CMNT_TITLE

1. Article 2 of the Convention. The Committee notes that according to the Government, the statistics provided by the General Directorate of Statistics, Surveys and Census indicate that women receive lower wages than men per hour worked, by occupational category and by branch of activity; and that access to secondary and higher education does not guarantee a woman equal access to work in comparison with men who have received the same level of education. The Committee also notes the “Second Plan for Equality of Opportunity between Men and Women 2003–2007”, which was examined in the comments on the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111). Wage differences are included in the indicators established to evaluate the fulfilment of the Plan’s objectives, and this will allow for the monitoring of fluctuations in the existing wage gap between male and female workers. The Committee asks the Government to provide the results relating to the principle set forth in the Convention which have been achieved within the framework of the evaluation of the abovementioned national plan. The Committee urges the Government to renew its efforts to reduce the wage gap between men and women and to take measures to eliminate occupational and sectoral segregation of women in the labour market. In this regard, it reiterates the importance of using objective job evaluation methodologies in order to improve women’s status in both the public sector and the private sector, and asks the Government to provide information in this respect.

2. Labour Directorate. The Committee once again asks the Government to provide information, in its next report, on the activities of the Labour Directorate, including any infringements reported and penalties imposed, so as to enable the Committee to assess more accurately the application of the Convention in practice.