Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Mauritania (Ratification: 2001)

Article 3 of the Convention. Objective job evaluation. Undervaluation of predominantly female jobs. With regard to the classification of jobs, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that first the tasks performed are taken into account, followed by skills. Regarding the importance of evaluating jobs based on objective criteria, such as skills and qualifications, effort, responsibilities and working conditions, in order to compare them, the Committee recalls that these views and attitudes tend to result in the undervaluation of “female jobs” in comparison with those of men who perform different work and use different skills, when determining wage rates (see the General Survey of 2012, paragraph 697 et seq.). In order to apply the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value, sets out by the Convention, the Committee requests the Government to examine the job categories in the light of this principle, in particular the way in which the wage rates have been determined for jobs occupied mainly by women and mainly by men. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the method and criteria used by the joint committee under clause 35 of the general collective labour agreement (CCGT) to determine the minimum wage for each category of workers.

Awareness-raising measures and enforcement. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that an awareness-raising campaign will be launched among employers and workers concerning the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. With regard to training for labour inspectors, the Committee notes that the report is silent on this matter. The Committee emphasizes that the most important objective of any initiative to promote wage equality, or more generally equality of opportunity in employment, is to ensure that employers and workers are properly informed about the legislative provisions and/or governmental policies in this area. The measures used to achieve this objective are various and can range from the dissemination of information by trade unions and women’s organizations, to posting the legislation in each workplace, when seminars are held with employers’ and workers’ organizations and during information and publicity campaigns. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on any campaigns or awareness-raising measures aimed at publicizing and explaining the principle of the Convention, specifying in particular the range of measures carried out, the target audience and any obstacles met. Recalling also the importance of training labour inspectors to combat wage disparities between men and women, the Committee once again requests the Government to take the necessary measures to build their capacity in this area to enable them to identify and put an end to these gaps, and to provide information on the measures taken to this end.