Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2022, published 111st ILC session (2023)

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

The Committee notes that the observations of the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TÜRK-IS) transmitted by the Government with its report are identical to those communicated with its previous report, which were addressed in the Committee’s 2019 comments.

Articles 1–4 of the Convention. Assessing and addressing the gender pay gap. The Committee welcomes the detailed information provided by the Government in its report on the various programmes and projects being implemented, which aim to increase women’s access to employment and addressing vertical and horizontal occupational gender segregation, including the Project of Supporting Employment Policies Sensitive to Gender Equality 2019–22, the Project of Supporting Decent Jobs of the Future Approach with a Gender Equality Focus 2020–23, the Mother at Work Project, and the Project to Support Women’s Access to More and Better Job Opportunities – second phase 2019–22. In this context, the Committee refers to its comments under the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111). The Committee notes from the Structure of Earning Survey of 2018 transmitted by the Government that, taking into account the remuneration of women at all education levels, the overall gender pay gap stood at 7.7 per cent in 2018, with the widest gap (28.8 per cent) recorded at the vocational high school level in 2018. The Committee also refers to the report “Measuring the Gender Wage Gap” prepared jointly by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) and the ILO Office for Türkiye, which shows how and why the gender pay gap varies when alternative sources of data are used. The report provides detailed data on the gender wage gap, including by occupation, sector of the economy, type of economy (private, public, formal, informal) as well as information on the motherhood wage gap. According to this report, the wage gap between women with children, and those without, is 11 per cent; moreover, when comparing the median wage level of mothers to that of fathers, the wage gap rises to 19 per cent. The Committee also notes the indication that the Strategy Document and Action Plan on Women’s Empowerment 2018–23 establishes a number of actions aimed at reducing the existing gender pay gap. The Committee recalls that occupational gender segregation, in which women are typically concentrated in lower paying jobs or sectors remains one of the main underlying causes of gender wage gaps between men and women. Accordingly, the Committee asks the Government to intensify and expand its efforts to effectively address occupational segregation across the labour market, including through tackling gender stereotypes regarding women’s professional aspirations, preferences and capabilities. The Committee asks the Government to provide detailed updated information on: (i) the nature and impact of specific measures taken or envisaged under the Strategy Document and Action Plan on Women’s Empowerment 2018–23, as well as under any other frameworks, to reduce the gender pay gap; and (ii) statistical data on occupation by sector and level of occupation disaggregated by sex and on the gender pay gap, by sector if possible.

Article 1(a). Additional emoluments. Family allowances. Civil Service. The Committee recalls that section 203 of the Civil Servants Act, 1965, provides that family allowances are paid to the father if both parents are civil servants. It notes once again with regret the Government’s indication in its report that no change was made in this regard. Once again, the Committee reiterates that the definition of remuneration in the Convention includes allelements that workers may receive in exchange for their work and arising from their employment, whether paid in cash or in kind, and directly or indirectly by the employer. TheCommittee asks the Government once again to take the necessary measures so that section 203 of the Civil Servants Act, 1965, is amended to ensure that men and women civil servants are entitled to family allowances on an equal footing and to provide information on the progress made to this end. In this regard, the Committee asks the Government to consider the possibility of allowing both spouses to choose who would benefit from such allowances, rather than starting from the principle that they should systematically be paid to the father.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.