Problems of remuneration with consideration of gender aspects in EU countries

The article examines the features of legal regulation of problems of remuneration with consideration of gender aspects in EU countries. The opinion is expressed that international legal acts of both universal and regional (European) level in the field of protection of workers’ rights from discrimination in wages impose on member states the obligation to ensure equal remuneration, eliminating gender discrimination. It was found that the international legal basis of the problem under study is made up of fundamental documents, in particular the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966, ILO Convention No. 100 «On Equal Remuneration for Men and Women for Work of Equal Value» of 1951, the European Social Charter (revised) of 1996, the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1951, Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (revised version), the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union of 2007, Commission Recommendation 2014/124/EC of 7 March 2014 on strengthening the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (revised version), equal pay for men and women, Directive (EU) 2023/970 on strengthening the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms 2023. It is noted that the international experience of countries with a high level of gender equality, such as Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, demonstrates the importance not only of legislatively enshrining the principles of non-discrimination, but also of creating effective institutional mechanisms for their implementation. It is noted that the European Union strives for a pay gap between women and men of no more than 5%. Employees who have suffered from gender-based pay discrimination are entitled to full compensation, taking into account wage arrears and additional, incentive payments. Based on the analysis of scientific perspectives and legislation, the authors conclude that despite the high level of regulatory and legal support for equal pay in the European Union countries, the gender pay gap remains a socio-economic problem. The implementation of EU directives on pay transparency, gender equality and non-discrimination is an important step in reducing inequality, but their practical implementation needs to be strengthened.