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The Committee notes the information provided in the Government’s report and the attached documentation.

1. The Committee notes the Government’s statement of its intention to adopt new labour legislation. The Committee hopes that the Government will take the opportunity afforded by its review of labour laws to ensure legislative conformity with the principle of equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value, as contained in the Convention, and asks the Government to submit all relevant newly adopted legislation with its next report.

2. The Committee notes from the statistical data attached to the Government’s report that in 1998 women’s average gross monthly earnings were 23.4 per cent lower than those of men. While the wage differential between men and women was found at all professional levels, it was smallest for highly skilled persons, where women’s average monthly gross earnings were 6.8 per cent lower than those of men. The Committee points out once again the confirmation in statistical data that, even where there are equal levels of education or vocational qualifications, women still systematically earn less than men, irrespective of their occupational category. Thus action targeted directly at remuneration levels and the methodology used to establish them may prove to be helpful in reducing the earnings gap. Noting also that the earnings gap is reduced as women’s skills increase, the Committee hopes that the Government will continue its efforts in widening skill choices for women, enhancing skill development and promoting entrepreneurship skill training.

3. The Committee notes the adoption on 23 April 1999 of the Act regulating the Minimum Wage, the Method of Wages Adjustment and the Allowance for Annual Leave for the Period from 1999 to 2001, introducing a general and uniform minimum wage for all workers, which replaces the Act of 1997. It notes the introduction of the possibility of a mandatory fine in order to ensure compliance. The Committee also notes the Government’s statement that labour inspectors collaborate with the payments agency in order to ensure the implementation of the minimum wage. The Committee views minimum wages as an important means of promoting application of the Convention as they guarantee equal wages for men and women in lower paid jobs. The Committee therefore asks the Government to provide information on the application in practice of the 1999 Act and on all measures taken to ensure its full enforcement.

4. The Committee notes that the publication "Women in Slovenia in the 1990s", published by the Women’s Policy Office in 1998, indicates that discrimination against women is increasingly apparent in the labour market and that different forms of action need to be taken. It asks the Government to keep it informed of the action taken by the Women’s Policy Office to promote the principle of equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value.

5. The Committee notes the Government’s awareness of existing differentials and the measures taken to identify the causes of and obstacles to the achievement of equal pay for women, including growing unemployment and women’s primary role of being responsible for families and households and the negative impact that this has on the position of women in the labour market. The Committee notes the impressive plan set out in the report to tackle these issues and notes with interest the indicators for measuring the efficiency of results, including: the share of women in the labour force; the share of unemployed women; the share of women entrepreneurs; the growth in the employment rate; the average wages of women expressed as a percentage of the average wages of men; and the share of women in individual sectors, educational and training programmes and occupations. However, the Committee also notes that none of the actions specifically includes the direct targeting of wages or the ways in which they are determined. It is the Committee’s view that, within a comprehensive effort to promote equality, remuneration and job evaluation must be directly addressed in order to promote the application of the Convention. The Committee would be grateful for information on the existence and impact of any measures directed specifically at promoting equal remuneration.

6. The Committee notes the Government’s publication "National employment action plan for the years 2000 and 2001", which enumerates the various measures to be taken to combat the rising unemployment rates of women workers through different programmes and projects. The Committee also notes the "Strategic goals of labour market development up to 2006: Employment policy and its implementation programmes", which is a joint employment policies overview aimed at preparing the country for cooperation and the harmonization of policies within the European Union. The Committee welcomes the different measures to be taken to promote women workers, among them the "Programme to encourage the professional promotion of women", aimed at ensuring a higher quality of employment opportunities for women, improving their economic position and achieving a more equal position for women in society in general. The Committee hopes that these promotional programmes and projects will ensure the principle of equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value and asks the Government to supply information in its next report on all action taken to ensure compliance with the Convention.