Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1990, published 77th ILC session (1990)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Norway (Ratification: 1959)

1. The Committee notes from the Government's report that there is an increasing concentration of interest on structural inequality of remuneration between men and women. It notes, for instance, the view expressed in the report "Sex and Salary: A Study of the Equal Pay Provisions of the Norwegian Equal Rights Act", that the Act is of limited use because it restricts comparisons only to workers in the same undertaking. In the same connection it notes the information on the work of the Equal Status Ombudsman, indicating that she is concentrating more frequently on structural inequalities as well as on individual cases. It notes further that the Equal Status Council has noted growing interest in the question of how to overcome the anomaly that traditional women's occupations are systematically more poorly paid than the equivalent men's occupations. The Committee asks the Government to keep it informed of further progress in the discussion of this question.

2. In the same connection, the Committee notes from the statistics in the report that there has been little change during the 1980s in the relative pay of men and women in most sectors, but that in other sectors there has been some improvement. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on this question in its future reports.

3. As concerns the public sector, the Committee notes from the report that equal status committees have been set up in more municipalities, and that an increasing number are drawing up action plans for equal rights. It also notes that Norway is participating in the Nordic collaboration on equal rights, whose new five-year plan focuses on equal pay in the sense of the Convention. It also notes the information on the activities of the Directorate of Personnel of the central Government in this area. Please continue to supply information on the activities undertaken and the progress achieved in this regard.

4. The Committee notes the supplementary agreement for 1988-89, concluded between the Norwegian Federation of Trade Unions (LO) and the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) to establish a remuneration system based on job appraisal and setting the requirements for such a system. It requests the Government to indicate the progress achieved in this connection in its next report. It also notes, however, the reservations expressed by the Equal Status Council on the usefulness of job appraisal systems as a method for reducing pay inequality.

5. The Committee notes the information on the increase in complaints on unequal pay submitted to the Ombudsman, which appear to be occasioned by the temporary block on pay increases except as a result of successful complaints of unequal pay. The Committee notes further the information on other complaints submitted and on their disposition. Please continue to provide information in this connection in future reports.