The report, which was approved overwhelmingly, calls on the European Commission to bring forward a legislative proposal by year-end aimed at bridging the existing pay gap between the sexes.
The report also urges the introduction of obligatory regular pay audits for enterprises and the publication of their results.
However, the problem of pay disparity cannot be solved by legislation alone and the commission and EU member states should reinforce the existing rules with appropriate types of sanctions, the report notes.
It proposes that a study be conducted on the possibility and effectiveness of launching sanctions such as compensation of victims, administrative fines, disqualification from benefits and subsidies for employers, and publicizing offenders.
In the European Union (EU), women earn 15 percent less than men on average and up to 25 percent less in the private sector. In spite of the current legislation being in force for more than 30 years, the pay gap between the sexes has been persistent and varies between 4 and 25 percent among EU member states, with no narrowing trend, said the report.
