Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1991, published 78th ILC session (1991)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Norway (Ratification: 1959)

The Committee takes note of the information furnished by the Government in its report.

1. In its previous comments the Committee noted that under section 2 of the Worker Protection and Working Environment Act (No. 4 of 1977), which contains guarantees against discrimination in employment, workers in certain sectors of activity (seagoing navigation, hunting and fishing (including the treatment on board of the produce of fishing) and military aviation) are excluded from the scope of this Act.

From the Government's reply to the Committee's query concerning measures taken to ensure that workers outside the scope of Act No. 4 are protected against discrimination, the Committee notes that the Act respecting equality between the sexes (No. 45 of 1978) applies to all spheres, with the exception of the internal affairs of religious communities and provides for equality based on sex in connection with employment, training and cultural life. The Committee therefore renews its previous requests to the Government as to the measures contemplated or taken to ensure that workers outside the scope of Act No. 4 are protected against acts of discrimination also on all the grounds, other than sex, listed in Article 1(a) of the Convention. The Committee also notes that section 2 of Act No. 45 provides that the Crown may decide in special cases that the Act is not to apply to specific spheres. It would be grateful if the Government would provide information on whether an exemption to the application of this Act has been taken pursuant to section 2 and the reasons underlying such action.

2. The Committee notes with particular interest that the Nordic Council of Ministers has designated pay equity as a priority area and a four-year Nordic equal pay project has now been initiated. The Committee requests the Government to continue to furnish, in its reports on Convention No. 100, information on the developments and results of the project as well as those of the BRYT project (focusing on pay equity and on upgrading the value attached to low-paid and women's occupations) and of the projects on pay discrepancies between men and women being undertaken by the Ministry of Labour and Government Administration.

3. The Committee notes that work is still in progress on a Government White Paper (Likestillings meldingen) concerning equality between the sexes in which policy issues will be discussed and proposals made on aspects of equality policy. It hopes the Government will continue to keep it informed of developments on this paper and hopes that in this process consideration will be given to the provisions of the Convention and the Committee's previous comments.

4. The Committee notes with interest the measures taken in the field of training to develop women's technical as well as labour-market skills and knowledge, such as the trial project "Future jobs for women". In the field of vocational guidance it notes the activities undertaken to widen women's occupational choices such as vocational guidance fairs, the project "Bring women into the fisheries", and the "Workshop for the future". In regard to vocational guidance it particularly notes that informant activities play a key role in promoting equality between the sexes. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue to provide information on the progress of these activities as well as on other measures taken to or under consideration to give effect to the provisions of the Convention by ensuring equality of opportunity and treatment.