Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2010, published 100th ILC session (2011)

Article 1(b) of the Convention. Legislation. Equal remuneration for work of equal value. For several years, the Committee has been asking the Government to take steps to revise section 2 of the Employment (Equal Pay for Equal Work) Act 1975 since this section refers to “similar” or “substantially similar” job requirements and therefore does not give full legislative expression to the concept of “work of equal value” set out in the Convention. “Equal remuneration for work of equal value” includes but goes beyond equal remuneration for “equal”, the “same” or “similar” work, and also encompasses work that is of an entirely different nature, which is nevertheless of equal value. Noting the Government’s statement that a review of the Employment (Equal Pay for Equal Work) Act 1975 is currently under way, the Committee urges the Government to take this opportunity to revise section 2 of the Act, in order to incorporate in the legislation the concept of “work of equal value” and give full expression to the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value. The Committee hopes that the Government will be in a position to report progress in this respect in the near future.

The Committee is raising other points in a request addressed directly to the Government.