Paris (AFP)

They want to "hit hard" and "make an example": CGT activists launched Tuesday a "group action" to stop what they see as discrimination against women in a private company, in the Caisse d'Epargne Île-de-France, where women earn on average, according to them, 18% less than men.

This is the third time that this procedure, provided for by a law of November 2016, is used in France to stop discrimination in the world of work, and the first time it tackles gender inequalities, have explained the promoters of this action during a press conference.

The move was launched Tuesday morning with a "notice" addressed to the management of the banking group. It could culminate in six months on a summons before the tribunal de grande instance of Paris if, by then, the management has not reacted by measures deemed adequate.

This group action, "it's an opportunity to strike a blow and stop these unbearable discrimination that last for so many years," said Catherine Vinet-Larie, legal representative for the CGT at the Caisse d ' Savings Île-de-France (CEIDF). This bank has 4,572 employees.

"We would like to make an example, because this question affects everyone," added Valérie Lefebvre-Haussmann, CGT Federation of Banks and Insurance.

According to the CGT, which says to rely on the CEIFF's 2018 social report, the average difference in remuneration between men and women "has only increased in the last three years" in the company, to reach 18% , and even 34% for the higher categories. In addition, in 2018, 56% of "category-change" professional promotions benefited men, whereas they represent only 38% of the workforce.

The management of the company said it was "surprised" by this "a little solitary approach" of the CGT, which according to her advance figures "misleading".

- "Resigned" -

In terms of remuneration, "we must compare equivalent employment and equivalent seniority," said AFP Director of Human Resources CEIDF, François de Laportalière. Reasoning this way, men's and women's earnings are almost equivalent, he said, and even "slightly higher" for non-managerial women.

The figures put forward by the CGT also relate only to "part" of professional promotions, he argued, pointing out that, if we take into account all these promotions, the balance sheet is almost fair.

Mr. de Laportalière also pointed out that, at CEIDF, the index of equal pay for men and women - an indicator that companies with more than 1,000 employees must publish since last March - reaches the honorable score of 94 points out of 100 .

The CGT, for its part, believes that this index, the terms of which have been developed by the government, does not report reliably the situation in the company. For example, she says, the index assesses whether a comparable proportion of men and women benefit from an increase, but does not sanction a situation where the firm would increase men far more than women.

The group action allows a judge to order measures to put an end to discrimination and to repair the harm suffered by all persons included in the group concerned.

In this case, in this case, all women employees in the company are expected to join the group, said one of the lawyers who defends the case, Me Savine Bernard, although, for now, the cases only eight employees were added to the file.

Among them, Hélène Coeuret, employed in a bank branch in Seine-et-Marne, has been working at CEIDF for 18 years.

"All the male colleagues who joined the company at the same time as me are now agency managers, but I'm still a financial adviser, at the same salary", explains this employee, who says she has a long time. resigned ", but now wants to fight for" women to be recognized as having the same skills, as able to evolve in the same way "as men.

? 2019 AFP