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

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - China (Ratification: 1990)

1. Wage gap between men and women. The Committee notes the statistical information provided by the Government showing the yearly average wages for men and women by industry and occupation for 2003. It notes from the data that in every sector of the economy, women earn on average less than men – a pattern which is also observed in the majority of occupational categories. It further notes that, according to a national survey prepared by the All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF), the average income of urban women is roughly 30 per cent lower than their male counterparts, which represents a 7 per cent increase in the pay gap between men and women over the period of a decade. Recalling that the Programme for the Development of Chinese Women (2001–10) includes the objective of ensuring equal pay for women and men and of reducing the salary gap between them, and noting that the Government’s 2005 White Paper on Gender Equality and Women’s Development in China reaffirms the importance of achieving pay equity, the Committee asks the Government to endeavour further study into the direct and indirect causes of wage differentials between men and women and to report on the measures taken or foreseen to reduce the persistent wage gap. The Committee would also appreciate receiving information on the results of the investigation conducted by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) into the wage levels of women workers in enterprises of varying ownership systems as well as on the impact of the measures taken to address the problems identified by the ACFTU investigation.

2. Wage-setting in private enterprises. The Committee notes the Government’s efforts to proceed to an enterprise-level wage income distribution system where enterprises determine autonomously their own wage levels. The Government indicates that most enterprises presently apply the “job-post wage system”, in which wages are determined on the basis of the perceived skills required, level of responsibility, labour intensity and working conditions specific to each job-post. The Committee notes that the Government’s indicative wage system, which serves as a reference to help enterprises set wage levels, is published according to job categories and that gender is not taken into consideration, nor are jobs performed by women downgraded. The Government further states that it actively promotes collective bargaining at the enterprise level to determine the scope of wage increases (339,000 enterprises have accepted the system of collective wage negotiations). The Committee notes that in the context of this wage-setting reform for private enterprises, the State will limit itself to effecting macroeconomic guidance and adjustments. Consequently, the Committee asks the Government to indicate how it ensures that the wages set by enterprises either independently or through collective bargaining do not undervalue jobs performed by women and are free from sex bias, and to include examples of agreements and the job assessment methodologies used. The Government is also asked to provide information on how it promotes equal remuneration in the negotiation of collective wage-setting agreements. Please also continue to provide information on the setting and use of indicative wages and their impact on equal remuneration between men and women workers.

3. The Committee notes from the Government’s reply to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights that under the Programme for the Development of Chinese Women (2001–10), targets have been set to raise the proportion of women in the principal bodies of government at all levels and to increase the number of women holding offices or posts of major importance as well as the percentage of women in management positions (HR/CESCR/NONE/2004/10). Recalling the significant under-representation of women in supervisory positions, the Committee asks the Government to provide information on the progress made towards achieving a greater representation of women in positions of responsibility in the public sector, as such action helps to promote application of the Convention. Please also indicate how the Government intends to promote the increased representation of women in positions of responsibility in privately owned enterprises.

4. Equal opportunity in training and education. The Committee would like to draw the Government’s attention to the fact that inequalities between the wages of men and women workers result from a number of factors including the segregation of women in education and training programmes which tend to lead to lower paying and less career-oriented employment opportunities. In this respect, the Committee asks the Government to indicate any measures taken or planned to promote women’s equal access to the education and training necessary to permit them to compete effectively and obtain higher level and better paid employment.

5. Parts III and IV of the report form. The Government states that no new laws or regulations have been introduced with respect to the enforcement of equal remuneration, nor has the Government received any reports to date regarding the violation of the Convention. Recalling the Government’s indication that advocacy, enforcement and monitoring are the principle measures to promote and ensure the implementation of laws and regulations ensuring equal pay, the Committee asks the Government for information in its next report on the active measures taken to enforce the principle of the Convention and to indicate the number and nature of violations reported, the actions taken as a result, and whether any particular difficulties have been encountered in the practical application of the Convention.

6. Statistics. The Committee notes the ILO workshop held in Beijing in April 2006 with the ACFTU on increasing awareness among trade union leaders on the rationale, strategies and methodologies for collecting and analysing gender-sensitive statistics. The Committee notes that, in the course of the discussions, it was agreed that there was a need to carry out more in-depth gender analysis given that existing research and data collection did not reveal the full differences between men and women on the labour market despite the assessment that vertical and horizontal job segregation existed in all economic sectors (e.g. labour statistics often excluded the management levels and temporary workers as well as participation rates). The Committee asks the Government to continue supplying statistical data on employment and remuneration disaggregated by sex, sector of activity, occupation and level of responsibility. In light of the above discussions, it also asks the Government to indicate what measures it has taken or is considering to ensure the collection of more detailed and reliable statistics on the situation of women in the labour market to better assess the progress made towards equal remuneration between men and women for work of equal value.