Pay transparency - this is what women from all over Austria say

The Alliance for Pay Transparency NEW is an association of stakeholders who are committed to more transparency and income justice. It offers a platform for networking, knowledge exchange and joint public relations work and brings the topic of income out of the taboo zone. The aim of this initiative is to achieve more openness, clear rules and commitment from management and works councils in order to ensure fair pay for all.

Let's talk about money, because only transparency creates justice.  

Austria brings up the rear in terms of the wage gap

The gender pay gap in Austria is 18.3%. This means that women earn on average around a fifth less than men – every month. In an EU comparison, Austria is thus at the bottom of the list.

The causes have been well researched. Part of the gap results from the employment structure – such as shorter length of service or lower wages in female-dominated occupations. This is not direct discrimination, but a structural disadvantage. However, two-thirds of the wage gap cannot be explained in this way. The suspicion: direct wage discrimination. A lack of transparency exacerbates the problem: women are less often paid above the collective agreement and are more often ignored for bonuses.

The EU Pay Transparency Directive provides tailwind for more pay equity. The requirements must be implemented urgently so that women can actually benefit from their rights.

Pay transparency moves – we asked

In the summer of 2025, the L&R research institute conducted a comprehensive survey on income equity on behalf of the Alliance for Pay Transparency NEW. The results will be presented on 30 October – shortly before the Austria-wide Equal Pay Day – at a press conference at AK Vienna.

The women's mission is clear: they demand more transparency, better information and a fair income for comparable work.

This is what women from all over Austria say:

• Information on salary is missing. Women do not know how their income is composed.
• Informal conversations dominate. Colleagues are often the only source of information because there is no information that everyone can understand.
•  Women want transparent criteria, information on average incomes and disclosure of allowances and bonuses.

Organisations of the Alliance for Pay Transparency NEW:

AK Burgenland • AK Carinthia • AK Lower Austria • AK Upper Austria • AK Salzburg • AK Styria • AK Tirol • AK Vorarlberg • AK Vienna • Austrian Digital Women's Network • Equal Pay – Initiative for Income Justice • Equal Pay Alliance Women's Council Salzburg • Trade Union Bau-Holz • Union of Postal and Telecommunications Employees • Trade Union GPA • Trade Union Public Service • Trade Union vida • Ombuds Office for Equal Treatment • Klagsverband • Network for Women's and Telecommunications Workers Girls' Counselling Centres • Austrian Women's Ring • Austrian Trade Union Confederation ÖGB • Austrian Association of Towns and Cities • PRO-GE Women • younion_Die Daseinsgewerkschaft

Enquiries to fg@akwien.at