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

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Ghana (Ratification: 1968)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report contains no reply to its previous comments. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments.

Repetition

The Committee notes with regret that, again, the Government’s report contains no information regarding a number of its previous comments. The Committee wishes to reiterate that without the necessary information, it is not in a position to assess the effective implementation of the Convention, including the progress achieved since its ratification. The Committee hopes that the Government’s next report will contain full information on the matters raised below.

Article 1(b) of the Convention. Equal remuneration for work of equal value. Legislation. The Committee recalls that since the adoption of the Labour Act in 2003, it has been raising concerns regarding sections 10(b) and 68 of the Act, which are set out in terms that are more restrictive than the principle of the Convention, providing for equal remuneration for “equal work”. The Committee notes with concern that the Government’s report merely repeats its previous indication that “equal pay for equal work without distinction of any kind” under sections 10(b) and 68 of the Labour Act is synonymous with the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value, but provides no details in support of this assertion and gave no indication that jobs of a completely different nature can be compared under the Act. The Committee emphasizes once more that the concept of “work of equal value” lies at the heart of the fundamental right of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value, and the promotion of equality. Due to historical attitudes and stereotypes regarding women’s aspirations, preferences and capabilities, certain jobs are held predominantly or exclusively by women (such as in caring professions) and others by men (such as in construction). Often “female jobs” are undervalued in comparison with work of equal value performed by men when determining wage rates. The concept of “work of equal value” is fundamental to tackling occupational sex segregation in the labour market, which exists in almost every country, as it permits a broad scope of comparison, including, but going beyond equal remuneration for “equal” work, and also encompasses work that is of an entirely different nature, which is nevertheless of equal value (see 2012 General Survey on the fundamental Conventions, paragraphs 672–679). Consequently, the Committee once again urges the Government to take the necessary measures to amend sections 10(b) and 68 of the Labour Act of 2003, in order to give full legislative expression to the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value set out in the Convention, and to provide information on any progress made in this regard.

Equal remuneration for work of equal value in the public service. The Committee recalls that a public service pay policy setting out a single spine salary structure was previously adopted and that all public service employees were to be brought under this structure by the end of 2012. The Committee also recalls that the evaluation had been made on the basis of four main job factors (knowledge and skill, responsibility, working conditions and effort) which had been subdivided into 13 subfactors. The Committee notes the documentation provided by the Government in its report, including a table entitled “Single spine salary structure”, a memorandum of understanding between the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the social partners, and a White Paper on the single spine pay policy. It notes however that the table “Single spine salary structure” provided does not contain information on the types of jobs that fall within each level of pay and thus does not allow the Committee to assess whether the method of evaluation of jobs used is effectively free from gender bias. The Committee therefore requests the Government to provide information on how it has classified jobs within the single spine salary structure, in order to allow it to assess the factors used to compare jobs and ensure that they are free from gender bias. Noting the absence of information provided in this regard, the Committee requests once more the Government to provide information on the progress made in covering all public service employees by the single spine salary structure, and how this has impacted on the relative pay of women and men in the public service. It also reiterates its request for specific information on the number of men and women at each level of the pay structure. Finally, the Committee reiterates its request to the Government to provide information on the practical application of this single spine salary structure, including on the issues dealt with by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the steps taken by this Commission to ensure full application of the principle of the Convention in the public service.

Article 2(2)(c). Collective agreements. For a number of years, the Committee has been commenting on collective agreements that contained provisions discriminating against women, in particular concerning the allocation of certain fringe benefits. The Committee notes that, once more, the Government’s report does not contain any specific information in response to the Committee’s requests in this regard. Therefore, once again, the Committee urges the Government to take the necessary steps, in cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations, to ensure that provisions of collective agreements do not discriminate on the ground of sex. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any measures taken or envisaged, in cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations, to promote the principle of equal remuneration between men and women for work of equal value, including objective job evaluation methods, through collective agreements. It also requests the Government to provide examples of collective agreements reflecting the principle enshrined in the Convention.

Article 3. Objective job evaluation in the private sector. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to take steps to promote objective job evaluation methods in the private sector to eliminate unequal pay between men and women. The Committee notes that the Government’s report is silent on this point. However, its notes from the sixth round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey, published in 2014, that the hourly earnings of men in the various occupational groups remain higher than those of women except for clerical support workers. The Committee recalls that the concept of “equal value” 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. While the Convention does not prescribe any specific method for such an examination, Article 3 presupposes the use of appropriate techniques for objective job evaluation, comparing factors such as skill, effort, responsibilities and working conditions (see 2012 General Survey, paragraphs 695–703). Consequently, the Committee once again requests the Government to take steps to promote objective job evaluation methods in the private sector to eliminate unequal pay, and to provide information on the progress made in this regard. Once more, it requests the Government to provide updated information on the gender pay gap in the private sector, including statistical information based on the results of the recent Ghana Living Standards Survey.

Article 4. Tripartite cooperation. Noting the lack of new information provided in this regard, the Committee once again recalls the important role of the employers’ and workers’ organizations in promoting the principle of the Convention. The Committee therefore requests the Government to provide specific information on the concrete steps and action undertaken to promote the principle of the Convention, and the results of such initiatives. The Committee also requests the Government to indicate whether equal remuneration between men and women has been discussed specifically within the National Tripartite Committee, and how the principle has been taken into consideration in the establishment of the minimum wage.

Enforcement. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that the National Labour Commission and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission deal with issues pertaining to grievances of workers, particularly those regarding equal remuneration and that an Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre, pursuant to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act of 2010, serves as an additional forum to deal with complaints regarding remuneration. The Committee notes the Government’s repeated indication that there have been no cases brought forward on the issue of equal remuneration between men and women workers for work of equal value. In this regard, the Committee recalls that, where no cases or complaints, or very few, are being lodged, this is likely to indicate a lack of an appropriate legal framework, lack of awareness of rights, lack of confidence in or absence of practical access to procedures, or fear of reprisals (see 2012 General Survey, paragraph 870). Therefore, the Committee requests the Government to take steps to raise awareness of the relevant legislation, to enhance the capacity of the competent authorities, including judges, labour inspectors and other public officials, to identify and address cases of discrimination and unequal pay, and also to examine whether the applicable substantive and procedural provisions, in practice, allow claims to be brought successfully. In addition, the Government is asked to provide information on any decisions by the courts, the National Labour Commission, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre or any other competent body, as well as on any violations identified by, or reported to, labour inspectors, relating to equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value.

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.