Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2016, published 106th ILC session (2017)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Guinea (Ratification: 1967)

Article 2 of the Convention. Application of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value in the private sector. The Committee recalls the adoption of Act No. L/2014/072/CNT of 10 January 2014, issuing the Labour Code which, in the same way as the 1988 Labour Code, establishes the principle of equal remuneration for employed persons, irrespective of their origin, gender and age, for work of equal value (section 241(2)). The Committee recalls that wage inequalities may frequently arise due to occupational segregation which results in a different distribution of men and women in sectors and occupations, often perpetuating social stereotypes that deem certain types of work to be more suitable for men than women. Sustained measures are, therefore, necessary to improve the access of women to a broader range of employment opportunities at all levels, and accordingly to succeed in reducing the inequalities in remuneration that exist between men and women on the labour market (see 2012 General Survey on the fundamental Conventions, paragraph 713). In this regard, the Committee also refers to its comments on the application of the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), particularly with regard to the 2011, National Gender Policy. With a view to the effective application of the principle of the Convention, the Committee requests the Government to take specific measures, among others, within the context of the National Gender Policy, or in any other appropriate framework, to reduce gaps in remuneration between men and women, and, particularly, measures intended to combat the underlying causes of inequalities of remuneration (occupational segregation of men and women, prejudices concerning the aspirations and vocational capacities of women, and the roles of women and men in society, etc.). The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the application in practice of section 241(2) of the Labour Code, including any administrative or judicial decisions relating to inequalities of remuneration between men and women for work of equal value.

Application of the principle in the public service. The Committee recalls that the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value is not set out in Act No. L/2001/028/AN issuing the conditions of service of public officials. Even though salaries and bonuses are fixed according to the posts concerned and a statutory pay scale, without any distinction as to sex, the methods and criteria adopted for classifying posts and establishing pay scales, as well as disparities in the payment of certain supplementary benefits or allowances, may give rise, in practice, to discrimination between men and women in the public service. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the manner in which the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value is applied in the public service.

Article 2(2)(c). Collective agreements. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide copies of any collective agreements containing clauses providing for equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value. It also requests the Government to indicate whether initiatives have been taken, in collaboration with employers’ and workers’ organizations, to review existing collective agreements to ensure that they incorporate the principle of the Convention.

Article 4. Cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government that the Labour and Social Legislation Advisory Committee (CCTLS) adopted a position at its first session on the issue of equal remuneration. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the work of the CCTLS and the activities of the social partners in the context of bipartite and tripartite dialogue bodies concerning equal remuneration for men and women, with an indication of the outcome of its work and of any measure adopted in this context to promote and implement the principle of the Convention.

Statistics. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that, taking into account the socio-economic crises, it has not been possible to complete the work of producing statistics on the earnings of men and women, and that it requests technical assistance from partners for this purpose. In its awareness of the public health difficulties with which the Government has recently been confronted and their impact on the normal operation of institutions, the Committee encourages the Government to take the necessary measures to establish the conditions required for the collection and analysis of data on the earnings of men and women in the public and private sectors with a view to assessing the remuneration gaps between men and women and taking appropriate measures for their reduction.