France: Macron's government pledges to fight gender wage gap

Friday, January 5, 2018, Vol. 42, No. 1

PARIS (AP) — France's top women's rights official says the government is working on a "tough, concrete" plan to make companies more transparent about the pay gap between men and women.

Marlene Schiappa, secretary of state for women's rights, lamented Monday on Europe-1 radio that France's many laws on equal pay "don't work."

Schiappa's office couldn't provide details of the French government plan, but she suggested requiring companies to release salary averages for men and women employees, and to use software to analyze disparities.

She also welcomed a new German measure allowing women to find out whether male colleagues are earning more, calling it a "good idea."

Schiappa said she is working with EU counterparts on possible Europe-wide pay transparency measures.

She spoke after the BBC's China editor resigned over compensation disparity.