Unequal pay

The Defender believes it unjust if people performing the same work or work of a similar value receive different pay, either due to their gender, disability or the fact they also receive old-age pension. Unequal pay is undignified and the government should do more to prevent it.

Therefore, the Defender recommended to the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and the State Labour Inspectorate to approach gender experts and prepare guidelines for the District Labour Inspectorates on how to verify gender equality in pay. In 2016, the Inspectorates should thus launch regular inspections of employers focusing on differences in pay between men and women in the same or comparable positions. Currently, there is a 22% gender pay gap in the Czech Republic. The Minister accepted the Defender’s recommendation and there is preparatory work currently being performed on creating guidelines for the Labour Inspectorates.

The Defender also discussed several cases of unequal pay concerning persons with disabilities personally with the Inspector General of the State Labour Inspectorate. The Inspector General promised that the Labour Inspectorates would focus on this specific issue which is often a source of the complaints I receive.

Finally, the Defender accepted partnership in the project dubbed “Pay attention to gender pay differences!”, as a part of which the employees of the Office of the Public Defender of Rights engage in debates with the broader public, high school students and social partners in all regions of the Czech Republic. Awareness-raising events have already taken place in Prague, Brno, Olomouc and Jihlava. The project is being implemented by the Gender Information Centre NORA, a benevolent association, and will continue until June 2016.