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1. The Committee notes the recent studies of the gender-related reasons for differences between women's and men's earnings mentioned in the Government's report. It notes, in particular, one study in the metal and forest industries showing that gender-related reasons accounted for 4.5 per cent of the difference in the case of female workers and 8.5 per cent of female salaried personnel where the pay differentials between the sexes were respectively 16 per cent and 32 per cent. It also notes a second study, in the metal industry, showing that the gender-related pay difference was 2.7 per cent, when company-specific differences were taken into account. It notes the statement of the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers (TT) and the Employers' Confederation of Service Industries (LTK) emphasizing the importance of eliminating, as far as possible, the effect on pay of "other" factors that are not related to sex, "such as the sector duties, working time, training, work experience, personal competency and work performance".

The Committee refers the Government to paragraphs 57 to 62 of its 1986 General Survey on Equal Remuneration where it examines other criteria used and warned of the need for bona fide application of apparently neutral factors, and the problem of evaluating a worker rather than the work. The Committee asks the Government to inform it in future reports of any other research studying sex-based vis-à-vis other factors in wage differentials or stressing residual gender-related gaps.

2. Noting the 1992 Supreme Court judgement concerning equal remuneration, the Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information on any court decisions or activities of the Equality Ombudsman concerning the application of the principle of the Convention.