Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2006, published 96th ILC session (2007)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Cabo Verde (Ratification: 1979)

1. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report, and the communications from the Commercial, Industrial and Agricultural Association of Barlavento (ACIAB), the National Union of Workers of Cape Verde – Trade Union Confederation (UNTC-CS) and the Cape Verde Confederation of Free Trade Unions (CCSL). The Committee notes that the first two organizations consider it necessary to increase the social partners’ awareness of the legal notion of “work of equal value” so that it is better understood and applied. It notes that the CCSL supports this proposal and points out that inequality of treatment exists in respect of wages between men and women for work of equal value. The CCSL supports the adoption of an interoccupational minimum wage to reduce wage discrimination between men and women for work of equal value. The Committee asks the Government to provide its comments on the abovementioned communications in its next report.

2. In its previous comments, the Committee asked the Government to consider amending the legislation so as to ensure that men and women workers have the right to equal remuneration for work of equal value in accordance with the Convention. It notes that the Government intends to take the Committee’s comments into consideration when carrying out a general revision of labour legislation, which includes the adoption of a new Labour Code, and that these comments will be the subject of consultations with the social partners. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on any progress made in this area.

3. The Committee notes the collective agreements and public administration wage scales attached to the report. It asks the Government to provide copies of the collective agreements containing clauses on the promotion of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value. It also notes that, according to the report, a significant proportion of women hold positions of responsibility in the public sector, some at the head of national bodies (social solidarity, public finance, public administration, government general secretariat, national coordination for action to combat drugs) and ministries (national education, justice, agriculture, fisheries and environment). The Committee notes that no statistics exist on the distribution of men and women at different levels, and that technical assistance is requested in the area of statistics. The Committee hopes that the Office will soon be in a position to provide the technical assistance requested. It also notes that the National Statistics Institute and the General Labour Directorate are making efforts to compile information on the number of women in different occupational categories, and that a copy of this information will be sent to the ILO. The Committee asks the Government to send it any existing data on the distribution of men and women in the public sector.

4. Article 3 of the Convention and Parts III and V of the report form. The Committee notes that the Institute on the Condition of Women (ICF) promotes equality of remuneration between men and women for work of equal value. It also notes that the labour inspectorate is authorized to supervise and ensure the application of legislative provisions relating to conditions of work and the protection of workers, and that these cover the principle set forth in the Convention as well as all forms of discrimination based on sex. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on labour inspectorate activities, as well as those of the ICF, relating to the promotion and application of the Convention.