Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2007, published 97th ILC session (2008)

1. Application of the law. The Committee notes that section 84 of Act No. 90-11 of 21 April 1990 regarding labour relations enshrines the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value. The Committee also notes that section 142 of the same Act makes anyone who signs a collective labour agreement whose provisions are such as to create discrimination between workers in terms of employment, remuneration or conditions of work liable to a fine of 200 to 5,000 Algerian dinars. The Committee asks the Government to supply information on the application in practice of this legislation stating: (a) the number and nature of infringements of section 84 recorded by the labour inspectorate; (b) the other measures adopted by the labour inspectorate to detect any contraventions of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value; (c) the number, nature and outcome of equal remuneration cases dealt with by the judicial authorities pursuant to the legislation on equal remuneration.

2. Articles 3 and 4 of the Convention. Cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations. In its previous comments, the Committee welcomed the Government’s initiative to monitor the efforts of the social partners to ensure objective evaluation of jobs in collective bargaining. The Committee particularly notes that, further to the conclusion of the National Economic and Social Pact in September 2006, the employers and the trade unions undertook to support any government action aimed at ensuring observance of social legislation and diligence in its application. The Committee hopes that the Government and its social partners will make the most of this undertaking in favour of the application of social legislation to implement activities aimed at promoting the principles contained in the Convention and observing them in practice. The Committee asks the Government to supply information on the activities undertaken, further to the conclusion of the National Economic and Social Pact, to observe and apply the legislation on equal remuneration with the cooperation of the social partners. The Committee repeats the requests that it has made to the Government for several years to send copies of collective agreements which include provisions on equal remuneration for work of equal value and to indicate the methods adopted in the negotiation of these agreements in order to measure and compare objectively the relative value of the jobs performed.

3. Promotion of the principle of the Convention. National Council for Women. The Committee notes that the Government’s report does not contain any information on the activities of the National Council for Women which was officially set up in March 2005. The Committee repeats the request it has made to the Government for several years to supply information in its next report on the Council’s activities to encourage application of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value, including copies of reports, studies published and surveys.