Directive on equal pay, a dangerous chimera
The EU is getting closer to adopting another directive. The draft is called: DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL to strengthen the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms (link to a full text here). The alleged reasons for such regulation are claimed to be lack of pay transparency and the gender pay gap.
Before looking at the specific provisions of this draft, let's first think about the whole background. Lack of pay transparency and gender pay gap. What first comes to my mind is a question: Why should the EU care? Why should the EU interfere with a private contract between the employer and its employees? The companies within EU member states are still private entities, even though the EU is doing everything it can to invade this privacy, and the questions of salaries, salary raises and bonuses should be private matter of the company and each individual employe. The so-called lack of pay transparency is nothing else that companies protecting their privacy and their internal procedures.
The gender pay gap has been very discussed subject for some time already. The above quoted document claims there is 14% difference between men and women salaries. Now, I am still eagerly waiting for someone to explain, why in such situations are companies still hiring men? Of course, the left-wing answer would be „male privilege“. But the truth is, that companies are being created in order to generate income. If they could generate the same results and pay its employees less, meaning their income would raise, no male privileges would stop the owners from hiring women. No, the truth lies elsewhere. One of the reasons is that women are getting pregnant which is something men cannot do. Therefore, a lot of women lose some time taking care of the children and simply cannot focus on their careers as much as men. While these „reproduction“ differences between men and women are obvious, I am pretty sure the EU will try to temper with biology as well and we will see increased pressure to force men to spend some time on maternity leave. The reproduction reasons are one part of the gender pay gap. And then there is another reason, one that is however not bound to gender. Not all people have the same skill level, same intelligence, same capacities to work.
This statement is true no matter how much the left refuses to acknowledge it. It is the reason why not all people can and will get rich in life. And it is a reason why the „lack of pay transparency“ exists. You see, even people on the same position do not have the same results. Some of them work faster, more efficiently, more successfully. And naturally, these people deserve higher salaries than their less capable colleagues. At this point, we have to also take into consideration the human nature. The reason why companies protect the salaries of the colleagues is that the less paid employees would not in most cases start thinking: Why is my colleague paid better? Isn't there anything that he does better than me? No. Majority of people would become envious and the work environment and working morals would be ruined.
Having described the general situation. Let's have a look at some of the ideas proposed by EU. Article 4 called: Equal work and work of equal value states: „Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that employers have pay structures in place ensuring that women and men are paid equally for the same work or work of equal value.“ But, how do you define „same work or work of equal value“? I assume what the creator of this regulation meant to say is that people working on the same positon should have been paid the same. I, however, would claim that there are no two employees doing the same work. Even if they are employed on the same position, there are differences in their results and therefore in their value.
The most important thing is to be found in Article 7 called Right to information. „Workers shall have the right to receive information on their individual pay level and the average pay levels, broken down by sex, for categories of workers doing the same work as them or work of equal value to theirs“ See, the seeds of envy are being planted here. But let's look at this more deeply. „Doing the same work as them or work of equal value to theirs“ I have already desribed the issue of such written rule. Therefore the answer to such request posed by the employee would be simple: „There is noone else who is doing the same work as you“.
Before looking at the specific provisions of this draft, let's first think about the whole background. Lack of pay transparency and gender pay gap. What first comes to my mind is a question: Why should the EU care? Why should the EU interfere with a private contract between the employer and its employees? The companies within EU member states are still private entities, even though the EU is doing everything it can to invade this privacy, and the questions of salaries, salary raises and bonuses should be private matter of the company and each individual employe. The so-called lack of pay transparency is nothing else that companies protecting their privacy and their internal procedures.
The gender pay gap has been very discussed subject for some time already. The above quoted document claims there is 14% difference between men and women salaries. Now, I am still eagerly waiting for someone to explain, why in such situations are companies still hiring men? Of course, the left-wing answer would be „male privilege“. But the truth is, that companies are being created in order to generate income. If they could generate the same results and pay its employees less, meaning their income would raise, no male privileges would stop the owners from hiring women. No, the truth lies elsewhere. One of the reasons is that women are getting pregnant which is something men cannot do. Therefore, a lot of women lose some time taking care of the children and simply cannot focus on their careers as much as men. While these „reproduction“ differences between men and women are obvious, I am pretty sure the EU will try to temper with biology as well and we will see increased pressure to force men to spend some time on maternity leave. The reproduction reasons are one part of the gender pay gap. And then there is another reason, one that is however not bound to gender. Not all people have the same skill level, same intelligence, same capacities to work.
This statement is true no matter how much the left refuses to acknowledge it. It is the reason why not all people can and will get rich in life. And it is a reason why the „lack of pay transparency“ exists. You see, even people on the same position do not have the same results. Some of them work faster, more efficiently, more successfully. And naturally, these people deserve higher salaries than their less capable colleagues. At this point, we have to also take into consideration the human nature. The reason why companies protect the salaries of the colleagues is that the less paid employees would not in most cases start thinking: Why is my colleague paid better? Isn't there anything that he does better than me? No. Majority of people would become envious and the work environment and working morals would be ruined.
Having described the general situation. Let's have a look at some of the ideas proposed by EU. Article 4 called: Equal work and work of equal value states: „Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that employers have pay structures in place ensuring that women and men are paid equally for the same work or work of equal value.“ But, how do you define „same work or work of equal value“? I assume what the creator of this regulation meant to say is that people working on the same positon should have been paid the same. I, however, would claim that there are no two employees doing the same work. Even if they are employed on the same position, there are differences in their results and therefore in their value.
The most important thing is to be found in Article 7 called Right to information. „Workers shall have the right to receive information on their individual pay level and the average pay levels, broken down by sex, for categories of workers doing the same work as them or work of equal value to theirs“ See, the seeds of envy are being planted here. But let's look at this more deeply. „Doing the same work as them or work of equal value to theirs“ I have already desribed the issue of such written rule. Therefore the answer to such request posed by the employee would be simple: „There is noone else who is doing the same work as you“.
The more frightening part of the proposal is Article 8 called Reporting on pay gap between female and male workers. Employers with at least 250 employees (bear in mind that this is just a beginning, the number will be lowered as the time goes) are forced to report the pay gaps between male and female workers. And to be sure that this breach of privacy is truly visible to all, this report should be published „on an annual basis in a user-friendly way on its website or shall otherwise make it publicly available.“ Now, what will be the consequence of this? As explained above, the pay gap have several consequences from the pure fact that women bear children to the fact that not all people have the same capabilities. Therefore this reported pay gap will be of no value. It will, however, be of big value to the left-wing who will for sure make lists and statistics of „non-inclusive“ companies with high pay gaps and will use these lists to spread hate against such companies.
The whole idea of „lack of pay transparency“ and „gender pay gap“ is void from the beginning. It is only another of social engineering attempts created in red minds of EU representatives who refuse to understand the simple fact I already mentioned: People are not the same, therefore people no matter the gender will never be paid the same. But as it is no secret that EU leaders are extremely left orientated, I consider this proposal an another attempt to fight against businessmen, as they are the biggest enemy of every leftist. And if you think this does not apply to you, as you don't own a company and it might actually help you, think again. These left ideas will eventually reach out and destroy the lives of everyone. Except, once they reach regular people, there will be noone left to stand for them.
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