THE ARBEITSGERICHT OLDENBURG REFERRED TO THE COURT FOR A PRELIMINARY RULING UNDER ARTICLE 177 OF THE EEC TREATY THREE QUESTIONS ON THE INTERPRETATION OF COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 75/117/EEC OF 10 FEBRUARY 1975 ON THE APPROXIMATION OF THE LAWS OF THE MEMBER STATES RELATING TO THE APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUAL PAY FOR MEN AND WOMEN ( OFFICIAL JOURNAL 1975 , L 45 , P . 19 ).
2 THOSE QUESTIONS WERE RAISED IN THE COURSE OF PROCEEDINGS BROUGHT BEFORE THE ARBEITSGERICHT BY GISELA RUMMLER AGAINST HER EMPLOYER , DATO-DRUCK GMBH , A PRINTING FIRM , FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING CLASSIFICATION IN A HIGHER CATEGORY IN THE PAY SCALE .
3 CONDITIONS OF REMUNERATION IN THE PRINTING INDUSTRY ARE GOVERNED BY THE ' LOHNRAHMENTARIFVERTRAG FUR DIE GEWERBLICHEN ARBEITNEHMER DER DRUCKINDUSTRIE IM GEBIET DER BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND , EINSCHLIESSLICH BERLIN-WEST ' ( FRAMEWORK WAGE-RATE AGREEMENT FOR INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYEES OF THE PRINTING INDUSTRY IN THE TERRITORY OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY INCLUDING WEST BERLIN ) OF 6 JULY 1984 , WHICH PROVIDES FOR SEVEN WAGE GROUPS CORRESPONDING TO THE WORK CARRIED OUT , DETERMINED ACCORDING TO THE DEGREE OF KNOWLEDGE , CONCENTRATION , MUSCULAR DEMAND OR EFFORT AND RESPONSIBILITY . THE FOLLOWING ASPECTS ARE RELEVANT TO THESE PROCEEDINGS : THE ACTIVITIES COVERED BY WAGE GROUP II ARE DESCRIBED AS THOSE WHICH MAY BE EXECUTED WITH SLIGHT PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE AND AFTER BRIEF INSTRUCTION OR TRAINING , REQUIRE LITTLE ACCURACY , PLACE A SLIGHT TO MODERATE DEMAND ON THE MUSCLES AND INVOLVE SLIGHT OR OCCASIONALLY MODERATE RESPONSIBILITY ; THE ACTIVITIES COVERED BY WAGE GROUP III ARE DESCRIBED AS THOSE WHICH MAY BE EXECUTED WITH MODERATE PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE AND INSTRUCTION OR TRAINING RELATED TO THE PARTICULAR JOB , REQUIRE MODERATE ACCURACY , REQUIRE MODERATE OR OCCASIONALLY GREAT MUSCULAR EFFORT AND INVOLVE SLIGHT OR OCCASIONALLY MODERATE RESPONSIBILITY ; THE ACTIVITIES FALLING UNDER WAGE GROUP IV ARE DESCRIBED AS REQUIRING PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE ON THE BASIS OF INSTRUCTION OR TRAINING RELATED TO THE PARTICULAR JOB , OCCASIONALLY A FAIR DEGREE OF OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRING MODERATE ACCURACY , INVOLVING MODERATE AND OCCASIONALLY GREAT EFFORT OF DIFFERENT KINDS , PARTICULARLY AS A RESULT OF WORK DEPENDENT ON MACHINES AND INVOLVING MODERATE RESPONSIBILITY . IT IS SPECIFIED THAT THE EVALUATION CRITERIA MUST NOT BE REGARDED AS CUMULATIVE IN ALL CASES .
4 THE PLAINTIFF IN THE MAIN PROCEEDINGS , WHO IS CLASSIFIED IN WAGE GROUP III , CONSIDERS THAT SHE OUGHT TO BE CLASSIFIED IN WAGE GROUP IV SINCE SHE CARRIES OUT WORK FALLING UNDER THAT WAGE GROUP ; IN PARTICULAR , SHE IS REQUIRED TO PACK PARCELS WEIGHING MORE THAN 20 KILOGRAMS , WHICH FOR HER REPRESENTS HEAVY PHYSICAL WORK .
5 THE DEFENDANT IN THE MAIN PROCEEDINGS DENIES THAT THE PLAINTIFF ' S DUTIES ARE OF THE NATURE DESCRIBED BY HER ; IT CONSIDERS THAT THEY DO NOT EVEN FULFIL THE CONDITIONS FOR CLASSIFICATION IN WAGE GROUP III , IN WHICH THE PLAINTIFF IS NOW CLASSIFIED AND THAT HAVING REGARD TO THE NATURE OF HER DUTIES , WHICH MAKE