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1. Gender wage gap. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government indicating that while the average monthly wage received by men continues to be higher than for women, the gap is decreasing. Statistics from 2003 indicate a wage gap of 7 per cent, compared with 12 per cent in 2001. One of the largest wage gaps continues to be found in the category of “skilled workers” (19 per cent); however, the wage gap for those with a university degree has now surpassed that of skilled workers at 22 per cent. The Committee also notes that the resolution on the National Programme for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, 2005–13, was adopted by the National Assembly in October 2005, pursuant to the Act on Equal Opportunities for Men and Women, with the aim of improving the position of women. The concrete tasks and activities needed are to be defined in biennial periodic plans, the first of which was adopted in April 2006 (the Periodical Plan for the Implementation of the National Programme (2006–07)), and includes as one of its goals the reduction of vertical and horizontal segregation and the reduction of wage differentials for women and men. The activity set out pursuant to this goal is monitoring accessibility to educational areas where girls or boys are in the minority. The Committee welcomes the continuing narrowing of the overall gender wage gap, and asks the Government to continue to provide comparable detailed statistical information on the earnings of men and women. The Committee also asks the Government to indicate any measures taken or envisaged to promote the application of the Convention in those sectors and with respect to those skill levels with relation to which there is a wider gender pay gap than average, including reporting on the activities undertaken and results achieved with respect to the Periodical Plan for the Implementation of the National Programme.

2. Article 2 of the Convention. Minimum wages. The Committee notes that the Wages Policy Agreement for the Private Sector (2004–05) is no longer in force, and that no agreement has been reached between the tripartite partners with respect to wage policy and minimum wages in the context of the negotiations on the Social Agreement. As a result, a draft Act Fixing the Minimum Wage for 2006–2007 has been proposed by the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs, which, according to the Government’s report, aims at maintaining the real value of remuneration for those workers receiving the minimum wage. The Committee asks the Government for information regarding the progress of adopting the draft Act Fixing the Minimum Wage for 2006–07, including the role of workers’ and employers’ organizations in this process, and the manner in which the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value is taken into consideration in the process of minimum wage fixing.

3. Article 3. Objective appraisal of jobs. In response to its previous direct request, the Committee notes that the Government indicates that all regulations and mechanisms to determine wages, including collective agreements, apply uniform criteria for the determination of wages irrespective of sex. While it is important that uniform criteria be applied irrespective of sex, the Committee recalls that it must also be ensured that there is no gender bias in the selection and weighting of such criteria, as often criteria traditionally associated with “female” jobs are undervalued. The Committee, therefore, asks the Government to specify how it promotes the use of appropriate machinery and procedures to ensure an evaluation free from discrimination based on sex, and in particular any measures taken to promote objective job evaluation methods.

4. Article 4. Cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations. The Committee notes that the tripartite Social Agreement of 2003–04 has expired, and that a new Social Agreement has not yet been concluded. The Committee also notes that the Government has put forward a proposal for a new Social Agreement, which would include provisions regarding detecting and eliminating discrimination in the labour market and reducing segregation and wage inequality. The Committee notes further that the Government points to the role of the Economic and Social Council in fulfilling the role provided under section 3 of the Act on Equal Opportunities for Men and Women regarding tripartite cooperation. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the progress of adopting a new Social Agreement, and how promoting the principle of the Convention is reflected in the Social Agreement. The Committee also asks the Government for information regarding the specific work and decisions of the Economic and Social Council relevant to the application of the Convention.

5. Parts III and IV of the report form. Enforcement. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the labour inspectorate does not keep statistics regarding the implementation of section 133 of the Employment Act (equal remuneration), since no sanctions are provided for the violation of this provision. The Committee also notes that no court decisions relevant to the application of the Convention have been rendered. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on how, in the absence of sanctions, it is ensured that the legal provision mandating equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value is respected. The Committee also asks the Government to provide information regarding any decisions of judicial or administrative bodies addressing issues related to the Convention.