Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1990, published 77th ILC session (1990)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Egypt (Ratification: 1960)

1. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in its report. It notes that the report repeats the information provided previously that section 151 of the Labour Code sets out that all provisions governing employment are applicable to workers, without any distinction, for "the same work". It once again requests the Government to indicate, with reference to paragraphs 20 to 23 and 52 to 70 of its 1986 General Survey on Equal Remuneration, how the application of the principle of the Convention is guaranteed in practice, particularly in cases where men and women perform work of a different nature but of equal value.

2. The Committee recalls that it requested information concerning the application of the principle of equal remuneration as regards both minimum wages and wages that are higher than the minimum. It notes that no decision has been issued by the advisory committees provided for in section 79 of the Labour Code concerning increases in the minimum wage in certain sectors, and that it will be supplied with any decision issued in this connection. It requests the Government to supply information in its future reports on any decision taken under section 79.

3. The Committee notes that a single minimum wage has been determined for all occupations. It therefore once again requests the Government to indicate the measures that have been taken in practice to apply the principle of equal remuneration to wages that are higher than the minimum wage.

4. The Committee notes Decision No. 134 of 1978 respecting criteria for the classification of jobs for civilians employed by the State and the measures issued thereunder, and Decision No. 1007 of the same year respecting criteria for the classification of jobs in the public sector. It requests the Government to indicate whether the fact that female workers are frequently concentrated in certain jobs and certain sectors has been taken into consideration in order to avoid or correct any preconceived evaluation of the qualities traditionally considered to be typically "feminine".

5. The Committee also requests the Government to indicate whether there is legal and administrative machinery enabling workers with grievances to claim equal remuneration on the basis of an evaluation of the value of their jobs and whether there is a right of appeal when it is established that job evaluation systems are discriminatory. It also once again requests the Government to indicate whether the various additional benefits in cash and in kind set out in Act No. 47 of 1978, issuing the conditions of employment of civil employees of the public administration, are provided for women under the same conditions as for men for work of equal value, in accordance with the Convention.

6. The Committee notes the statement in the report to the effect that there are no recent collective agreements.