Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Belarus (Ratification: 1956)

The Committee notes with interest the information supplied by the Government in its reply to the Committee's 1997 direct request as well as its report and attached statistical documentation, including a table of wage statistics.

1. In reviewing the statistical data provided by the Government on wages for December 1997, the Committee notes that the average monthly wage for women in the country as a whole was 80.8 per cent of men's average monthly wage, representing a slight increase of 1.7 per cent over December 1995. The wage gap between men and women also decreased in the sectors of industry and construction, where women's average monthly wage as a percentage of men's was 74.9 per cent and 88.8 per cent, respectively. On the other hand, the Committee notes that the wage gap between men and women widened significantly in the agricultural sector, where women's monthly earnings as a percentage of men's dropped from 90.9 per cent to 83.9 per cent. Similarly, women's earnings dropped in the area of education. Information contained in the Government's 1996 report indicated that women in education earned approximately 3 per cent more than men employed in the same sector; however, the Government's most recent report indicates that, in December 1997, the average monthly wage paid to women in education was 79.4 per cent of the average monthly wage earned by men. The Committee asks the Government to indicate whether there are any studies or statistical data available that might indicate factors underlying the widening of the wage gap in these sectors and to provide copies of any such studies or data in its next report.

2. The Committee further notes the Government's statement that the established correlation between wages of men and women in different branches of the economy is related to jobs performed and should not be considered as the violation of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply, in its next report, statistical data on the distribution of men and women in jobs in the different sectors of the economy referred to by the Government, showing the distribution of men and women by occupation and rank in the various sectors and showing the average hourly earnings of men and women in the various occupations and ranks. The Committee notes the statements in the Government's report that remuneration in Belarus is established in accordance with common tariff rates which are approved by the Ministry of Labour. It further notes that the rates take into account the factors set out in sections 102, 103 and 105 of the Labour Code. The Committee recalls that, because men and women tend to perform different jobs, a technique to measure the relative value of jobs with different content is essential to eradicate gender-based salary discrimination. Thus, the criteria utilized for the appraisal of jobs should not undervalue the skills normally required for jobs that are in practice performed by women, such as care-giving, human relations skills and jobs calling for manual dexterity. In comparing the work of men and women, care should be taken to balance the various job components to ensure a fair and just evaluation (see General Survey of 1986 on equal remuneration, paragraphs 133 to 152). Accordingly, the Committee once again requests information on the criteria and methodology used to ensure that the tariff rates give equal consideration to factors present in jobs undertaken by women.

3. On the basis of the information provided by the Government, the Committee notes that, by the end of 1997, women accounted for 58.6 per cent of workers with a university education. The statistical data supplied by the Government showed that women had a consistently higher level of education than men in the sectors referred to by the Government, including transport, construction, education, health, physical education, social security and culture. The Government's report contains statistical data indicating that, while they continue to have a proportionately higher level of education, women also continue to hold a lower share (45.5 per cent) of managerial and senior positions in the various sectors of the national economy. In industry, which is, as the Government indicates, the foremost sector of the economy, women hold only 35.9 per cent of managerial posts, despite the fact that they account for 54.2 per cent of employees in the industrial sector having special technical education. The Committee recalls that, in order to facilitate the application of the principle of equal remuneration, appropriate action should be taken where necessary, to ensure that workers of both sexes have equal access to occupations and posts and equal or equivalent facilities for vocational guidance or employment counselling, for vocational training and for placement (see the Equal Remuneration Recommendation, 1951 (No. 90), Paragraph 6). The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply information in its next report, both on the progress of its activities in reducing the wage gap and particularly regarding any studies that may indicate the factors accounting for women's lower share of managerial/senior positions despite their correspondingly higher levels of education.

4. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply it with information on other activities undertaken in furtherance of Article 4 of the Convention, including a copy of the most recent tripartite General Agreement concluded between the Council of Ministers of the Republic, the federation of trade unions of Belarus and the employers' associations.