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Equal opportunities on the labour market – Gender Equality and the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Republican Trade Union of Employees in Banks, Insurance Companies and Other Financial Organizations of Serbia RS BOFOS in cooperation with the European Centre for Workers’ Questions (EZA) and with the support of the European Union organized a seminar with the theme “Equal opportunities on the labour market – Gender Equality and the Fourth Industrial Revolution” which was held, from 2 March to 5 March, 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia.

The seminar was attended by over 60 representatives of workers’ organisations from Serbia, Lithuania, Croatia, Belgium, Montenegro, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Romania and Portugal.

The most important aspect of the seminar was the impact of the digitization on gender equality. Seminar participants were discussed about: the Gender Equality Index, gender equality strategies, about going digital and the future of work for women, about new digital technologies and equal conditions for women and men in the labor market, as well about women in information technology, and about women's economic and political participation.

The seminar topics were important for trade union representatives because they need to build capacities for resolving various challenges when it comes to the gender equality issue especially in the context of digitization process.

Regarding seminar results participants agreed that it is necessary to continuously improve the knowledge and competencies of trade union representatives in the field of gender equality, through various forms of education, and to work on better informing employed women about laws and other legal acts that guarantee labor rights, and in relation to gender equality. They also agreed that female employees should be encouraged to acquire new knowledge necessary for work in the era of the fourth industrial revolution, as well as that digitalization do not change the need for social dialogue, and the task for unions is to promote social dialogue and the issues that are gaining in importance in this digital age. Participants agreed that the issue of gender equality should be incorporated into collective agreements and other acts of companies, and that unions should monitor quarterly parameters related to gender equality (representation of both sexes in management, wages, etc.), as well as the employer make proposals for corrective measures and activities related to gender equality.

Seminar participants adopted a Declaration based on the United Nations Principles for the Empowerment of Women in which they emphasized that they will promote gender equality through union activities, at the employer level, nationally and internationally, and advocate for fair treatment of all women and men at work - respect for and support of human rights and non-discrimination. They stressed that it is necessary to strive in order to establish a culture of corporate leadership tailored to equality and to ensure the health, safety and well-being of all employees. They also stressed that it is necessary to insist on the principle of equal pay for work of equal value, regardless of the gender of the employee, and on a system of fair career advancement for every employee regardless of gender difference, as well as to promote education, training and professional development for women and men, ie for equal access to professional development.

Everything that was emphasized in the declaration can be applied through negotiations towards the conclusion of a collective agreement, monitoring the implementation of the collective agreement, and through the views of the unions that they express in public, in order to promote gender equality.

On Friday, March 4, the participants visited the UN Women Office in Serbia, United Nations Agency for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. At the UN Women Office in Serbia, participants were welcomed by the UN Serbia Resident Coordinator François Jacob, Technical Project Analyst Natalija Ostojić, Gender Responsive Budgeting Programme Coordinator UN Women Olja Janković Leković, and Project Officer UN Women Nevena Marčeta.

UN Serbia Resident Coordinator François Jacob introduced the participants to the activities of the UN Women Office in Serbia, namely: strategic planning, development of economics, partnerships, development of finance, data and results management and reporting, communication and advocacy. During the visit, the participants were given brochures: “Economic Value of the Unpaid Care Work in the Republic of Serbia”; and “Sustainable development goals”. RS BOFOS President, Mara Erdelj, handed over to the hosts from the UN Women Office in Serbia the Declaration adopted and signed by the participants.

During the visit, they discussed whether women would lose their jobs more during fourth industrial revolution and whether their jobs would be replaced by technology that is cheaper and faster, as well as whether women are sufficiently computer literate and ready to switch to digitally mediated work and to future occupations for which we do not know exactly what it will look like.

It is important to point out that the cooperation of RS BOFOS with The Coordination Body for Gender Equality of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, as well as with the UN Women Office in Serbia will continue in the future on these and other common issues.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The financial services sector, along with many others, is facing a changing model of work with growth in flexible arrangements and greater interaction with technology. In addition, women tend to be the ones who use flexible work arrangements and work from home. Since early 2020, measures put in place by governments to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have further accelerated the pace of digital transformation. Gender gaps in the workforce, particularly those in leadership positions, have remained largely unchanged and progress has stalled, despite growth in the numbers of women acquiring education, surpassing the rates for men in most countries.  

Trade Unions need to insist on the following issues:

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  1. It is necessary to continuously improve the knowledge and competencies of trade union representatives in the field of gender equality, through various forms of education. Also, it is necessary to work on better informing employed women about laws and other legal acts that guarantee labor rights, and in relation to gender equality.

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  1. When it comes to gender stereotypes and prejudices, union representatives can also play a significant role in reducing them, both at the company level and at the sectoral and national levels. Trade unions can improve their actions with actions aimed at breaking the taboo on the reservation of managerial positions for men.

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  1. Trade unions need to be fully prepared to face the modern challenges of the labor market, which arise from the impact of digitalisation. Female employees should be encouraged to acquire new knowledge necessary for work in the era of the fourth industrial revolution.

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  1. The conditions of digitalization do not change the need for social dialogue. The task for unions is to promote social dialogue with issues that are gaining in importance in this digital age.

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  1. The issue of gender equality needs to be incorporated into collective agreements and other company acts.

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  1. Trade unions should also be prepared to address issues of gender equality and unequal wages when it comes to collective bargaining, so the above-mentioned education of trade unions in this regard is crucial. Trade unions should monitor quarterly parameters related to gender equality issues (representation of both gender in management, wages, etc.), as well as to provide proposals to the employer for corrective measures and activities related to gender equality.