France will name, shame firms that pay women less –Macron

France will “name and shame” employers who pay women less than men, President Emmanuel Macron said in comments marking International Women’s Day on Thursday.

“We are going to put in place a system … that will allow us to name the businesses where the law is least respected and where checks show the greatest salary gaps,” Macron said.

The French government says that women are on average paid 9 per cent less than men of the same age in the same position.

Macron said, calling out businesses with the biggest pay gaps “will make a difference, because nobody wants to be wearing the dunce’s cap.” .

The French government is to make computer software available to companies to enable them to track the gap in pay between the sexes.

The number of labour inspectors dealing with equal pay issues will also be beefed up from just over 1,000 to more than 7,000, minister for male-female equality Marlene Schiappa told RTL radio.

Schiappa said said the government would shift the focus of equality measures from procedures to results.

Plans published by the government would also oblige companies with significant pay gaps to dedicate a “significant share” of any planned pay rises to increasing women’s pay.