Holzleitner urges the coalition to approve pay transparency to close the gender gap

A structural gap rooted in care

The text under discussion provides for mandatory periodic pay reports and for applying the European pay transparency directive that has already been transposed into Austrian law. According to trade unions, the lack of systematic data makes it impossible to identify cases of wage discrimination and to guide effective public policies.

From the social-democratic opposition of the SPÖ, Renate Anderl publicly backed the demand and recalled that pay transparency is a historic claim of the trade union movement. Anderl insisted that workforces must be able to know the composition of wages in order to demand enforcement of the principle of equal pay for equal work.

Union and youth support for pay transparency

In the youth arena, Korinna Schumann also criticized the coalition's blockade and accused ÖVP and Neos of prioritizing business interests over workers' rights. Schumann called for control mechanisms and sanctions to be put in place for those who fail to meet the new reporting requirements.

The minister recalled that Austria already has a European legal framework that must be applied and that the Government's inaction exposes the country to infringement proceedings. Holzleitner considered that pay transparency is, in addition to a matter of justice, a competitiveness tool, by allowing companies to attract and retain female talent.

European framework and infringement risks

In recent weeks, several studies have placed the gross pay gap in Austria above 18%, a figure that widens when income is considered over an entire working life. Labor policy experts consulted note that the publication of pay equity reports could reduce that difference by between two and four percentage points over a decade, provided they are accompanied by effective audits.

Holzleitner concluded her call by asking the coalition to reach an agreement before the summer break so that the law can be debated in Parliament at the end of summer. If a pact is not reached, she warned, the debate will be postponed until autumn and the pay gap will continue to penalize thousands of women across the country.