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

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Madagascar (Ratification: 1962)

Remuneration gaps. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that in 2005 the average wage gap between men and women was 34 per cent and it requested the Government to indicate the steps taken with a view to reducing this gap and to provide recent information on the remuneration of men and women. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that such statistics are not available and observes that the Government has not provided information on the steps taken to combat wage gaps. The Committee emphasizes that an analysis of the situation and wages of men and women in all employment categories, both between and within economic sectors, is necessary to combat the problem of the wage gap between men and women. The Committee therefore asks the Government to take the necessary steps to gather data showing the number of men and women working in the public and private sectors (by category), as well as information on the earnings of men and women in the different economic sectors, including the public sector, and the various occupations, and to provide these data, together with any analyses or studies on the subject.

Article 3. Objective job evaluation. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that no information is available on this matter. It nevertheless wishes to draw the Government’s attention to the fact that the notion of paying men and women in accordance with the value of their work necessarily implies the adoption of some technique to measure and compare objectively the relative value of the jobs performed on the basis of objective and non discriminatory criteria, such as the skills required, effort, responsibilities and working conditions (General Survey on Equal Remuneration, 1986, paragraphs 138–152). The Committee also notes that, according to the Government’s report, a study on the harmonization of the professional index has been commenced with a view to resolving the problem of remuneration gaps between officials in the various administrative bodies, but who are in the same professional category. The Committee asks the Government to indicate the manner in which the principle of equal remuneration has been taken into account in the context of the current harmonization of the professional index and to provide information on any measures adopted or envisaged to encourage the formulation and utilization of job evaluation methods based on the work involved, in the public and private sectors, with a view to giving effect to the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value.

Supervision of application. The Committee notes the general information provided by the Government on the functions of the labour inspectorate in relation to supervision and the provision of advice under the terms of the Labour Code. It also notes that, according to the Government, labour inspectors have not been provided with any training on wage discrimination, but that this issue will be the subject of discussions at their level. The Committee encourages the Government to take the necessary measures, particularly in terms of resources, for the training of labour inspectors and controllers, and magistrates, so that they are better able to deal with violations of the principle of equal remuneration, and asks it to provide information on the measures adopted in this respect. It also asks the Government to provide information on the supervision carried out by labour inspectors and controllers in enterprises in 2010 and 2011 in relation to the issues addressed by the Convention (the violations reported, sanctions imposed, prosecutions), and any court decisions handed down in this respect.