Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1992, published 79th ILC session (1992)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Paraguay (Ratification: 1964)

The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in the reports received in 1991 and 1992.

1. In its previous direct request, the Committee noted that section 230 of the Labour Code provides that "equal remuneration shall be given for work which is equal as regards efficiency, type of work or duration", while the Convention provides for equal remuneration not only for work of equal value but also for work that is of a different nature but of equal value. The Committee notes the Government's statement to the effect that in practice this provision of the Convention is applied. The Committee therefore hopes that the Government will find no difficulties in amending section 230 of the Labour Code so that it explicitly provides that equal remuneration shall be paid for work of equal value and that in its next report it will indicate the measures that have been taken or are envisaged in this respect.

2. The Committee notes the Government's statement that it is aware of the necessity of the objective evaluation of jobs in order to ensure equal remuneration for work of equal value in cases in which the work is of a different nature, but that the techniques and procedures to assess and compare the relative value of the work performed in an objective manner are still lacking, both in jobs that come under the control of the Government, and those which do not. The Committee hopes that the Government will endeavour, possibly with the assistance of the ILO, to adopt and apply objective job evaluation methods for jobs that are directly under its control and to promote the adoption and application of these methods in sectors in which remuneration is not under the immediate control of the Government. The Committee hopes that the next report will contain information on the progress achieved in this respect.

3. The Committee notes that it does not have information enabling it to assess the manner in which the principle of equal remuneration as set out in the national legislation is applied in practice. The Committee requests the Government to supply in its next report:

(i) the wage scales applicable in the public service, indicating the distribution of men and women at the various levels;

(ii) the text of collective agreements which establish wage levels in the various sectors of the economy and, if possible, the percentage of women covered by these collective agreements and the distribution of men and women at the various levels; and

(iii) statistics on wage rates and average earnings for men and women, if possible by occupation, sector, seniority and skill level, as well as information on the corresponding percentage for women.

4. The Committee again requests the Government to supply in its next report, information on the measures taken to ensure the application of the legal provisions concerning equal pay and, in particular, on the activities of the labour inspection service (the number of inspections, the irregularities detected, the sanctions imposed as well as any court decisions).