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The Committee notes with regret that the Government’s report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:

Article 2(2)(a) of the Convention. National laws or regulations. The Committee notes from the Government’s report that the draft Labour Code has still not been adopted. With respect to its previous comment, the Committee once again hopes that the new draft law will reflect, as does the 1988 Labour Code, the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value. To this end, the Committee reiterates its request for the Government to send a copy of the relevant provisions of the draft Code along with its next report and to provide information on its passage into law.

Article 2(2)(b). Wage determination. With respect to its previous comments, the Committee reiterates its request for the Government to provide a copy of Decree No. 009/PRG/SGG/89 of 5 January 1989, which fixes remuneration rates according to levels of responsibility.

Article 2(2)(c). Collective agreements. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the principle of equal remuneration is taken into account in the private as well as public sectors through the practice of collective bargaining in the public works, mining and banking sectors. The Committee notes, however, that despite the Government’s reference to these agreements in its report, it has omitted to include copies for the Committee’s consideration. The Committee emphasizes that without these documents, it is unable to assess whether the principle of equal remuneration is in fact being respected by existing collective bargaining arrangements. It must therefore reiterate its request for the Government to send in its next report the following collective agreements along with any others that may be in force in the country: (1) the agreement of 1 May 1992 covering public works, buildings and agricultural engineering; (2) the agreement of 20 May 1992 concerning the banking and insurance sectors; and (3) the agreement of 14 July 1994 covering mines, quarries and industrial chemicals.

Further to the above, the Committee notes the Government’s supplementary information which stresses the need to review current collective agreements and to introduce such agreements where they do not yet exist. It also notes the Government’s intention to seek the assistance of the Office in this regard. Noting the Government’s interest in reviewing and elaborating collective agreements, the Committee asks the Government to keep it informed on any related developments and to indicate how these initiatives would take into account the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value.

Article 4. Cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations. The Government indicates in its report that all questions relating to labour matters, and in particular international labour standards, are presided over by the tripartite Consultative Commission for Labour and Social Laws (CCTLS). The Committee appreciates the Government’s explanation that the work of the CCTLS has suffered on account of recent economic difficulties in the country. It notes, however, that the Government is in the process of reinvigorating this body. The Committee, therefore, asks the Government to specify the ways in which the Government collaborates with employers’ and workers’ organizations, either through the CCTLS or otherwise, to give effect to the principles of the Convention.

General appreciation of the application of the Convention. Statistics. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that it is in the process of putting into place a statistical information network on labour matters (RISET) and that it intends to solicit the technical assistance of the Office to train those professionals responsible for gathering relevant statistics. The Committee hopes that the new system will include statistical data disaggregated by sex that will allow the Committee to make a proper evaluation of the nature, extent and causes of pay differentials between men and women. The Committee asks the Government to keep it informed of any developments in the creation and work of the above statistical information network, and encourages the Government to continue its efforts to measure progress in implementing the principle of equal remuneration.