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Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Netherlands (RATIFICATION: 1971)

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

1. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in response to the Committee's previous comment regarding the surveys undertaken by the Wages Inspection Department (LTD), which disclosed some cases of non-conformity with the 1975 equal pay legislation. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any progress made to overcome the problems identified by the LTD, as a result of the role taken by the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment under the new legislation.

2. The Committee notes with interest the 1988 study undertaken by the LTD concerning equal pay in the retail trade sector, which noted that the "breadwinner premiums" (which appear to be paid only to the person designated as the sole breadwinner in the family) are a form of indirect discrimination, in contravention of the Equal Treatment Act, 1989. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply further information concerning the allocation of these premiums in general and would indicate whether, in the light of this study, consideration is being given to reviewing the basis on which they are awarded.

3. The Committee also notes with interest the information concerning the activities of the Equal Rights Commission, including the cases on equal pay dealt with by the Commission. The Committee requests the Government to continue to furnish such information, which indicates how the Convention is applied in practice, in its future reports.