Collective Agreements - the Ivory Coast

Inter-professional Collective Agreement of 19 July 1977

This Agreement has been concluded between the Association interprofessionnelle des Employeurs de Côte d’Ivoire (Inter-professional Association of Employers of the ivory Coast) and the Union générale des Travailleurs de Côte d’Ivoire (General Workers’ Union of the Ivory Coast). Article 1 defines the scope of application of this Agreement.

It contains provisions relevant for equal employment opportunity policies. Article 20 states that pregnant workers who have been temporarily transferred because of their situation, keep the same wage during the whole transfer period even though the temporary post is inferior to the regular one. The birth of a child gives the right to two days leave for workers that have been employed for at least 6 months by the enterprise (article 25). A leave of absence without remuneration may also be granted, for example in order to breast-feed after the end of maternity leave (article 26). During maternity leave, the employee is granted half of her salary by her employer and half by the National Social Contingency Fund (article 30).

Article 44 stipulates that wages must be equal, regardless of sex (inter alia), when the working conditions, qualifications and output are equal. In case of problems with professional classification, a commission is to be established to decide the point. This commission works under the presidency of a Labour and Social Laws Inspector and is composed of two representatives of the employers and two of the workers (article 48).

Finally, it can be noted that the parties have agreed to rely on legislation with regard to the particular conditions of the work of women and of health and safety (articles 66 and 81).