Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1999, published 88th ILC session (2000)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Spain (Ratification: 1967)

1. The Committee requests the Government to provide information in its next report in respect of the measures adopted to ensure equality of opportunity in matters of employment and vocational training to the Rom (Gypsy) minorities and other minorities in the country who are disadvantaged in the labour market.

2. In regard to its earlier comments, the Committee reiterates its request to the Government to supply information on any measures adopted or envisaged to promote women's access to education and training. Furthermore, the Committee again requests the Government to inform it of the reasons for the decrease in the number of young women admitted to educational institutions.

3. The Committee also notes with interest the information supplied by the Government on the decisions of the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court and other higher courts of justice regarding the principle of equality of remuneration between men and women and non-discrimination based on sex as well as the annulment of the dismissal of workers absent on maternity leave. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the decisions of the Spanish courts in regard to the Convention, including decisions on the principle of non-discrimination on the grounds of the other criteria contained in the Convention.

4. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government on the activities of the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate on the subject of discrimination in 1997 and 1998, in connection with access to employment and with working conditions, listing the acts and offences identified with respect to women workers, disabled workers and other workers. The Committee hopes that the Government will continue to supply detailed information on the subject. The Committee requests the Government to continue supplying information on these measures, including offences reported by the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate and decisions applying the legislation in question.

5. The Committee requests the Government to send it copies of the new Employment Action Plan, the IVth Community Action Programme, the Spanish Government's IIIrd Plan for Equality of Opportunity between Men and Women, cited in the Government's report. In addition, the Committee requests the Government to continue supplying information on its activities in this area.

6. The Committee notes with interest the various measures taken by the Government to promote employment for disabled people, as well as Royal Decree 4/99 of 8 January, which increases the subsidy given for permanent, full-time engagement of this category of workers and Act 66/1997 of 30 December 1997 which sets out the obligation for enterprises having more than 50 permanent workers to reserve 2 per cent of the jobs in the total workforce for disabled workers.