Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2006, published 96th ILC session (2007)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Czechia (Ratification: 1993)

1. Article 2 of the Convention. Scope of comparison. The Committee notes the views expressed by the Government concerning the application of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value beyond the enterprise level. In this regard, the Government stated that it was practical to apply the principle only to employment linked to a single shared financial source, since employers had little opportunity to compare the remuneration of their own employees with remuneration paid by other enterprises. Nevertheless, the Government also stated that legislative amendments were under discussion to replace the reference to “the same employer”, in the relevant provisions with a more general reference to “the employer” and that the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs continued to consider the application of the equal pay principle between different employers. The Committee asks the Government to keep it informed of any further developments regarding this matter.

2. Public service. Recalling its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that the entry into force of Act No. 218/2002 (Civil Service Act) was postponed until 1 January 2007. It asks the Government to keep it informed of the evolving legislative framework to apply the Convention in the public service and of the practical application and impact of the relevant laws and regulations on equal remuneration. Please supply information on any relevant administrative or judicial decisions concerning equal remuneration and statistical information on the gender pay gap in the public service.

3. Article 3. Objective job evaluation. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has published some information material concerning methods of job evaluation and has recommended their application in the context of litigation, preparation of collective agreements and enterprise-level wage rules. It asks the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken to promote the development and use of methods of objective evaluation of jobs as a means to promote equal remuneration in accordance with the Convention.

4. Part V of the report form. General appreciation of the Convention’s application. The Committee notes from the Government’s report that in 2004 women earned 74.9 per cent of men’s average wage. The gender pay gap was widest among university graduates, with women only earning 67.3 per cent of men’s average wage. The Committee notes that recently completed research commissioned by the Government found that the differences in career paths of men and women and marked inequalities as regard the sharing of family responsibilities are major causes for the persisting gender pay gap. Noting from the report that the Government addresses the gender pay gap in the framework of its National Action Plan to Promote Gender Equality and the National Employment Action Plan, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on how the specific measures carried out under these plans impact on the gender pay gap.