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19. 03. 10. - 11:00

EC threatens Austria with court over sexual equality

Austria’s gender equality laws have been blasted by the European Commission (EC) and could land the country in court if it doesn’t introduce guidelines on equal treatment for men and women.

The EC, which issued the same warning yesterday (Thurs) to Belgium and Poland, said the Austrian government had not implemented the guidelines in a number of provinces. If this didn’t change, the EC warmed, Austria would be taken to the European Court of Justice.

The EU guidelines lay down rules for the equality of treatment in the labour market, including equal pay for equal work.

Meanwhile, Social Democratic (SPÖ) Women’s Minister Gabriele Heinisch-Hosek has drawn up a plan for raising the number of women on firms’ supervisory boards to 40 per cent. At first firms can choose whether they want to take part or not and submit annual reports on their progress or lack of.

But she added the process would remain voluntary until the end of 2013, at which time she would ask for an amendment to the law making it mandatory. Meanwhile, firms listed on the Vienna stock exchange should agree on and implement a corporate government code on equality of treatment of male and female employees.

"My final goal is a mandatory quota for women on supervisory boards. My staggered plan gives our coalition partner (People’s Party or ÖVP) the chance simply to say yes." She said she didn’t expect the ÖVP to object since compliance was initially voluntary and the deadline for compliance was so far in the future.

She added that ultimate sanctions on firms that fail to implement the quota could include administrative penalties as in Sweden or delisting from the exchange as in Norway. "But that is not the issue at the moment. I will handle this matter very carefully," she noted.

The minister made her comments on the fringes of a conference on the theme "Women on Supervisory Boards" in Berlin.

Heinisch-Hosek called last summer for firms to be fined over gender pay discrimination.
She demanded that all firms with 25 or more employees open their books for public scrutiny.

The minister added firms at which women who had completed a two-year probationary period were not being paid as much as men for the same work should face fines of up to tens of thousands of Euros.

SPÖ Social Minister Rudolf Hundstorfer said fines were unlikely for the time being, and negotiations with businesses would be required before they could be brought in. But he agreed that firms should be required to open their books to the public.

ÖVP State Secretary for Families Christine Marek also said she did not expect to see fines any time soon. "We will gain nothing from shooting from the hip," she said.

Austrian Times

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