Information campaign on the need and value of implementing equal pay for equal work

The Economic Council Secretariat, in collaboration with UN Women Moldova and with the financial support of Sweden, is launching an information campaign among employers, both in the real sector of the economy and in the public sector, on the need for transparency of pay for filling vacancies through competitions. Business associations, public sector institutions and other stakeholders will also be involved in the process.

As part of the information campaign, employers will explore different models to create more transparency in the pay process. At the same time, they will learn more about important criteria for employees’ right to information and equal pay for equal work.

Currently, the legislative and regulatory framework of the Republic of Moldova does not provide clear instructions to employers on the need for public posting of salaries for competitive vacancies. On the one hand, employers are obliged by law to make public the proposed salary for vacant positions, and on the other hand, they are prohibited from disclosing personal data, the size of the salary being a component of this principle. It is therefore at the discretion of employers whether they disclose details of financial remuneration publicly.

Employers’ transparency of pay for vacancies aims to promote the principle of equal pay for equal work. In the Republic of Moldova, on average, women’s salaries are 14% lower than men’s salaries. In other words, women earn only 86% of the average male wage. The pay gap is significant and has a long-term impact on women’s quality of life, the increased risk of exposure to poverty and the pension gap between women and men.

To prevent this type of discrimination and to ensure the principle of equal pay for work of equal value, employers are urged to make public the level of wages for vacant positions available in companies. According to the legislation of the Republic of Moldova, when the work of women and men involves the same types of qualifications, skills, responsibilities and working conditions, the principle of equal pay must be respected.

According to the latest adjustments to the legal framework, employers are obliged to inform employees or their representatives, at least every two years, about the average remuneration per employee category or function, segregated by gender.

The information campaign will include a series of activities aimed at promoting the principle of equal pay, including: organising an information event with the participation of economic agents, business associations and other stakeholders; developing a series of explanatory and informative materials widely promoted on social media; developing a guide for the business community which will include good practices of companies implementing pay equity, as well as recommendations for implementing the principle of equal pay for equal work.

As a result of pay transparency, workers will be able to assess whether they are paid non-discriminatorily on the basis of gender, compared to other workers in the same company doing work of equal value.

This material is part of the Roadmap for Women’s Economic Empowerment, developed by the Secretariat of the Economic Council under the Prime Minister’s Office, with the support of UN Women and financial support from Sweden.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund, and the International Finance Corporation’s Investment Climate Reform Project funded by the Government of Sweden’s International Development Agency.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund.