Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2002, published 91st ILC session (2003)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Norway (Ratification: 1959)

The Committee notes the information contained in the Government’s report and the attached information.

1. The information provided by the Government’s report shows that the wage gap continues to decrease, with women’s earnings being 88.2 per cent of men’s wages in the manufacturing sector in 2001, compared with 88 per cent in 2000 and 86.7 per cent in 1997. However, it notes that there still exists a clear wage gap in certain sectors. For example, in the commercial and savings banks sector, women workers only earn 77 per cent of the salaries earned by men in the same sectors. In this connection, it notes the Government’s statement that this wage gap is due to the inclusion in the statistics of wages of women and men in top positions, where men still tend to occupy positions of higher responsibility. The Committee asks the Government to provide information in its next report on the action taken to promote women to positions of greater responsibility. It also requests the Government to continue providing statistical information on remuneration disaggregated by sex.

2. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the report "Job evaluation system for local authorities" has still not been implemented and that negotiations are still being held on this issue. It asks the Government to provide information with its next report on the results of these negotiations and to provide a copy of the report "Job evaluation system for local authorities". The Committee also reiterates its earlier request to the Government to provide practical examples of the implementation of job evaluation systems. Noting the recent initiative of a three-year job evaluation project of 15 private companies and the public sector with the aim of developing a gender-neutral job evaluation system, the Committee asks the Government to provide a copy of the results of this project on the application in practice of these gender-neutral job evaluation systems and their impact on male and female remuneration levels.

3. The Committee also notes the statement that in 2002 the Nordic Council of Ministers initiated a joint project (2003-06) to improve statistics on pay differentials between men and women, by identifying efficient tools and policies in the context of a changing economy and the trend towards more local bargaining and individual wage settlements. It notes in this respect the Government’s statement that better statistics are becoming a key tool in the implementation of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value. It requests the Government to provide information with its next report on the conclusions of this project. The Committee also notes that the Norwegian Centre for Gender Equality manages the project of the European Commission’s Community Framework Strategy on Gender Equality (2001-05) entitled "Towards the closing of the gender pay gap (2001-05)", in cooperation with Austria, Denmark, Greece and the United Kingdom. It notes that the aim of the project is to identify an efficient mix of tools to close the gender pay gap in the context of each partner country. The Committee asks the Government to provide a copy of the conclusions of this project with its next report.

4. Considering the concern expressed in its earlier request respecting the fear that the local settlements and more individual payment arrangements would increase the wage gap, the Committee notes the Government’s statement that a recent report shows that increased local bargaining and more individual pay arrangements have not increased the wage gap. The Committee asks the Government to provide a copy of this report and to continue providing information illustrating the effect of the rise in local bargaining and individual pay arrangements on the application in practice of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value.

5. The Committee notes the action plan entitled "Equal remuneration for 2000" adopted by the Norwegian Association of Local Authorities (Norsk Kommuneforbund, NKF), which was attached to the Government’s report. It notes that the action plan enumerates measures to promote the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value. Noting that a new action plan on equal remuneration is to be adopted every second year by the NKF, the Committee requests the Government to provide with its next report a copy of the NKF’s action plan on equal remuneration for 2002, as well as other action plans adopted by the social partners.

6. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the Labour Relations Court is still responsible for evaluating the validity of wage agreements and that the Review Board for Gender Equality, under the terms of the amended Equal Status Act, now has the right to issue opinions respecting the lawfulness of wage agreements in relation to gender equality. The Committee requests the Government to provide information with its next report on any opinions issued by the Review Board for Gender Equality respecting the lawfulness of wage agreements, as well as copies of judicial rulings in cases concerning the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value.