As part of FNV’s “Protect Your Employee Rights” campaign - an initiative by the Netherlands’ largest trade union - our Senior Programme Manager Jamie Holton shared her perspective on the importance and opportunities of the upcoming EU Pay Transparency Directive, and highlighted why the Dutch government should not delay its implementation.

The Gender Pay Gap is a persistent problem in Europe. In 2025, women in the European Union still earned around 12 percent less per hour than men. The EU Pay Transparency Directive is designed to address this pay gap. However, the implementation of the law in the Netherlands is now at risk of being delayed. At the same time, international companies are lobbying intensively in Europe against measures that would make gender pay gaps more transparent.

In her interview with FNV, Jamie sheds light on these challenges and explains why pay transparency is essential to closing the gender pay gap, how the new law strengthens employee protection, and why companies should view it as an opportunity rather than a threat.