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The Committee notes the reports supplied by the Government and the statistical information attached thereto.

1. The Committee notes the statistics provided by the Government on men’s and women’s wages in Ecuador. Regarding women’s status in the labour market, the Committee notes that women account for 41 per cent of government employees as compared to 29 per cent of private sector employees. The Government is again asked to provide information on the percentage of men and women in the various occupations and at the various levels of the public administration. Furthermore, to enable the Committee to assess the application of the principle of the Convention in the public sector, the Government is asked to provide statistical information which is as complete as possible, disaggregated by sex, concerning men’s and women’s income in the various occupations and at the various levels of the public administration. In this regard, please refer to the Committee’s 1998 general observation on the Convention.

2. In its previous comments the Committee noted that, according to the Government, the Labour Inspectorate and the Department of Prevention of the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources are responsible for ensuring the application of the principle of the Convention. The Government states that inspections are being carried out in enterprises, but that no wage differentials between men and women have been found to exist. The Committee asks the Government to send information on the inspection visits carried out during the period covered, indicating the number of inspections dealing with wages or with discrimination issues in general and also indicating the methods used to determine whether there are any gender-based wage differentials.

3. According to the information supplied by the Government, the wage policy is implemented through three mechanisms: (a) minimum wage fixing and wage increases, which are the responsibility of the National Wage Council (CONADES); (b) tripartite sectoral committees; and (c) collective bargaining. The Committee also notes the promulgation of the Act for the economic reform of Ecuador (No. 2000 4) of 13 March 2000, establishing the national wage policy. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply information in its next report on the activities conducted or envisaged by CONADES and/or the sectoral committees to ensure or promote the application of the principle of equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value. The Government is also asked to provide a copy of Act No. 2000 4, and specimens of collective contracts, particularly in sectors with a large concentration of women.

4. In its previous comments the Committee noted the decisions of CONADES establishing the monthly minimum wage of workers employed in the manufacture of certain types of textiles and clothing, foodstuffs and leather goods. The Committee noted that these decisions set the wages of various jobs in the sectors referred to without any distinction between men and women. The Committee pointed out, however, that discrimination may arise out of the existence of occupational categories and jobs or occupations reserved for women. Consequently, the Committee again asks the Government to supply statistical information on the percentage of men and women in the occupations and at the levels defined in the abovementioned decisions.

5. The Committee recalls that Article 3 of the Convention requires the adoption of measures to promote an objective appraisal of jobs on the basis of the tasks involved, when the nature of such measures facilitates the application of this Convention. The Committee therefore repeats its request to the Government to indicate the methods proposed or envisaged for assessing the tasks in relation to the work done, particularly in the public administration.

6. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government on the programmes to be implemented jointly by the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources and the National Council for Women (CONAMU). It also notes the agreement on technical cooperation signed on 22 February 1999 by the Ministry and CONAMU, and that in the context of this agreement a database is being set up on men’s and women’s income in the private sector for 1998. The Government indicates that, based on the database, it will be possible to analyse the position of men and of women in respect of income. The Committee notes that one of the commitments undertaken by the Ministry and CONAMU is to formulate policy and implement measures with a view to reducing the wage differential between men and women. The Committee hopes that priority will be placed on the implementation of these commitments and asks the Government to keep it informed of any developments in this regard.