What this tool does for trade unions

This tool helps trade unions secure, oversee and sustain gender-neutral job evaluation and classification: first by getting them formally agreed upon (through bargaining) and then by ensuring that they work in practice and continue to ensure equal pay for equal work or work of equal value over time.

Unions should advocate for gender-neutral job evaluation and classification for the following reasons.

  • It finds and fixes unjustified pay differences between jobs done mainly by women and those mainly done by men.
  • It strengthens collective bargaining, because a transparent, gender-neutral way to value jobs provides objective and comparable information on how jobs are valued and remunerated across an organisation. This gives a solid basis for building fair pay structures.
  • It helps uncover the undervaluation of women’s work by revealing pay patterns and job classifications that systematically disadvantage women-dominated jobs. This strengthens the case for recognising the fair value of women’s work and for negotiating pay adjustments, within collective bargaining or internal pay reviews, to ensure equal pay for equal work or work of equal value.

Case study: Belgium

Challenge

How to put legal obligations for gender-neutral job classifications into practice.

Response

Trade unions, working with the national equality institute, developed a practical checklist.

Result

The checklist became a training resource for union activists and a reference for collective bargaining.

Impact

The checklist was widely used in negotiations; it strengthened unions’ ability to argue for fairer pay and has become a sector-wide standard.

Where to start: step-by-step guide for unions

Use these steps to help you decide how best to begin or strengthen gender-neutral job evaluation and classification in your organisation.

Step 1. Check existing frameworks

Is there a collective agreement in place?

Focus on integrating or upgrading the job evaluation method to make it fair and free from gender bias.

Begin by negotiating with management to adopt a gender-neutral approach to job evaluation and classification.

Step 2. Clarify union involvement

Is there a formal union presence in the organisation?

Request union seats on the job evaluation committee to ensure transparency and fairness.

Propose a pilot project with joint pay structure reviews to build trust and demonstrate value.

Step 3. Assess what is already in place

Is there an existing job evaluation and classification system?

Audit the system to check if it is free from gender bias; check the coverage of four key factors (skills, responsibility, effort, working conditions), their scoring and related documentation.

Propose adopting a gender-neutral job evaluation method based on the toolkit, considering the tools suitable for your organisation’s size (micro, small or medium-sized, or large).

  • these steps help unions and worker representatives choose the right starting point, whether improving an existing system or negotiating a new one. 

Note: the extent and form of worker representation and consultation may vary across EU Member States, depending on national law and practice – for example, through trade union delegations, works councils or other representative bodies.