Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1992, published 79th ILC session (1992)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Sao Tome and Principe (Ratification: 1982)

The Committee notes the information contained in the Government's report.

1. In its previous direct request, the Committee noted that the legislation in force (and particularly section 47 of Legislative Decree No. 507 of 1958, containing regulations on labour law, and section 69(1) of the Rural Labour Code) appears to establish the principle of equal remuneration for men and women workers for the same work but not for work of equal value. The Committee noted the Government's reply that the principle of equal remuneration has been applied since 1979. The Committee pointed out that the relevant legislation appears to encompass only the concept of equal wages for the same work, which does not fully correspond to the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in its report (received on 1 March 1991) according to which Legislative Decree No. 507 of 10 March 1958 has been repealed. It notes from the report transmitted by the Government (which was also received on 1 March 1991) concerning Convention No. 19, that Legislative Decree No. 507 of 10 March 1958 will be repealed once the General Labour Act, which has been approved by the Government and submitted for adoption by the National Assembly, has been adopted. The Committee hopes that the new General Labour Act will lay down the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value and requests the Government to supply the text of the Act once it has been adopted.

2. In a previous commentary, the Committee noted that the application of the wage scale, which has already been formulated, was awaiting the revisions and adjustments that had to be made to the current wage scale within the context of the structural adjustment programme that is currently being implemented. The Committee notes the national classification of occupations (interim version/1990) supplied by the Government. It notes that it applies to the public and private sectors and that it is based on a description of the activities and on the level of training of the various occupations. The Committee also notes that, due to its provisional nature, certain occupations are not described exhaustively and that it is liable to be adjusted in future. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue supplying information on the application of the national classification of occupations and its impact on the application of the principle of equal remuneration.

3. The Committee notes that the Government's report does not reply to point 3 of its direct request. It therefore once again requests the Government to supply information on the application of the principle of equal remuneration to wages that are above the minimum wage.