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The Committee notes the observations from the Confederation of the Trade Unions of Albania dated 30 September 2004, which have been sent to the Government for comment. It will consider these observations together with any reply the Government may make at its next session.

1. Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Application in law. Recalling its previous comments regarding the laws and regulations applying the Convention, the Committee asks the Government to indicate the applicable regulations regarding the salary structure in the civil service made under section 18 of the Civil Service Act No. 8549 of 1999. The Government is also asked to provide an up-date on the relevant laws and regulations regarding remuneration in the budgetary sector. Please also indicate whether the Members of Peoples’ Assembly Act No. 7503 of 1998 and the Lawyers, Effective Assistance Lawyers, Prosecutors and Inquirers Act No. 7800 of 1994 contain any provisions regarding remuneration of employment covered by these Acts, and provide copies of the texts.

2. Application in practice. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that remuneration inequalities between women and men existed particularly in rural areas. It also notes that a study on women’s unpaid work in agriculture and the household will be carried out in five regions in order to develop recommendations for further Government action.

-  The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken to address gender inequalities with regard to remuneration in rural and urban areas, including the outcomes of the study on women’s unpaid work.

-  Noting that the Committee on Equal Opportunities (CEO) is carrying out general promotional activities concerning women’s rights, the Committee would appreciate receiving additional information on the manner in which the CEO’s activities more specifically address the issue of equal remuneration.

-  Noting that the Government has not provided recent statistical information on the remuneration received by men and women in the various sectors of the economy, the Committee asks the Government to provide such information with its next report, in accordance with the Committee’s 1998 general observation on the Convention, as far as possible.

3. Article 3. Objective job evaluation. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that under the Labour Code wage differences have to be based on objective criteria, such as work quantity and quality, professional qualification and years of service. While noting that such criteria may indeed be unrelated to the worker’s sex, the Committee emphasizes the need to promote objective evaluation with a view to assessing the content of the work to be performed in order to exclude remuneration discrimination caused by stereotypical perceptions of the value of work traditionally performed by women. The Government is therefore asked to provide information on the measures taken to promote objective job evaluation methods.

4. Article 4. Cooperation with workers’ and employers organizations. The Committee asks the Government to indicate the manner in which it cooperates with employers’ and workers’ organizations for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of the Convention.