European trade unions push for EU workplace legislation on menopause

The European Trade Union Confederation is calling for menopause to be officially recognized in European Union workplace law, Euronews reported on October 17. The confederation represents 45 million members across 41 European countries and is pushing for legislation as the European Parliament examines the issue. [1]

According to Euronews, the European Commission has stopped short of proposing a dedicated strategy for the issue. The European Trade Union Confederation argued that a lack of workplace support during menopause costs women earnings, career opportunities, and pension income. [1]

Isabelle Schömann, the deputy general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, stated that law remains oriented around male dominated jobs and ignores women work related health risks, Euronews reported. She added that it is high time for the law to catch up. [1]

The push by European trade unions follows recent industrial action elsewhere in Europe. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the Irish trade union Fórsa recently engaged in a public sector pay dispute with the Irish government involving around 400,000 public sector workers. [4][5]