Can the state set decent standards for gender equality?

Transcription

1 Can the state set decent standards for gender equality? Jill Rubery European Work and Employment Research Centre Manchester Business School University of Manchester

2 The importance of the public sector for gender equality Source of employment opportunities and source of support services for employment integration (only effective alternative to female domestic labour) Potential for protection in pay and employment practices from discrimination/ from organisation of labour market around male lifecourse Space for alternative social values-social choice over how to value care work, for example

3 Gender equality and the public sector Employment quantity Employment Working Conditions Active Promotion of Gender Equality Concentration of women s employment Work-life balance options to facilitate employment continuity Childcare to facilitate labour market participation Employment quality Concentration of women graduates Pay and pension premiums especially for lower skilled Specific duties and policies or more effective implementation of national policies

4 Female employment in the public sector (NACE O, P, Q), 2010 France Germany Hungary Sweden UK Share of the public sector: in total employment in female employment in high-educated female employment in medium-educated female employment in low-educated female employment Share of women in total public sector employment Source: ELFS

5 Work life balance options in the public sector France Germany Hungary Sweden UK Right to work 50 per cent to 90 per cent time; r those on 50 per cent time e paid at 60 per cent. Also right to return to full-time work. No maternity leave ceiling unlike private sector. 12 days rather than 3 days sick child leave. Right to work part-time for family reasons and to return to full-time work plus opportunities for flexible distribution of hours and for combining part-time work with the parental leave allowance. Civil servants have rights for more flexible working when children young but rarely used. Collective agreement in public sector provides top ups to parental leave pay; encourage take up by fathers. 31% public sector compared to 11% private sector provide additional maternity leave pay, opportunities for job sharing and flexitime and requests for part-time or flexible hours granted more often. Source: adapted from Rubery (2013: table 2.6).

6 Women in most but not all countries paid more in public than private sectors All males All females Male fulltime Female full-time France Germany Female part-time Hungary 1.24 (CS) (CS) 0.90 Sweden UK Public-private gaps in average pay in five countries, national data 2010

7 But pay premium disappears if compare to male private sector pay FRANCE Private sector male average earnings GERMANY HUNGARY SWEDEN UK Public and private sector pay for men and women relative to average male earnings in the private sector, 2010

8 Lower paid fare better in public sector but part-timers also have better career opportunities Interdecile - P90/P10 P10/Male private P50* P90/Male private P50* Public Private Public Private Public Private France Male FT Female FT Female PT Sweden All UK Male FT Female FT Female PT All Inter-decile wage ratios in the public and private sectors, five countries, 2010

9 High degree of social choice over pay for professions-very low pay in feminised public professions in eastern Europe Lower secondary teachers statutory pay France Germany Hungary Sweden UK As % pay of all full year workers with tertiary education Trends in real pay (2000=100) Trends in pay compared to GDP per capita No data No data Comparative levels of teachers pay Source : OECD (2011a, 2012).

10 Pensions in public compared to private sectors: importance depends on statutory system Pensions in public compared to private sector France Germany Hungary Sweden UK Final salary compared to career average and high minimum entitlements but bonuses not includedcontribution rates now harmonised. Better occupational pensions and 100% coverage compared to 48% in private sector No difference Better than average top ups to statutory pensions Extensive defined benefits pensions-important as state pension low, private sector has closed schemes and women less covered in private sector

11 Gender equality policy programmes and trade union equality campaigns in the public sector Childcare provision (under 3s) Public sector employer equality policies Public sector trade union equality campaigns Germany France Hungary Sweden UK Low enrolment Affordable Medium/high enrolment Affordable Low enrolment Affordable High enrolment Affordable Medium enrolment Not affordable Specific Federal Equality Act -gender equality in recruitment and promotion Gender parity in recruitment committee; 2008 equality charter - No employer initiatives Both public and private sectors must have a gender equality plan From 2007 gender duty in public sector. Voluntary equal pay audits (40 per cent of public bodies). Failed Ver.di campaign for gender sensitive job evaluation No trade union campaigns No trade union campaigns Some policies to reduce low pay r Single pay spines based on gender sensitive job grading in local government, the NHS and universities. Source: adapted from Anxo et al. (2010) and Rubery (2013: box 2.1 and box 2.2).

12 Variations in the contribution of the public sector to gender equality Employment opportunities Germany France Hungary Sweden UK Quantity Quality Total for employment Working conditions Work-life balance policies Pay and pensions Total for working conditions Active promotion of gender equality Child care provision Gender equality policies Total for active promotion Overall total score

13 Public sector adjustment and implications for gender equality Type of adjustment Cuts to public sector employment Reduced employment Higher work intensity Change to contracts Reduced job security More internal differentiation More outsourcing Lower pay and conditions Pay cuts/freezes/reforms Wider gender pay gap More managerial discretion Changes to pensions Wider gender gap Freezing promotion opportunities Affects women s careers Changes to working time Reduced work life balance Changes to equality policies Reduced attention in public and private sectors Country examples Employment cuts in UK. Restrictions on vacancy filling in France. non civil service in France- more women -lower benefits/ work life balance options. Increased outsourcing in UK, Germany and Sweden lower pay in UK, Germany. Pay cuts in Hungary, pay freezes in UK, France, long term Germany and France, stability Sweden Major changes to public sector pension cuts in UK Failure to appoint to higher grades in Germany in full-time working hours in Germany plus in part-time work. unpaid overtime in France. End to equality reviews, equality duty likely in UK