Women essentially work for free from now through Dec. 31 due to wage gap, says union

Women are effectively working for free for the remaining weeks of this year, said labor union FNV in reference to the wage gap between men and women. On average, women earn about 13 percent less per hour than men, according to the labor union.

Given that there is still 13 percent of the year left to go before New Year’s Day, women should really stop working, FNV said. To draw attention to the problem, they advocated that women symbolically turn on their “out of office” notifications for the next few weeks.

According to FNV director Bas van Weegberg, the situation cannot simply be fixed during the upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations. "More is needed. That is why we are taking action today, together with women in the Netherlands," he said in a statement.

The wage difference of 13 percent means that women currently perform unpaid work for about 34 days of the year. Over the course of a career, this amounts to an average of 300,000 euros, FNV said.

“The pay gap is narrowing very slowly, but if we continue at this rate, we will 'celebrate' Equal Pay Day for decades to come,” said Van Weegberg. In order to close the gap more quickly, the Cabinet’s help is needed as well as support from employers, according to a manifesto from the union. The FNV is also in talks with Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Karien van Gennip. For example, the government must also invest in crucial sectors such as healthcare and childcare and ensure good arrangements for leave, the FNV argued.

Van Weegberg also pointed to the division of tasks at home. "It is also up to men to ensure an equal division of work and care at home," he specified.