Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1992, published 79th ILC session (1992)

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report concerning the methods for determining remuneration.

1. The Committee notes that pursuant to section 22 of the USSR Act of 4 July 1990, enterprises are entitled independently to establish their own forms, systems and amounts of remuneration. Recalling that section 36 of the Fundamental Principles of the legislation of the USSR relates to minimum wages, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the specific measures taken or contemplated to ensure that the principle of the Convention is applied in those cases where an enterprise remunerates workers at levels above the minimum set by the Government. Noting also from the report that in order to give further material encouragement to workers, systems of bonuses, awards and other incentives may be introduced, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information in its next report concerning the introduction of any bonus or incentive schemes, bearing on the application of the Convention.

2. The Committee recalls that under section 36 of the Fundamental Principles, the work of workers shall be remunerated according to its quantity and quality, and any reduction in remuneration on the ground of sex is prohibited. The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether, in the review of existing legislation (which the Committee noted in its 1991 direct request on the application of Convention No. 111), measures are being taken to give legislative expression to the principle of equal pay for men and women workers for work of equal value. In this regard, the Committee refers to its 1990 General Observation on the application of the Convention where it emphasised the importance of bringing national legislation into conformity with the Convention.

3. The Committee notes that for some years, the Government has not provided information sufficient to enable an appraisal of the extent to which the wage differential has been reduced through application of the principle of the Convention. Accordingly, the Committee requests the Government to provide, in its next report, full information concerning the implementation in practice of the Convention, including (i) the salary scales applying in the public sector, with an indication of the percentage of men and women employed at different levels; (ii) statistical data concerning the minimum or basic wage rates and the average actual earnings of men and women in the economy, broken down, where possible, by occupation or sector of employment, seniority or skill level as well as information on the percentage of women employed in different occupations or sectors; and (iii) information regarding any survey or studies undertaken or envisaged with a view to determining the reasons for wage disparities.