Swedish government wants to renegotiate pay transparency directive

"It has become increasingly clear how great the challenges are in implementing the directive in a national context, both for us in Sweden and in other EU countries. Therefore, a relaunch at EU level is needed and we are now taking the initiative to do so."

"The directive would require companies to report on their gender pay gap, give employees the right to ask for average pay levels for their role, and require companies to provide pay ranges or a starting salary before job interviews."

"Sweden voted against the directive in 2023, arguing that it had not been adapted to Swedish conditions, with its labour market model based around collective bargaining agreements between unions and employers."

"The directive also created unnecessary administrative burdens. The government said it did not intend to submit a bill on the directive to the Swedish parliament by the June deadline."

Sweden's government intends to postpone and renegotiate the EU's Pay Transparency Directive, claiming it poses administrative challenges that could undermine gender equality. Minister for Equality, Nina Larsson, expressed support for the directive's goals but highlighted concerns about its implementation in Sweden and other EU nations. The directive mandates companies to disclose gender pay gaps and provide salary information, but Sweden argues it is not suited to its labor market model. The government will not submit a bill to the parliament by the June deadline.

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