Maintaining gender inequality in wages? The case of employer organisations' and business advocacy groups' resistance to pay transparency legislation in Finland

Abstract

This article provides novel insights into a less explored topic: the relationship between the lobbying activities of social partners and business advocacy groups and the development of gender equality policies. The study analyses the process of amending Finnish gender equality legislation to include provisions on pay transparency, focusing on the roles played by social partners and business advocacy groups in shaping the policy. Particular attention is given to the discursive strategies and institutional work employed by these actors to support or, more prominently, oppose the legislation. The findings reveal that while trade unions generally advocate for equal pay initiatives, employer organisations and business advocacy groups consistently resist pay transparency measures through discursive strategies, including defensive institutional work and claims of illegitimacy. These dynamics have significant implications for policy development and the broader advancement of gender equality and equal pay. With the European Union Directive on Pay Transparency adopted in 2023 and requiring implementation within three years, this topic holds considerable relevance across the European Union and beyond.