Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Zimbabwe (Ratification: 1989)

The Committee notes the observations of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) of 31 August 2017, as well as the Government's reply received on 2 November 2017.

Articles 2(2)(c) and 4 of the Convention. Application of the Convention through collective agreements. Cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations. The Committee recalls that collective agreements are a key means of implementing the principle of equal remuneration between men and women for work of equal value and that collective bargaining has been identified as an important factor in reducing the gender pay gap and can therefore play a crucial role in the implementation of the Convention (see 2012 General Survey on the fundamental Conventions, paragraph 662). Referring to its last comment on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) where it welcomed the various tripartite activities conducted with the support of the Office to promote collective bargaining, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the manner in which collective agreements address the issue of equal remuneration for men and women, by providing copies of the relevant provisions of collective agreements currently in force. It further requests the Government to take specific steps to raise the awareness of the employers’ and workers’ organizations regarding the issue of wage disparities between men and women and how they can be reduced.

Article 3. Job evaluation. The Committee notes the Government’s indication, in its report, that the most widely used job evaluation system, both in the public and private sectors, is the Paterson System according to which job evaluation is mainly based on the criterion of the level of decision-making involved. The Committee however recalls that whatever methods are used for objective evaluation of jobs, care must be taken to ensure that they are free from gender bias. The effective implementation of the principle of the Convention requires the use of a job evaluation method in order to measure and compare the relative value of different jobs held by men and women, through an examination of the respective tasks involved, undertaken on the basis of entirely objective and non-discriminatory criteria, such as skills/qualifications, effort, responsibilities and working conditions, to avoid the assessment being tainted by gender bias. The Committee further recalls that measures for the objective evaluation of jobs can be taken at the enterprise, sectoral or national level, in the context of collective bargaining, as well as through wage-fixing mechanisms (see 2012 General Survey, paragraphs 695 and 701). The Committee requests the Government to provide updated information on any job evaluation exercise undertaken in the public sector, indicating the criteria used and the measures taken to ensure that men and women receive equal remuneration for work of equal value. It further requests the Government to provide information on any measures taken to promote the use of objective job evaluation methods and criteria that are free from gender bias, such as qualifications and skills, effort, responsibilities and conditions of work, in the private sector, including information on the cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations in this regard.

Awareness raising and enforcement. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that some education institutions are offering courses on gender issues. While noting the Government’s general indication that during labour inspections, inspectors collect information through a standardized form on industry classification and the applicable collective agreement to check whether employees are paid the same wages, the Committee regrets that the Government does not provide any information on the number and outcomes of the labour inspections carried out. Referring to its last comment on the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81), the Committee further notes the ZCTU’s statement that labour inspections are still minimal owing to a lack of resources, technical equipment and staff. The Committee again requests the Government to provide information on the number of inspections carried out and cases concerning inequality of remuneration detected by or reported to labour inspectors, or dealt with by the Ombudsman, courts or any other competent authorities, as well as any administrative or judicial decision taken in this regard, particularly in order to enforce section 5(2)(a) of the Labour Act. The Committee requests the Government to take appropriate measures to raise public awareness of the relevant legislative provisions, the procedures and remedies available related to the principle of the Convention and to provide information on any activities undertaken in this regard. It further requests the Government to indicate whether specific measures have been taken to strengthen the labour inspectorate, as well as to provide information on any training activities undertaken for labour inspectors and magistrates to enhance their capacity to detect and address unequal pay.

Statistics. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that it is continuing its efforts to set up a comprehensive Labour Market Information System where labour market statistics will be easily accessible and that it continues to seek ILO technical assistance in this regard. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that, with the assistance of the ILO, it has already been able to publish labour market bulletins twice a year. Referring to its previous comments on the goal expressed in the National Gender Policy to develop and implement a specific framework to monitor gender disparities, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on any steps taken to this end. The Committee further requests the Government to provide updated information on any progress made in collecting, processing, and analysing statistical data on earning differentials between men and women in the various sectors and categories of employment, as well as any data available, disaggregated by sex, that show the nature, extent and evolution of the gender pay gap.