Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Guatemala (Ratification: 1961)

Gender wage gap. The Committee notes the statistics supplied by the Government, revealing that the wage for women is approximately 90 per cent of that of men. Noting that these statistics show that the wage gap between men and women has increased from 6 per cent in 2009 to 10 per cent in 2011, the Committee asks the Government to provide information on the measures envisaged within the framework of the National Policy for the Advancement and Development of Women and the Equal Opportunity Plan (2008–23) and the Institutional Strategic Gender Plan to reduce the gender wage gap. The Committee asks the Government to continue providing up-to-date statistics on the rates of remuneration for men and women in the various sectors of activity, disaggregated by occupational category and job, to enable the Committee to evaluate the progress achieved.

Article 1 of the Convention. Equal remuneration for work of equal value. Legislation. The Committee has been referring for a number of years to the importance of adopting measures to give legislative expression to the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value. In this connection, the Committee notes the Government’s statement that the Committee for the Analysis and Examination of the implementation of obligations arising from ILO Conventions has been set up, and is due to function until 31 December 2011. The Committee notes that the Government provides information on the training activities carried out by the Department for the Advancement of Women Workers, stating that the disseminated documents refer to the principle of equal remuneration for equal work performed with respect to equal conditions, efficiency and seniority. In this respect, the Committee refers to its 2006 general observation, indicating that the concept of “work of equal value” includes but goes beyond equal remuneration for “equal”, the “same” or “similar” work, and also encompasses work that is of an entirely different nature, which is nevertheless of equal value. The Committee notes that the principle of equal remuneration for equal work performed with respect to equal conditions, efficiency and seniority is more restrictive than the principle of the Convention. The Committee therefore stresses the importance of reflecting fully the principle of the Convention and asks the Government to provide information on any progress made by the Committee for the Analysis and Examination of the implementation of obligations deriving from ILO Conventions with respect to the adoption of measures giving legislative expression to the principle of remuneration for work of equal value. The Committee encourages the Government to request technical assistance from the Office in this respect.

The Committee is raising other points in a request addressed directly to the Government.