Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2006, published 96th ILC session (2007)

The Committee notes 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:

1. Article 1 of the Convention. Application in practice. The Committee notes with concern the information contained in the Government’s report regarding the existing gender wage gap, according to which there is a trend towards increasing discrimination against women in terms of the wages they receive. The Government once again states that, on average, women’s wages are one-third lower than men’s and that women are, to a large extent, employed in the lower paid occupations and in those sectors where the lowest wages are paid, such as light industry, agriculture, health, education and culture. The Committee draws to the Government’s attention the fact that, in order to undertake a meaningful analysis of the existing overall gender wage gap and with a view to designing and implementing appropriate action to address this issue, it is necessary to examine in depth the earnings received by men and women. The Committee therefore reiterates its previous request to the Government to provide in its next report detailed statistical information on the distribution of men and women in the public sector, the civil service and in the private sector, by earnings levels and hours of work, as well as statistical data on the composition of earnings, as outlined in the Committee’s 1998 general observation.

2. Enforcement. While the Government recognizes the existence of wage discrimination against women, it indicates that the investigations concerning payment of wages carried out by the state labour inspectorate in 2002 and 2003 did not reveal any case of sex-based wage discrimination against women. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken and methodology used by the state labour inspectorates to ensure the application of the principle of equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value.

3. Articles 2 and 3. Determination of remuneration and objective job evaluation. The Committee noted previously that section 143 of the Labour Code provides that wage rates are set and employees are assigned to wage categories on the basis of unified rate and skill reference books. The Committee reiterates its request to the Government to provide information on the methodology and criteria used to establish the skill references and the corresponding wage rates.

4. Article 4. Cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations. The Government is requested to provide information on any cooperation with workers’ and employers’ organizations for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of the Convention.