Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1995, published 82nd ILC session (1995)

The Committee notes the detailed information supplied by the Government in its report, in particular on the impact of the enforcement machinery in cases of discriminatory job advertisements (for example, the decisions calling for corrective action by guilty employers) and on the activities of the working group responsible for implementing the agreement concluded between the Ministry of Education and the then Committee on Women's Affairs, now the Commission on Equality and Women's Rights, with a view to ensuring, inter alia, that teachers receive non-sexist training.

1. Noting with interest the publication on 14 April 1994 of Resolution No. 32/94 of the Council of Ministers, which stipulates that each Ministry shall take action and measures for the promotion and implementation of equality of opportunity for Portuguese women, the Committee requests the Government to inform it of the practical measures taken by the various ministries to implement this call for positive action to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sex in the public service.

2. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Committee on Equality in Employment and Work (CITE) on the cases of indirect or direct discrimination on the basis of sex in collective agreements, showing that indirectly discriminatory provisions existed in agreements in several major industries (such as agriculture, transport, commerce). Noting that the CITE states that it has taken measures unofficially to eliminate this form of discrimination, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the results achieved and to give details on the means used by the CITE to eliminate indirect or direct discrimination in collective agreements.

3. With regard to its previous comments on equal access to vocational training without discrimination based on sex, the Committee notes with interest the statistical data supplied by the Government and the CITE on the increasing percentage of women workers receiving vocational training (30 per cent according to the 1992 DEMESS Inquiry), notably in the service sector (where 39.1 per cent of all training went to women). It also notes with interest the report of the Institute for Vocational Training (IEFP) which shows that women accounted for 38 per cent of all approved training in IEFP management and vocational training courses. Noting, however, that according to the CITE's recent inquiry into specific measures taken by undertakings to assist men and women workers who have dependants, few measures have been taken by employers to assist workers with dependent family members whether in training or other fields, the Committee requests the Government to inform it, in its next report, on any activities taken to follow up this inquiry, particularly where measures are recommended or envisaged to assist women to undertake training and to have access to further educational opportunities.

4. The Committee takes note of the Government's information and the CITE summaries of cases of sex-based discrimination in employment identified by the CITE and by the supervisory bodies of the public service during the period under review. Noting that a significant percentage of the cases of sex-based discrimination dealt with by the CITE concerned wage discrimination, the Committee refers the Government to the comments it has made in the context of Convention No. 100.