Tomorrow is the day from which women work for free

BarcelonaThe difference in pay between women and men is equivalent to them working without pay from tomorrow, Tuesday, November 18th, until the end of the year. The CCOO union in Catalonia denounced this situation in a statement published this Monday, calling for a "care pact" to eliminate the gender pay gap. "Although the gap has decreased in percentage terms, we note that the absolute difference in euros remains stagnant," the organization reports. According to a study presented by the same union last February, in 2022 men earned an average of €6,219.39 more than women. The CCOO in Catalonia insists that this difference in remuneration "is an injustice that perpetuates precariousness and inequality for women." "This wage discrimination is not a matter of chance, but rather the result of the undervaluation of our work and the impact of caregiving on our professional careers," the statement reads. In this regard, they also point out that labor market segregation "stems from a patriarchal society that values male-dominated jobs and fails to recognize feminized ones." "We must fight to dignify the jobs where women are more prevalent, especially those that prioritize life by providing care and support to others," the union emphasizes.

Therefore, CCOO considers it "essential" to implement a comprehensive care pact in Catalonia "that dignifies the work of caregivers, the vast majority of whom are women." "We demand that the right to be cared for be dignified within a society where everyone, including public authorities, shares responsibility for an activity that until now has been carried out at the expense of women's effort and health," the union states..