Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Ireland (Ratification: 1974)

Gender pay gap. The Committee notes from the report of the European Commission “Progress on equality between women and men in 2012” cited by the Government, that the gender pay gap (average gross hourly earnings) increased from 12.6 per cent in 2009 to 13.9 per cent in 2010. The same report indicates that while gender segregation in occupations decreased from 27.9 per cent in 2007 to 26.3 per cent in 2012, it remains higher than the European Union (EU)-27 average (24.5 per cent in 2012). Gender segregation in economic sectors also decreased from 23 to 20.7 per cent during the same period, but stands above the EU-27 average of 18.7 per cent (2012). With regard to the underlying causes of the gender pay gap, the Government points to the high proportion of women in part-time employment (68 per cent of part-time workers), the prevalence of individualized pay bargaining, coupled with strict confidentiality clauses, and the unequal burden of family responsibilities, with women responsible for more than 80 per cent of the tasks linked to the family. The Committee also notes the information provided by the Government on the policies and awareness-raising initiatives on gender equality at the national and the EU level, set out in its report on the Convention, and in its report under the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111). The Committee asks the Government to provide detailed information on the measures taken or envisaged to address more effectively the structural causes of the gender pay gap, including in the context of the National Women’s Strategy (2007–16) and the European Pact for Gender Equality 2011–2020, and the impact of such measures on reducing pay differentials between women and men. Regarding its previous comments on individualized pay arrangements, the Committee again asks the Government to indicate any measures taken or envisaged to examine the issue of more and higher bonuses to men, and to address directly or indirectly discriminatory practices in respect of payment of bonuses.

Article 2 of the Convention. Minimum wages. The Committee notes the Governments acknowledgement of the importance of the minimum wage in reducing the gender pay gap, and suggests that many women working part-time are paid minimum wages. According to the Government, the National Employment Rights Agency (NERA) undertakes regular inspections to monitor the enforcement of the Minimum Wage Act (2000); in 2012, NERA concluded 1,316 inspections, reporting compliance in 51 per cent of cases, and recovering over €300,000 in wage arrears. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information on the steps taken to improve enforcement of minimum wages, and the impact of such measures on the gender pay gap.

Article 3. Equality reviews and objective job evaluation. The Committee recalls its previous comments in which it requested the Government to provide information on the measures taken to strengthen equality reviews under Part VI of the Employment Equality Act, with a view to promoting them as an effective tool to address gender pay gaps at the enterprise level. The Committee notes with interest the gender pay review template, “Gender Pay Reviews: A template for examination of gender pay in organisations”, researched, developed and piloted by the Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation (IBEC), supported by the Equality Mainstreaming Unit of the Equality Authority, and which was published in 2012 under the European Social Fund. The template was developed with a view to assisting organizations in carrying out an objective equal pay review and to protect against future equal pay inequity. The template provides guidance, inter alia, on data collection and analysis, establishing pay rates, recruitment, performance management, and promotion, and sets out competency profiles and performance management ratings, a sample pay analysis, job profile and job evaluation methodologies. The Government indicates that the template has been tested in collaboration with a number of medical manufacturing companies. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the implementation of the gender pay review template, including on the findings of the reviews and its practical impact on addressing the gender pay gap, and any directly or indirectly discriminatory practices in respect of payment of basic wages, additional allowances, bonuses or any other emoluments paid by the employer to the worker. Please provide information on any other measures taken, in cooperation with the social partners, to promote the use of objective job evaluation methods, free from gender bias. Recalling that the Equality Authority had highlighted the need to further develop the equality legislation with regard to equal pay, in particular in relation to the requirements for employers to provide the necessary information under the equality reviews, the Committee again asks the Government to indicate the measures taken to follow-up on the Equality Authority’s recommendations.

Statistics. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide up-to-date statistical information on the evolution of the gender pay gap, including information on the earnings of men and women according to sector, occupation and educational level, in both the private and the public sectors.