Unión General de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores (UGT)

---

The Unión General de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores (UGT) is strongly committed to reducing the gender pay gap through collective bargaining, advocacy, and awareness. We played a leading role in shaping Spain’s key equality regulations (Royal Decrees 901/2020 and 902/2020), which make equality plans and pay transparency mandatory for all companies. 

In addition, UGT has developed Guide to Good Practices in the Negotiation of Equality Plans for trade union representatives to support the negotiation, implementation, and monitoring of equality plans in companies, strengthening gender mainstreaming in collective bargaining, as well as a Guide to Frequently Asked Questions on Work–Life Balance and Shared Responsibility.

Through our AEPI Project, funded by the Instituto de las Mujeres, UGT has provided expert advice on more than 150 company equality plans, supporting over 92,000 trade union delegates (almost half of them women) to ensure equal pay and fair working conditions. UGT also publishes an annual Gender Pay Gap Report and leads the national awareness campaign “Yo trabajo gratis” (I work for free), drawing attention to the persistent wage inequalities faced by women in Spain. 

As an active member of both the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Women’s Committee and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), UGT contributes to global strategies to promote pay equity, decent work, and gender-responsive labour policies. Through these international networks, we advocate for stronger pay transparency, gender-based violence prevention in workplaces, and the implementation of ILO Convention No. 190 on violence and harassment. 

UGT also prioritizes training and empowerment. We provide continuous education for delegates on equality, pay audits, and co-responsibility, and foster women’s leadership through the School of Women Leaders and the Gender Equality Coordinators Network 

More information: https://www.ugt.es/igualdad 

For UGT, EPIC represents a valuable opportunity to share experiences, exchange best practices, and strengthen international cooperation on pay equity, gender equality, and social dialogue. UGT brings strong expertise through decades of action promoting equal pay, equality plans, and gender-sensitive collective bargaining. By joining EPIC, we can both contribute and learn from innovative approaches across Europe, particularly on implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive (2023/970) and related equality frameworks. Participation in EPIC would allow UGT to expand partnerships with European trade unions, researchers, and institutions, and to disseminate tools developed through our projects —such as our Good Practices Guide on Equality Bargaining and training modules on pay audits and gender bias prevention. EPIC’s network aligns perfectly with UGT’s mission to advance feminist trade union policies, empower women workers, and promote decent, equal, and fair work for all. 

More information on our equality and pay gap initiatives is available at: https://www.ugt.es/igualdad