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The gender pay gap. The Committee notes from the Statistical abstract of Israel 2008 published by the Central Bureau of Statistics that in 2006 the average gross hourly income of men was 45.8 NIS and that of women 36.3 NIS, which amounts to a gap of 16.4 per cent. The gender pay gap (gross hourly income) was particularly wide for academic professionals (24.4 per cent) and skilled workers (23.7 per cent). Broken down by population group, women in the group of “Jews and others” earned 21.3 per cent less than men. Within this group the gender pay gap was particularly wide among immigrants from Asia and Africa, with women earning 30.3 per cent less per hour than men. The Arab population was the only group within which women earned more per hour than men (29.5 NIS as compared to 27.7 NIS). Calculated on the basis of the overall gross monthly income the overall gender pay gap was 36.6 per cent. The Committee asks the Government to provide detailed and updated information on the earnings of men and women, including data for the different population groups, as well as information on the measures taken or envisaged to address the existing gender wage gap, particularly among the groups particularly affected.

Remuneration in the public service. The Committee notes the examples of public service wage scales provided with the Government’s report and the information on the remuneration of men and women in the public service contained in the 2005 wage expenses report of the Commissioner of Wages and Employment Agreements at the Ministry. This information suggests an improvement in the situation of women civil servants as regards their earnings, as compared to men. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information on the earnings of men and women in the public service and on the measures taken to narrow the overall gender pay gap.

Collective bargaining. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on any ongoing initiatives to promote equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value through collective bargaining.

Objective job evaluation. The Committee recalls that the Convention envisages the development and use of objective job evaluation methods as a important means to determine remuneration in accordance with the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value. In its report, the Government indicates that following the closure of the National Institute of Labour Productivity, which had addressed the issue of objective job evaluation in the past, no further developments have occurred. The Committee trusts that the Government will renew its efforts to promote the development and use of objective job evaluation methods that are free from gender-bias. It asks the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard.

Judicial decisions. The Committee notes the decision rendered by the National Labour Court in the case of Shoshanna Kerem v. The State of Israel. It asks the Government to continue to provide any relevant judicial decisions concerning the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value.