Initiative

Initiatives on gender equality

Summary of the initiative

CSC (French: Confédération des syndicats chrétiens) – ACV (Flemish: Algemeen Christelijk Vakverbond) is a Belgian trade union confederation. The union promotes democracy and justice in society and consequently also gender equality. In 2013 over 1.7 million workers were affiliated to ACV/CSC, of which 45% were women.

The union has undertaken numerous initiatives to promote gender equality in the labour market, both in the work place and within its affiliated member organisations at national and sectoral level. These initiatives have either focused on a specific issue or on all four priorities of the EU social partners’ framework of actions on gender equality.

An example of cross-cutting action is a study conducted by the CSC together with Hiva (a Research Institute for work and society) and FTU (Fondation Travail Université). It gives an analysis of how gender equality issues are incorporated into sectoral collective bargaining practices and contains recommendations to negotiators. CSC is also strongly committed to the implementation of gender mainstreaming into the confederations’ work and structures. A log book for gender equality (“Ensemble construisons l’avenir” – “Together we build up the future”), with five points of action has been widely distributed among trade union reps. A checklist for gender equality for trainers is annexed to the log book.

Tackling the gender pay gap. This priority has been at the core of CSC activities for several years. March is the month where most of the awareness raising activities are organised by the confederation and it has been defined as ‘the month for pay equality’. Several tools and initiatives have been undertaken, especially awareness raising campaigns. ACV/CSC has also set-up a dedicated website where the main elements linked to pay and possible forms of discrimination are addressed: http://www.csc-en-ligne.be/droit_social/travail/toutsurmonsalaire/default.asp 

In 2009 CSC lobbied for the adoption of new legislation to increase wage transparency mechanisms in companies. A new law to achieve gender pay equality between men and women was eventually adopted on 22 April 2012. A brochure was then published by the union to explain the main elements of the new law (“Agissez contre l’ecart salarial dans votre entreprise” – “Take action against the gender pay gap in your company”) in March 2013. Furthermore, training activities for trade union members and negotiators are organised on a regular basis, every year. They gather together around 400 trade unionists of both genders.

Addressing gender roles: various awareness raising campaigns were organised under this topic. In 2010 the campaign used the slogan: “J’efface les clichés, je bosse pour l’égalité” – “I erase stereotypes, I work for equality’. A leaflet and a sponge (to clean out stereotypes) were produced to promote this message. In 2011 the campaign was entitled “Réfléchissons égalité” – “Let’s think about equality” mainly addressing sectoral gender segregation not only at work but also in vocational education and training as well as in education. In 2013 a new awareness-raising campaign took place in the German-speaking part of Belgium (“Mischen is possible”) and it targeted mainly young students and their choice of studies.

Reconciliation of work: This priority is broadly addressed by ACV/CSC through negotiations and awareness raising activities. For example the “Rent a man” campaign highlights the difficulties that working men and women encounter when trying to reconcile their family and professional lives. The issue of childcare facilities was also addressed by CSC- Mons La Louvière.