Women in Austria will work for free” from November: This is how we demand fair wages!

Women in Austria will work for free” from November: This is how we demand fair wages!

Austria is facing an urgent problem: The gender pay gap is 18.3 percent per hour compared to the EU, which means that from November 2, 2025, women will work “for free” for their work due to the significant difference in income. This was announced in a press release from the newly founded “Wage Transparency Alliance NEU”, which is committed to implementing the EU directive on wage transparency. The aim of the alliance is to promote transparency and fair incomes for comparable work, which is also supported by a survey by L&R ​​Social Research. This survey shows that salary discussions are uncommon in companies and informal channels are often used, which makes access to fair salary information difficult.

An important element of the agenda of the “Wage Transparency Alliance NEW” is the upcoming press conference on October 30, 2025, which will take place at 9:30 a.m. in the AK Media Room in Vienna. The live stream of the event is below this link available. If you have any questions or would like to register, you can contact Katharina Nagele directly.

Background to the gender pay gap

The gender pay gap is not just a statistical value, but also reflects deeper social and structural problems. According to information from the Federal Foundation for Equality This value varies depending on income distribution, employment sectors and level of requirements. For example, the gap for high levels of requirements, such as for experts, is 20.9 percent, while for specialists it is 16.1 percent and for helpers it is only 9.9 percent. These differences illustrate that various factors and barriers prevent women from receiving equal pay to men.

Policy solutions must specifically address the different mechanisms behind the gender pay gap in order to ensure that wage discrimination is effectively combated.

New EU regulations on wage transparency

On April 24, 2023, the Council of the European Union adopted new rules to combat pay discrimination. These regulations include, among other things, that companies will in future be required to exchange information about pay levels for work of equal value between women and men. Companies with more than 250 employees are required to report annually on the gender pay gap. Smaller companies must provide appropriate reporting every three years. If there is a pay gap of more than 5 percent, pay assessment measures are essential.

In addition, the burden of proof will lie with employers in the future. They must prove that they have not violated the regulations. Protection against wage discrimination is not only a question of justice, but also a means of combating poverty, as women are disproportionately affected by wage discrimination and this inequality leads to an increased risk of poverty. The new guidelines are part of the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 and mark an important step in the right direction.

While the “New Wage Transparency Alliance” is strongly committed to changes, the question of actual implementation and the willingness of companies to take the new regulations seriously remains crucial for the success in combating the gender pay gap in Austria.