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The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report, in response to the Committee's previous comments.

1. In particular, the Committee notes that there has been no action taken to introduce gender-neutral provisions concerning the transfer of employees in recent collective agreements concluded by the 14 trade group councils (established by the Regulation of Wages and Industrial Relations Act, No. 18 of 1971), despite repeated undertakings by the Government to pursue this matter with the Labour Congress. Moreover, the Committee has observed that no information has been provided for some years concerning the practical application of the Convention. Indeed, the present report indicates that job evaluation does not appear to have been undertaken in either the public or private sectors.

In view of these circumstances - and recognizing the limitations of taking measures pertinent to the application of the Convention when financial and human resources are scarce - the Committee recalls paragraph 248 of its 1986 General Survey on Equal Remuneration and the comments made in its 1990 general observation concerning this Convention. On both occasions, the Committee remarked upon the difficulties encountered by governments in applying the Convention when the true situation is not known, due to inadequate data and research, or when there is no understanding of the principles of job evaluation, without which it is difficult to determine the relative value of jobs. It also reminded governments of the possibility of obtaining the advice and assistance of the International Labour Office both in regard to identifying the nature and extent of existing difficulties and in devising measures to overcome problems and further the application of the Convention.

2. The Committee has also noted that, following a request of the Government, the International Labour Office provided assistance in the updating, revising and consolidating of labour legislation, the enactment of which would assist the application of the Convention. The Committee hopes that the Government will be able to indicate soon the action taken on the draft legislation; and that it will also consider, perhaps in the context of the Joint Consultative Committee, further strategies that would support the implementation of the Convention.