Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1995, published 82nd ILC session (1995)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Uruguay (Ratification: 1989)

The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in reply to its previous request concerning the legislative provisions relating to Article 4 of the Convention.

1. Promotion of equality on the bases of race, colour, national extraction or social origin. The Committee notes the information provided in the report on freedom of religion and thought (the Constitution of 1967 and the Amnesty Act No. 15737 of 1985). It also notes the Government's explanations concerning the judicial and administrative procedures which exist to guarantee respect for the principle of equality in employment set out in general terms in the Constitution. It requests the Government to supply information in its future reports on cases of discrimination in employment based on the grounds referred to above so that it can evaluate the application of the principles set out in the Convention with regard to all the grounds to which it refers.

2. Promotion of equality of women. (a) The Committee notes with interest the activities to promote equality for women in employment, in particular the National Action Plan for Women and the Family (1992-97) which establishes programmes to review labour legislation in order to identify and eliminate provisions which are directly or indirectly discriminatory, as well as positive measures to increase training and employment opportunities for women. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on the implementation of this Plan and its "horizontal programmes" aimed at vulnerable categories of women workers, such as rural women.

(b) The Committee notes the many educational activities for equality contained in the National Plan and requests the Government to state whether these consist of the education campaigns to strengthen the acceptance and observance of the policy of non-discrimination on the basis of sex referred to in section 6 of the Act to guarantee equality of treatment and opportunity for both sexes.

(c) With regard to recourse procedures for cases of discrimination in employment on the basis of sex, the Committee notes with interest the publication supplied by the Government entitled "Discrimination at Work" prepared by the Labour Law Institute, and in particular the description of the various procedures available in cases of discrimination in employment (including, complaints to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security; and special complaints under the Act to guarantee equality of treatment and opportunity for both sexes, No. 16045, with a view to eliminating discriminatory practices at work). The Committee notes that, according to the Government, violations of this type have not been reported and there is no case-law involving the courts. It requests the Government to inform it in future reports of any ruling handed down in this respect.