Flemish employers weighed in on the issue of wage discrimination on Monday following the Flemish Government's decision on Friday to approve the integration of the EU Directive on Pay Transparency into domestic law.
Over the weekend, the Flemish Minister for Equal Opportunities, Caroline Gennez, announced that companies in Flanders could face fines if men and women were not paid equally for the same work.
Private employers expressed strong concern over Gennez’s comments.
Pieter Timmermans, Chief Executive Officer of the Federation of Belgian Employers, VBO, noted on Monday, at a press conference at which he presented the organisation's new president, that companies needed reduced administrative burdens rather than additional regulations.
He also pointed out that Belgium already ranks highly in Europe in addressing the wage gap.
The new VBO President, Jan Vander Stichele, felt much the same way.
“Businesses are struggling under heavy administrative pressure while dealing with global uncertainties like the Middle East crisis," Vander Stichele noted at Monday's press conference. "Shouldn’t we focus on more urgent matters instead?” he wondered.
However, Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele clarified Minister Gennez’s statement.
He noted on Monday that the measure applied only to employers under the jurisdiction of the Government of Flanders.
These include Flemish administrative bodies, local authorities, and schools, but do not extend to the private sector, Diependaele confirmed.
