Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

The Committee takes note of the information provided by the Government in its report.

1. With reference to its earlier comments, the Committee notes that sections 32 and 43 of the Decree of 30 March 1960 are no longer enforced, having been fundamentally modified by Decree No. 88-412/PCMS/MP which abolished the distinction that had been made between heads of families and single men and thereby brought the Decree into conformity with the Convention.

2. The Committee notes the Government's information to the effect that in Niger all workers are covered by the provisions of the Inter-occupational Collective Agreement of 15 December 1972 and that there are no sectoral collective agreements at the moment. In answer to the Committee's comments concerning the fact that section 38 of the Inter-occupational Collective Agreement of 1972 did not apply the principle of equal remuneration for work of "equal value" embodied in the Convention, the Government indicates that it is examining ways and means of allowing the social partners, through their trade union organizations, to revise the provisions in question in order to bring them into conformity with the ratified Conventions. As regards the notion of work of "equal value", the Committee refers the Government to paragraphs 19 to 21 and paragraphs 141 to 152 of its 1986 General Survey on equal remuneration. The Committee requests the Government to keep it informed of any developments in this regard.

3. The Committee notes the information contained in the table attached to the Government's report showing the distribution of men and women wage-earners by sector, occupational category and sex for the year 1996, and observes that the percentage of women in all sectors and occupational categories remains very low. The position of women in the labour market is one of the sources of inequality in pay between men and women. The Committee requests the Government to indicate the specific measures that have been taken and are envisaged to promote in practice women's access to employment in the sectors where they are underrepresented or not represented at all, and to promote access for girls to vocational training in such sectors. The Committee also notes the table showing pay scales in the public service which still give no indication of the distribution of men and women in each category. In answer to the Committee's request to provide statistical data on salary scales applicable in the public service and the distribution of men and women at different levels, the Government indicates that such information is not yet available but that the competent services are under instructions to provide the information required. The Committee hopes that the Government will supply this information as soon as possible.

4. The Committee notes the Government's information to the effect that the guaranteed minimum hourly wage rate is fixed by decree after consultations with the Labour Advisory Committee, as are the minimum wages for the different occupational categories and the minimum overtime rates and other wage components, and that the texts in question cannot provide any basis for discrimination between the sexes. The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether Decree No. 79-74/PCMS/MFP/T of 26 April 1979 fixing the guaranteed minimum hourly wage rate is still in force and, if not, to transmit the Decree currently in force concerning the guaranteed minimum wage, together with copies of the Decrees fixing current minimum wage rates for the different occupational categories.