Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1990, published 77th ILC session (1990)

1. As concerns the private sector, the Committee noted in its previous comments that section 104 of the Labour Code provides that for equal conditions of work, occupational qualification and output, wages shall be equal for all workers. It noted that the same provisions are contained in the inter-occupational collective agreement. The Committee referred to paragraphs 19 to 21 and 44 to 65 of its 1986 General Survey on Equal Remuneration, pointing out that provisions of this kind can be taken to allow wage discrimination on the basis of sex, depending on how they are applied in practice.

The Government has sent with its report, a copy of the above-mentioned collective agreement which, in section 36, provides that "the wages of each worker are determined on the basis of the job which he occupies". The collective agreement goes on to provide, in section 39, for a system of occupational categories, for which wages are determined by a Joint Inter-occupational Wages Committee. This appears to correspond to a job-evaluation system for fixing wages.

The Committee therefore requests the Government to provide with its next report a copy of the wages scale presently applicable, together with an indication of any categories in which there is a high proportion of women workers. Please also indicate what criteria are used in fixing the various categories.

2. Please indicate whether any other collective agreements than the inter-occupational collective agreement are now in force; and whether any sectors of the economy are not covered by a collective agreement. In any such cases, please indicate how rates of remuneration are established.

3. The Committee notes from the report that the labour inspectors ensure that the established wages are paid, and that they rarely note infractions of equality of remuneration. Please provide information in future reports on any developments in this connection.

4. As concerns the public sector, the Committee had noted previously that remuneration is fixed on the basis of the status of each grade, in accordance with Act No. 61-33 of 15 June 1961, and that no distinction is made between the sexes in assigning this status. It again requests the Government to forward any decrees which may have been issued, in accordance with section 27 of the Act, to issue regulations fixing remuneration and benefits, and regulating supplementary wage benefits. Please indicate also any job-evaluation scheme which may be in operation.