Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1997, published 86th ILC session (1998)

Noting that, in spite of the statistical information supplied in the Government's report on the distribution of the sexes in senior public posts, the report contains only general information in reply to the Committee's previous comments, the Committee requests the Government once again to provide information on the following points.

1. Public sector. The Committee notes that the basic salary scale for state officials (1988) supplied by the Government makes no discrimination according to the workers' sex. Nevertheless, it wishes to recall that the adoption of gender-neutral salary scales is a necessary condition for application of the principle of equal remuneration for men and women as set out in the Convention, but is not sufficient alone since salary discrimination may also result from the existence of occupational categories or jobs reserved for women. The fact that women workers are concentrated in certain jobs must also be taken into consideration when a government assesses the application of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value. The Committee therefore requests the Government to indicate the categories of employment and sectors of activity in the public service occupied chiefly by women.

2. In addition, noting that although it is higher than in 1994, the number of women in middle- and high-level managerial posts in the public administration remains very low (no women in the 26 posts as secretary general of a ministry; eight central administration directors out of 179 posts; 30 women division chiefs out of 885 posts; and 100 women branch chiefs out of 1,854 posts), the Committee wishes to recall also that when the State is an employer or controls business it must -- under Article 2, paragraph 1, of the Convention -- ensure the application of the principle of equal remuneration. For further details, the Committee refers to paragraphs 25-28 of its General Survey on equal remuneration, 1986. Consequently, the Committee again requests the Government to indicate the measures taken or contemplated to increase the percentage of women in supervisory and senior posts in the public service in order to implement the principle enshrined in the Convention.

3. Observing that the scale of remuneration supplied by the Government concerns only basic wages, the Committee emphasizes that under Article 1, paragraph (a) of the Convention, equal remuneration is not restricted to the ordinary, basic or minimum wage but applies also to "any additional emoluments whatsoever payable directly or indirectly, whether in cash or in kind, by the employer to the worker and arising out of the worker's employment". The Committee therefore requests the Government to indicate how application of the principle of equal remuneration is ensured in regard to the components of remuneration which are paid or granted in addition to the basic wage.

4. Since its previous comments regarding the application of Article 3 of the Convention have received no reply, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate the methods which are used to undertake an objective appraisal of jobs to ensure that the system of job classification applied in the public sector is actually based on objective criteria, namely, free of any discrimination on the basis of sex.

5. Private sector. The Committee notes that the Government makes no allusion in its report to the survey on wages and working hours launched in 1992. It therefore requests the Government, once again, to inform it of the results of the survey, together with recent statistics on minimum wages, average earnings for men and women, as far as possible by occupation, branch of the economy, seniority and skills level, with an indication of the corresponding percentage of women at the various levels.