Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2016, published 106th ILC session (2017)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Cuba (Ratification: 1954)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Evaluation of the gender pay gap. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to provide statistical information on the wage scales applying to the different categories of operators, technicians and administrators, and on the distribution of men and women across the various wage scale groups. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in its report, to the effect that in 2013, women accounted for 16.32 per cent of operators, 60.49 per cent of technicians, 65.28 per cent of administrators, 65.78 per cent of service personnel and 33.62 per cent of managers. The Committee further notes that, according to the Government, the sectors with the highest participation of women in 2013 were: community, social and personal services (53.35 per cent); commerce, restaurants and hotels (40.76 per cent) and finance, insurance, real estate and services to businesses (49.70 per cent). The sectors where women were the least represented were: electricity, water and gas (2.53 per cent); construction (13.50 per cent); and mining and quarrying (20.60 per cent). With regard to the level of education of persons in employment, the Government reports that in 2013, 16.87 per cent of workers with primary school level or less were women, 2.64 per cent had secondary school level, 38.47 per cent had a middle school or higher level and 56.07 per cent had higher level education. The Committee, nonetheless, observes that the Government provides no information on the wage scales applying to the different categories. To enable it to ascertain the gender pay gap in Cuba and follow developments in wage differentials, the Committee requests the Government to provide statistical information on the rates of remuneration of men and women according to occupational category and in all sectors of economic activity, disaggregated by sex.

Article 3. Objective job appraisal. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to provide information on how job descriptors are applied in practice and to give specific examples of objective job evaluations. The Committee notes that on the subject of job descriptors, the Government refers to section 126 of the implementing regulations of the new Labour Code (Decree No. 326 of 12 June 2014), which sets out the different elements making up the wage system, such as wage scales, minimum wage and post descriptors. According to the same provision, the post descriptor contains “the name, complexity group of the scale, formal qualification requirements and level of use, where appropriate”. The Government indicates that in compiling the post descriptors, objective methods for evaluating the tasks are used and they apply to all workers without discrimination. The Committee, nonetheless, observes that the Government has still not provided information on the application, in practice, of the job descriptors, nor does it indicate whether different jobs have been included in the same complexity group or provide specific examples of objective job evaluations carried out in practice. To enable it to ascertain whether the mechanisms implemented at national level apply the principle of the Convention, the Committee once again asks the Government to send information on how the system of job descriptors is applied, in practice, together with specific examples of objective job evaluations conducted in various enterprises or sectors.

Labour inspection. The Committee notes that the Government reports that labour inspectors receive training to enable them to detect violations of workers’ rights, including offences against the provisions on wages and the principle of equal remuneration. The Committee requests the Government to provide specific information on the type of training offered to labour inspectors, particularly regarding the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value.