On the 10th of December, at the Europa Palace in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Basque Country), the European Federation for Family Employment & Homecare (EFFE) participated in the 3rd International Congress on the Pay Gap. This participation aimed to assess the state of social dialogue in Europe within the domestic & home care sector and to demonstrate the impact of an effective structuring of collective bargaining.
A Sector Still Underrepresented in Collective Bargaining
In her speech, Marie Béatrice Levaux, President of EFFE, highlighted a shared European concern: the lack of structured social dialogue in the domestic & home care sector. In Spain, as in several other countries, collective bargaining is nearly non-existent, which perpetuates the sector’s institutional precariousness.
The French model serves as a reference in terms of structuring, having enabled the establishment of an innovative collective agreement that guarantees fairer working conditions for domestic workers while securing the role of household employers. In the absence of a representative employer organization in many countries, the sector remains fragile and often informal, to the detriment of both workers and the families that employ them.
Sharing Experiences for Better Sector Recognition
Bringing together over 200 participants—including international experts, government representatives, and private stakeholders—the congress revolved around the theme “Sumar para Igualar” (Unite to Equalize). During the roundtable discussion “Collective Bargaining to Reduce the Pay Gap,” Marie Béatrice Levaux shared progress in European social dialogue, emphasizing the benefits of a structured framework:
She stressed the need for Spain and other European countries to establish a representative organization for household employers, essential for engaging in collective bargaining and ensuring the sector’s long-term structuring.
Concrete Initiatives and Strengthened European Commitment
Discussions also underscored the importance of public policies and tax incentives to encourage the formalization of domestic work. Elena Pérez Barredo, Vice Minister of Labor and Social Security for the Basque Government, reiterated that “the best jobs are those that benefit from an appropriate collective framework.”
In this regard, EFFE plays a key role in developing standards and best practices at the European level, notably through the PHS Dialogue project, funded by the EU. This program aims to foster social dialogue in the personal and household services sector and enhance recognition of the 3.4 million undeclared workers in Europe.
A Turning Point for Sector Structuring in Spain
The Vice President of the Basque Government, Mikel Torres, announced a plan to position Euskadi among the five most advanced European regions in terms of pay equality by 2030. Follow-up workshops are planned to further explore this issue and adapt best practices identified during the congress.
Through these discussions, EFFE reaffirms its commitment to supporting developments in Europe by promoting balanced and sustainable social dialogue for household employers and their employees.
A social Europe that works for every home