Initiative

Various initiatives on gender equality

Summary of the initiative

The Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT, General Union of Workers) is a major Spanish trade union. The UGT represents workers, organized along lines of trades and liberal professions. The union respects freedom of thought, leading toward the transformation of the society, in order to establish it on the basis of social justice, equality and solidarity. In 2013 more than 850,000 members were affiliated to UGT of which 36% were women.

The union has been particularly active on two domains of the framework of actions on gender equality of the EU social partners: tackling the gender pay gap and promoting women in decision- making positions.

Gender pay pap. Since 2009 on 22 of February UGT presents a report on the gender pay gap between women and men across different positions and sectors in Spain. The report is elaborated from official statistical data, presented to the press and widely distributed among UGT members at national, sectoral and company level as well to EU and international level organisations. This work is complemented by training of trade union leaders, negotiators and company reps on gender pay gap and gender equality issues.

UGT considers collective bargaining as key to eliminate the gender pay gap. Good practices in equality plans are regularly collected by the union. Effective measures have been undertaken by the company FNAC. The company agreement foresee an analysis of fixed and variable parts of the pay as well as gender-based social benefits. These elements are made public in the company web portal.

Another company agreement that the union has negotiated to eradicate the gender pay gap is with retailer H&M where a gender pay gap of 12.51% was detected between female and male workers. In order to overcome this gap the HR management is collecting additional data and having regular meetings with trade union representatives of CHTJ-UGT in order to jointly find effective ways to ensure equal pay treatment. After several months of discussions an agreement in the textile sector has been signed. The company has also agreed to annually increase the pay of low-paid workers (mainly female)

Promoting women in decision making. During the last 15 years the percentage of women in decision-making positions within the union has been increasing. UGT statutes recommends that the proportion of women in trade unions’ leadership position should be proportional to the membership and not lower than 20% or 40% for those unions who have more than 40% of female membership in their ranks.

Since 2006, UGT has put in place a “Women’s leaders school” (Escuela de Mujeres Dirigentes) aiming at training ways to manage unions that take into account the gender perspective. Since 2006, the union monitor gender mainstreaming integration into confederation policy. A report submitted to the Executive Committee, the highest body between Congresses.

Since 2004 the project “Artemisia” has been carried. It consists in giving legal advice to men and women who have to apply national legislation on gender equality. Support is given either via email or phone. Information on the project is given throughout Spain. 10,078 people, of which 7,313 women and 3,125 men have been given advice.

In 2005 UGT has signed an agreement with Red Electrica española to fight against domestic violence. The company will offer psychological, medical and judicial support to employees who are victims of domestic violence.  Besides the company will give 600 Euros per month in order to employees who are evicted from their homes. The agreement is renovated every year.  Similar agreements have been signed by Repsol YPF and by the chemical sector.