Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 4 October 2024 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Audiencia Nacional – Spain) – Sindicato de Tripulantes Auxiliares de Vuelo de Líneas Aéreas (STAVLA), Ministerio Fiscal v Air Nostrum and Others

(Case C-314/23,  (1) Air Nostrum and Others)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Social policy - Equal treatment between men and women in matters of employment and occupation - Directive 2006/54/EC - Article 2(1)(e) - Concept of ‘pay’ - Article 4 - Prohibition of indirect discrimination on grounds of sex)

(C/2024/6896)

Language of the case: Spanish

Referring court

Audiencia Nacional

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicants: Sindicato de Tripulantes Auxiliares de Vuelo de Líneas Aéreas (STAVLA), Ministerio Fiscal

Defendants: Air Nostrum, Líneas Aéreas del Mediterráneo SA, Federación de Servicios de Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT), Unión Sindical Obrera (USO), Comité de empresa de Air Nostrum Líneas Aéreas del Mediterráneo SA, Dirección General de Trabajo, Instituto de las Mujeres

Other parties: Sindicato Español de Pilotos de Líneas Aéreas (SEPLA), Sindicato Unión Profesional de Pilotos de Aerolíneas (UPPA)

Operative part of the judgment

Article 2(1)(e) and Article 4 of Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation

must be interpreted as meaning that (i) daily subsistence allowances compensating, at a flat rate, for certain expenses incurred by workers as a result of their work-related travel constitutes an element of their pay and (ii) a difference in the amount of those allowances, depending on whether they are granted to a group of workers consisting mainly of men or to a group of workers consisting mainly of women, is not prohibited by that directive where those two groups of workers do not perform the same work or work to which equal value is attributed.

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(1)   OJ C 329, 18.9.2023.