Morena Proposes Equal Pay, Salary Transparency Law

ByMexico Solidarity

This article by Gerardo Hernández originally appeared in the September 19, 2025 edition of El Economista.

Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies is promoting the creation of the General Law on Equal Pay for Women and Men, a regulatory framework with new obligations for employers to prevent the gender pay gap. This includes measures such as pay audits, payment transparency mechanisms, and certifications.

The new law, sponsored by Representative Julia Arcelia Olguín Serna (Morena), proposes mandatory application for businesses and public institutions. It also establishes new powers for the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS).

According to the legislator, although the Federal Labor Law (LFT) already contains some provisions on non-discrimination based on gender, “its application and effectiveness are limited (…) the wage gap remains a reality, which makes evident the need for additional and specific measures to ensure equal pay,” the representative argues in the bill.

The obligations for employers proposed by the new legislation:

  • Ensure equal pay for work of equal value
  • Establish objective and transparent criteria for determining salaries
  • Conduct periodic salary audits, with a minimum frequency of every two years
  • Develop and implement equal pay plans, which include measures to correct any identified discrimination.
  • Provide clear and accessible information to workers about their equal pay rights
  • Refrain from requesting information about the salary history of job applicants
  • Ensure that compensation systems are transparent and based on objective criteria related to performance and skills, not gender.

Furthermore, the new law incorporates the principle of salary transparency in employment relationships. This includes, in addition to audits, salary records, job evaluation systems for setting salaries, and the right of individuals to “relevant information about salary policies and their own remuneration.”

Furthermore, equal pay plans would be mandatory for workplaces with more than 50 employees. Companies will be able to apply for an “Equal Pay Certificate,” a certification that will demonstrate that they do not have a gender pay gap.

The General Law on Equal Pay for Women and Men also provides that employers who experience wage discrimination must make retroactive payments to those affected.

The law is sponsored by Representative Julia Arcelia Olguín Serna (Morena), Federal Deputy for Zacatecas.

According to the bill, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) would be the authority responsible for monitoring compliance with the new legislation; in addition, the agency would be required to conduct studies on the wage gap and promote “awareness and training on equal pay for employers and employees, where they will be informed about equal pay rights and non-discriminatory practices.”

Meanwhile, the Women’s Secretariat would be responsible for developing a technical guide for conducting salary audits.

The law sets a one-year deadline , from the date it comes into force, for all employers to comply with the new obligations.

Wage Gap, The Dinosaur Still Exists

Last year, the Congress of the Union approved reforms to the Constitution and the Federal Labor Law to recognize the gender pay gap and commit the State to eradicating it. However, little has been achieved since these legal changes.

The latest Labour Poverty Survey from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) shows that women earn 25% less than men; that is, for every 100 pesos men earn, women receive 75 pesos.

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