Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2009, published 99th ILC session (2010)

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:

Article 2, paragraph 2(a), of the Convention. Laws and regulations. The Committee notes that the Government, further to section 10(2) of the Act on civil servants which provides that civil servants have the right to equal salaries for work of equal value, adopted a Decree on job classification in the civil service on 17 July 2007. The Decree specifies jobs within three categories, namely, managerial, senior and junior civil service jobs. Under section 28 of the Decree all state bodies are to perform an analysis of the tasks involved in the different jobs and to draw up job descriptions. The Committee also notes that a new law on civil servants’ salaries is being prepared which will introduce a new pay system and provide for merit-based promotion in the civil service. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the progress made in the adoption of the envisaged law concerning civil servants’ salaries and the drawing up of job descriptions. It also asks the Government to provide information on the specific measures taken and methods used to ensure that the design and implementation of the future pay system in the civil service is in accordance with the Convention’s principle.

National Policy for the Promotion of Gender Equality. The Committee notes that the National Policy for the Promotion of Gender Equality 2006–10 makes specific reference to the Convention. However, the Government has not yet provided information on any measures undertaken or envisaged under the National Policy specifically addressing the right of men and women to receive equal remuneration for work of equal value. In this regard, the Committee stresses that, in order to ensure that legal provisions on equal pay are effectively used and enforced, it is crucial that awareness raising, training and capacity building for workers and employers and their organizations, lawyers, judges and labour inspectors specifically address the principle of equal remuneration for women and men for work of equal value. The Committee therefore cannot but reiterate its previous request to the Government to provide specific information on how the Convention’s principle is promoted in the context of the implementation of the National Policy for the Promotion of Gender Equality.

Article 3. Objective job evaluation. While noting the Government’s explanation as to the efforts under way to evaluate public service jobs, the Committee notes that the Government’s report does not reply to the Committee’s previous request regarding the requirements of Article 3 as far as the private sector is concerned. The Committee therefore asks the Government to provide detailed information on the measures taken to promote the design and use of objective job evaluation methods that are free from gender bias in the private sector.

Statistical data on earnings of men and women. The Committee regrets that the statistical information on earnings contained in the Government’s report is not disaggregated by sex. It notes that the National Policy Promotion of Gender Equality 2006–10 places great emphasis on the need to establish and analyse gender-sensitive data including as regards the labour market. The Committee therefore asks the Government to provide information on the specific measures taken to collect and compile statistical data on the earnings of men and women, as far as possible as outlined in the Committee’s 1998 general observation, and to provide such data in its next report.