Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1990, published 77th ILC session (1990)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Canada (Ratification: 1972)

1. The Committee refers to its observation.

2. The Committee notes from the Government's report that the term "work of equal value" is used in the human rights legislation of the federal jurisdiction and the province of Quebec and, as regards the public sector, the Yukon Territory. The pay equity legislation applying to the public sector in the provinces of Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and that of Ontario for the public sector and for private sector employers with more than 10 employees, use the term "work of equal or comparable value". It notes that the rest of Canadian legislation on equal pay uses the approach of equal pay for similar or substantially similar work; but that the Government of Newfoundland has, without adopting legislation, endorsed the principle of equal pay for work of equal value in the public sector.

The Committee therefore requests the Government to indicate in its next report what progress has been achieved in applying the principle of equal pay for work of equal value to the sectors where the concept has not yet been adopted, in both the public and private sectors.

3. The Committee notes the statistics on discrepancies between the average earnings of men and women, showing a substantial improvement between 1971 and 1987, but virtually no improvement in recent years. Please continue to furnish information on any improvements which may appear.

4. In its previous direct request, the Committee noted that, for the most part, the principle of equal remuneration appeared to be applied to male and female workers employed in the same establishment. It asked for information on the application of the principle to wider groups of comparable employees, referring to paragraphs 22 and 71 et seq. of its 1986 General Survey on Equal Remuneration. The Committee notes from the information in the report that there has been a certain expansion of this concept, and requests the Government to indicate in future reports any further progress achieved.