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

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - French Polynesia

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Application in practice of the principle of equal remuneration for men and women. Measures to combat the underlying causes of the wage gap. The Committee notes the statistics provided by the Government on the distribution of men and women by sector of activity and also on average wages for full-time work by sex and by sector of activity (per year), which show that the gender wage gap (4.6 per cent in 2014) only decreased by 0.4 per cent between 2011 and 2014. The Committee also notes that in certain sectors where women predominate – such as health and social work, on the one hand, and financial activities and insurance, on the other – the respective gaps were 32 and 23.8 per cent. The Government indicates that the gender wage gap is partly the result of vocational guidance, with men predominating in certain occupations involving responsibility or requiring higher qualifications. The Committee recalls that as wage discrimination cannot be tackled effectively unless action is taken simultaneously to deal with its sources, it is important to address equal remuneration in the context of the more general rights and protections regarding equality and non-discrimination. It emphasizes that this approach is reflected in the Equal Remuneration Recommendation, 1951 (No. 90), which refers to facilitating the application of the Convention through such measures as ensuring equal access to facilities for vocational guidance, employment counselling, vocational training and placement; encouraging women to use these facilities; providing welfare and social services; and promoting equality between men and women as regards access to occupations and posts. With a view to reducing the gender wage gap by effectively combating occupational segregation, the Committee urges the Government to take the necessary steps to promote access for girls and women to education and vocational training in branches enabling access to skilled and better paid jobs, in order to combat social stereotypes of certain types of work as “male” or “female” and traditional stereotypes regarding the role of women in society, and to establish facilities to enable both women and men to achieve a better work–life balance. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any measures taken in this respect and to continue providing statistical information on the distribution of men and women in the various sectors of activity and also on their respective wages.

Article 3. Objective job evaluation. The Committee notes the Government’s indications that jobs are categorized according to an occupational classification by type of staff and skill levels, formal qualifications, and experience or vocational training acquired, which determine levels of knowledge and ability for occupying the post in question. The Government also indicates that a description may be included of the nature of the work, autonomy and the responsibilities involved. The Committee draws the Government’s attention to the difference that exists between performance appraisal, which aims to evaluate the way in which a worker performs his or her duties, and objective job evaluation, which seeks to measure the relative values of jobs with varying content on the basis of the tasks to be accomplished. Objective job evaluation is concerned with evaluating the job, not the individual worker. Although the Convention does not determine any particular method for undertaking such an evaluation, Article 3 presupposes the use of appropriate techniques for objective job evaluation, comparing factors such as the skills required to accomplish the tasks concerned, the effort involved, and responsibilities and working conditions in the post or job in question (see 2012 General Survey on the fundamental Conventions, paragraphs 695–696). The Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures taken to promote, especially vis-à-vis the social partners, the use of objective job evaluation methods, as provided for in Article 3 of the Convention, with a view to ensuring that the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value is reflected in any methods for determining or revising job or post classifications and consequently pay scales.

Enforcement. The Committee notes, according to the information provided by the Government, that pay disparities are not recorded by or reported to the labour inspectorate and there are no legal proceedings relating to this matter. In view of the statistical data showing the persistence of a gender pay gap, the Committee encourages the Government to conduct awareness-raising activities for labour inspectors on this matter. It also requests the Government to provide information on any prevention or enforcement measures adopted by the labour inspectorate to promote and secure respect for the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value. The Committee also requests the Government to send extracts of inspection reports recording any pay disparities and copies of any court decisions relating to this issue.