Men who ask for a raise are more often awarded than women. This is demonstrated by CNV-research among over 3,300 members.
Of the men who ask for a pay rise, 56% will receive it. This is only 42% for women who ask for a raise. Moreover, men, after receiving a good assessment, receive a pay rise more than twice as often as women do. Additionally, outside of the collective labour agreement, extra agreements about remuneration are also made three times more often for men than for women.
Pay gap
«Anno 2021 there is still a significant pay gap between men and women. Often this problem is blamed on women: they should ask for it more often, be more assertive. This study shows, however, that the request for a wage increase among women is less often honoured. Unacceptable. Certainly at a time when women are now more educated than men,» said Piet Fortuin, CNV president.
Openness
The CNV calls on both men and women to be open about their own wages. Less than half (48%) know how much their close colleagues earn, the survey shows. In fact, 52% of men know how much their colleagues earn, versus 43% of women. Almost half of all respondents indicate that if they know that colleagues who do the same work earn more, they will ask for a raise. Fortuin: «We call on everyone in the Netherlands to be open about their own salary. The taboo must be removed. If you demonstrably and inexplicably earn less than your colleague who does the same job, ask for a raise.»
Notification
The CNV urges members to come forward if there is a suspicion of unequal pay. Subsequentially, the CNV then checks whether there is indeed a question of unequal pay. A general notification is also possible: the CNV can then talk to the employer or HR-manager, without stating the name of the reporter.
Investigate equal pay
During collective bargaining, the CNV is currently making agreements about equal pay. Equal pay research is increasingly being used. Fortuin: «Many people think that equal pay is regulated in the collective labour agreement. Unfortunately, this is not the case and differences remain. Agreements are often made about additional remuneration outside the collective labour agreement. If we suspect that there is no equal pay, we will initiate an investigation. The company must then demonstrate that the wages in that company are equal.»
