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The Committee takes note of the information supplied by the Government in its report.

1. In its previous comments, the Committee repeated its request to the Government to supply information on how the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value is applied in respect of wages above the legal minimum. As regards officials in the public administration, the Committee notes the Government's statement that the wage scales applying to the various government departments are not uniform; posts can be filled without discrimination. The Government indicates that, until rules governing the civil service and administrative careers in the public sector are implemented, there cannot be a system for the evaluation of qualifications and jobs or a uniform classification of public employees, wages and salaries, such as will ensure adequate application of the principle of equal remuneration. The Government also states that a Bill on the civil service and careers in the administration is to be resubmitted to the National Congress. The Committee requests the Government to report on any progress made in this regard.

2. With regard to the private sector, the Committee requested the Government to supply copies of collective agreements concluded in sectors employing a large number of women. The Committee notes the Government's statement that collective agreements hardly exist in these sectors because in the free industrial zones women do not as a rule form unions or conclude collective agreements on working conditions. The Committee emphasises that in such circumstances an objective appraisal of jobs would be useful. In this connection, the Committee notes the Government's indication that it plans to initiate work as soon as possible in the competent departments to update and publish the National Dictionary of Occupations. The Committee refers to paragraph 22 of its General Survey of 1986 on Equal Remuneration and recalls that account has to be taken of the fact that women workers are more heavily concentrated in certain jobs and in certain sectors of activity so as to avoid or redress a biased evaluation of qualities traditionally considered as "peculiar to women". The Committee asks the Government to report on progress in this regard.

3. With regard to firms employing fewer than ten workers, which are excluded from the provisions of the Labour Code under section 265 and consequently from the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value in respect of wages above the legal minimum, the Committee notes the Government's statement that it is fully in favour of appropriate amendment of section 265 of the Labour Code. The Committee asks the Government to report on any progress made in this respect.