Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1996, published 85th ILC session (1997)

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report.

1. The Committee notes the information provided concerning the wage disparity between men and women. In this regard, it notes that, in terms of average income, men earn approximately 42 per cent more than that of women and that, according to the Government's report, about one-third of that difference is ascribed to the higher proportion of women in part-time work. The Committee requests the Government to furnish, in its future reports, information on any trends discerned in the wage disparity. In this regard, it notes from the report of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN document No. E/1990/6/Add.5 of 19 October 1993, paragraph 27) that, as concerns discrimination against women, the Government stated, inter alia, that there was a tendency to attach a relatively low value to jobs performed by women and that the question would always arise as to what criteria should be used to determine objectively what constituted equal or equivalent work. In the light of the 1994 decision of the Supreme Court, referred to in the observation on this Convention, the Committee asks the Government whether any measures are being taken by, for example, the Equality of Treatment Committee or the social partners, to examine whether classification criteria take adequate account of factors more likely to be present in the work performed by women.

2. The Committee notes the Government's explanation concerning the means of redress open to workers who consider their rights have been infringed under the Equality of Treatment Act. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue providing any available information on the work of the Equality of Treatment Committee, as might be contained, for example, in the Committee's reports or promotional material.