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

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Italy (Ratification: 1956)

Gender pay gap. The Committee notes that according to the statistical information provided in the Government’s report, the gender wage gap, taking into account the net hourly wage, increased during the period 2011–12 by an average of 1.8 per cent. As regards sectors, in particular, it increased by 4.6 per cent in the transport sector, by 15.8 per cent in the construction sector, and by 8 per cent in the technical professions. It decreased by 19 per cent in the manufacture sector, by 0.9 per cent in public administration and 1.3 per cent in education, health and social assistance. The Government highlights that due to the current economic crisis, the net hourly wage of women is 10 per cent higher than that of men in the manufacturing sector. The Committee further notes that the gender wage gap is considerably higher (3.4 per cent) among workers aged 40–49 years. According to a report published in February 2013 by ISTAT, in 2010, workers with higher qualifications received an average salary of €88,942 for men and €61,361 for women, and workers with lower qualifications, received and average salary for men of €20,064 and for women of €13,784. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that due to the current economic and financial crisis, no project has been financed to address specifically the gender pay gap. The Committee notes however, the implementation of the Charter for Equal Opportunities in 546 enterprises and 164 public administrations and the projects carried out by the National Equality Counsellor to improve women’s participation in the labour market. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the implementation of the Charter for Equal Opportunities and of all the activities carried out by the National Equality Counsellor on the application of the principle of the Convention and the reduction of the gender pay gap. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide statistical information disaggregated by sex on the distribution of men and women in the different sectors and occupations and their corresponding earnings, including in higher level occupations, in the public and private sectors so as to allow an evaluation of the progress made over time to reduce the gender pay gap. Please provide information on any legislative measure adopted with a view to collecting and processing statistical data on gender wage differentials, pursuant to section 46 of Act No. 183/2010.

Public administration. The Committee notes the Report prepared by the Department of Equal Opportunities and the Department on Public Administration concerning the measures for equal opportunities and treatment in the public administration for 2011. The Committee notes that despite the action and measures undertaken to promote gender equality, no specific measures appear to have been taken in order to address wage differentials in the public administration. The Committee again requests the Government to take measures to increase action in public administration so as to promote and ensure equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value and to reduce the gender pay gap and to report on the results achieved.

Article 3 of the Convention. Objective job evaluation. The Committee notes that the Government refers to the report of activity for 2012 prepared by the National Equality Counsellor according to which a mechanism for the evaluation of the performance of the Administration as well as of its employees is being envisaged and that it will take into account the gender aspect. The Government also refers to the Charter for Equal Opportunities which refers to equality of opportunity in access to employment of men and women. The Committee observes, however, that it does not address objective job evaluation. The Committee recalls that the concept of “equal value” provided for in the Convention requires some method of measuring and comparing the relative value of different jobs. There needs to be an examination of the respective tasks involved, undertaken on the basis of entirely objective and non-discriminatory criteria to avoid the assessment being tainted by gender bias. This objective job evaluation is different from the performance appraisal of jobs which aims at evaluating the performance of an individual worker in carrying out his or her job. Objective job evaluation measures the relative value of jobs with varying content on the basis of the work to be performed. It is concerned with evaluating the job not the individual worker (see General Survey on fundamental Conventions, 2012, paragraphs 695 and 696). Recalling that section 28(2) of Legislative Decree No. 5/2010 provides that “systems of job classification determining remuneration shall adopt common criteria for men and women and be developed with a view to eliminating discrimination”, the Committee again asks the Government to provide information on the implementation of this provision, as well as on any action taken or envisaged to promote, in cooperation with the social partners, the development and use of objective job evaluation methods in both the private and the public sectors.

Parts III–V of the report form. Enforcement. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the practical application and the impact of anti-discrimination legislation, including Legislative Decree No. 5/2010 and Act No. 183/2010 in reducing pay differentials between men and women. In this regard, please provide specific information on the activities of the “Single Committees to Guarantee equal opportunities in the achievement of the well-being of workers and the prevention of discrimination” (CUG) with respect to the implementation of the Convention. The Committee further requests the Government to provide information on the labour inspection activities concerning the application of the principle of the Convention, including the infringements detected, remedies provides and penalties imposed.