“Historical victory for equal pay.” This is how Gita Gruning, leader of the Teknisk Landsforbund union (technicians and designers), qualified the decree rendered on September 24 by the Danish supreme court. For the first time since the equal pay act was enforced, the Supreme Court sanctioned a firm for violating the said regulation. The Court condemned Ikast Betonvarefabrik to pay DKK 674,637 (€90,677) in damages, i.e. almost DKK 1 million (€134,385) with interest to a former female employee, member of Teknisk Landsforbund, because, for eight years, it paid her less than male colleagues performing the same job. This verdict cancels previous rulings in favor of the company. The majority of the five judges who gave this ruling said that the violation of the equal pay act is obvious. First, for eight years, the plaintiff received lower wages than her two male colleagues performing the same job. Secondly, since wages are negotiated individually, the company’s reasons to justify higher pay for equal work were not clear. Even more so since the company didn’t have a written wage policy defined pay for this post.
ay act is obvious. First, for eight years, the plaintiff received lower wages than her two male colleagues performing the same job. Secondly, since wages are negotiated individually, the company’s reasons to justify higher pay for equal work were not clear. Even more so since the company didn’t have a written wage policy defined pay for this post.
“A victory for an objective definition of wages.” Byrial Bjorst, the union’s attorney, thinks that this ruling establishes that, “when a firm doesn’t
…Do you have information to share with us?