Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1993, published 80th ILC session (1993)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Panama (Ratification: 1958)

With reference to its previous direct requests, the Committee notes the Government's report and the attached documents.

1. The Committee takes note of the statistics compiled by the ILO Regional Employment Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean (PREALC), referred to as a source in the appendices to the report, which show that the average monthly earnings of women are generally lower than those of men, in both the private and public sectors. The Committee therefore asks the Government to provide information as to the reasons for these wage disparities as well as on the measures taken or contemplated to remedy them. In this connection, the Committee refers to the explanations in paragraphs 22 and 23 of its 1986 General Survey on Equal Remuneration and to the principle laid down in Article 2 of the Convention which establishes the obligation to ensure equal remuneration for men and women workers for work of equal value.

2. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would: (a) send some samples of the collective agreements referred to on page 2, paragraph 2(b) of its report; and (b) provide detailed information on the methods used in conducting objective and impartial job evaluations, as required by section 145 of the Labour Code read together with section 10 of the same Code (in the event of the violation of the principle of equal remuneration).

3. The Committee notes the information contained in the Government's report to the effect that there have been no judicial rulings concerning the principle of equal remuneration, and trusts that the Government will continue to provide information in this respect (in accordance with Part IV of the report form).