The Milli Majlis (National Assembly) of the Republic of Azerbaijan has approved amendments to the Labor Code and the Law on Guarantees of Gender (Men and Women) Equality in its third and final reading, aimed at preventing gender-based discrimination in wages.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the draft law was discussed during today's plenary session of the parliament. Under the new regulations, employers in Azerbaijan are now legally obligated to ensure equal pay for employees performing work of equal value, regardless of their gender. This includes not only base salaries but also bonuses and other incentive-based financial payments.
The legislation specifies that the "equal value" of work will be determined by the employer based on several objective criteria, including working conditions, the nature of the labor function, and the tariff-qualification characteristics outlined in the current unified tariff-qualification handbooks. This move aims to close the gender pay gap by ensuring that different roles requiring similar levels of skill and effort are compensated equally.
The amendments were introduced to align Azerbaijan's national legislation with international standards, specifically International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 100 and the European Social Charter. Previously, Azerbaijani law only applied the principle of equal pay to "same or similar work." The expansion to "work of equal value" provides a broader legal framework to protect the rights of women in the workforce and ensures that gender-based wage disparities are systematically addressed.
The adoption of these changes reflects Azerbaijan's commitment to its international obligations and its ongoing efforts to modernize the national labor market. By codifying the requirement for equal pay for work of equal value, the government seeks to foster a more equitable professional environment and strengthen social justice within the Republic of Azerbaijan.
