European women making less than men

Women in Europe doing jobs requiring the same skills as jobs done by men are still being paid significantly less, a study by the the European Trade Union Confederation shows.

The organization, which represents 45 million members in 38 European countries, compared wages in two countries from Western and Eastern Europe — Germany and Romania — looking at women working in the sector of household appliances and men working in car manufacturing.

In Germany, the ETUC said, women in the white goods sector earn 865 euros less per month in gross income than men making cars, for jobs requiring similar skills.

In Romania, where wages are significantly lower, the average difference in net income is 244 euros, the ETUC said.

Last year the organization found that women would have to wait 84 years to achieve equal pay at the current pace of change.