/Algemeen Belgisch Vakverbond, FGTB/ABVV) (BE0803019I).

During the month of March, trade unions place a particular emphasis on the persisting pay gap between men and women, although gender discrimination is strictly forbidden by law. This gap, which is estimated to be about 15% in Belgium, is largely the result of women’s differing career paths rather than a consequence of direct discrimination. On the one hand, horizontal segregation is evident in the country’s labour market: more women work in social, health or education fields, where pay is generally lower than in other sectors of the economy such as industry and technology sectors which employ more men. On the other hand, vertical segregation in the labour market is also apparent: women find it more difficult to reach the highest positions in companies than men. This is often attributed to the fact that women with children temporarily leave the workplace to take care of their family or choose to work part time and consequently miss opportunities for training and promotion. These considerations raise the issue of balancing work and family life.

Varying impact of parenthood on careers

According to a study conducted by the Free University of Brussels (Université libre de Bruxelles, UCL) motherhood still constitutes a significant obstacle for working women’s careers, while fatherhood can in fact be a springboard for men’s careers (see report (in French, 294Kb PDF)). It seems that because of the pay gap, most women choose to reduce their professional activities to take care of their children, while men increase their working hours in order to provide for their family’s needs. Thus, parenthood appears to favour men’s careers while it has a negative effect on women’s career opportunities. In addition, the more children they have, the less likely it is that mothers will work. For instance, 74% of women without children are working, compared with 56% of women with three or more children.

Reconciling careers and parenthood

To help workers invest simultaneously in both their career and family life, the EU recommended measures such as parental leave and an increase in the number of daycare institutions. An EU directive of 1996 (Council Directive 96/34/EC) proposed parental leave of three months for all new parents, both men and women. In Belgium, a collective agreement of 1997 provides for parental leave that allows the worker – whether male or female – to temporarily suspend their professional activities or to reduce their working hours so that they can take care of their children. However, in the majority of cases, women seem to have availed of this option. In the UK, a lobby group called the Fatherhood Institute (formerly ‘Fathers Direct’) is promoting the need to extend fathers’ leave. In Belgium, fathers can take up to 10 days of parental leave. However, Belgian political parties are calling for an extension of parental leave, while trade unions are also proposing alternative solutions such as teleworking.

Company initiatives

Beyond global solutions, the most efficient solutions can often be found within individual companies. For instance, in one company providing cleaning services and thus employing a majority of women, the management with the help of the employees’ delegation recruited a nurse to take care of employees’ sick children in the home. In a superstore, cashiers were allowed to develop a flexible schedule so that they could collectively manage their own schedule and organise their working time to meet family responsibilities. This system of ‘auto-management’ also appears to increase workers’ motivation and a sense of solidarity among staff.

Emmanuelle Perin, Institute for Labour Studies (IST), Université Catholique de Louvain