October 30 is Equal Pay Day in Austria. No reason for celebration for Austrian women: they earn 17 percent less than men in Austria, so from the end of October they work statistically for free until the end of the year. In concrete terms, this means that on October 30, men have already earned what women still have to work for 63 days. If part-time workers are also included, men earn 36 percent more.
“Each year, the Equal Pay Day makes it clear that we are still a long way from our goal when it comes to equality in companies. To ensure that gender diversity does not remain an abstract construct, work of equal value should be paid the same – regardless of gender,” emphasizes Gundi Wentner, partner at Deloitte Austria.
No improvement in Corona years
AK President Renate Anderl was “annoyed” at a press conference that the Equal Pay Day is only postponed a few days a year. This year’s value is 17 percent less due to an improvement, but due to the fact that in the calculation year 2020, due to the corona-related working time reduction, men lost overtime and came closer to women’s income, she emphasized.
The income gap between the sexes can only be narrowed if there are better pay and conditions for paid care work – ie work in childcare, care and the social sector. The average gross hourly wage here is currently 13.70 euros, in technical professions it is 20.10, economist Katharina Mader calculated.
Household still in female hands
At the same time, she called for all women to be relieved of unpaid care duties (childcare, care for relatives, household). The fact that these are still seen as a women’s job means, among other things, that every second woman works part-time, for mothers with children under 15 this is three quarters. Across the EU, 7.7 million women are unable to work because of their caring responsibilities.
What is needed is better wages, short-time working with full pay compensation and more staff for stable rosters and training with subsidies to support us in living.
Source: Krone

I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.