Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1993, published 80th ILC session (1993)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Malawi (Ratification: 1965)

With reference to its previous direct requests, the Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in its report and the attached documents.

1. The Committee notes with interest that, according to the report, the Government is aware of the need to amend section 5(2) of the Wages (General) Order of 1965, on which is based section 3(b) of the Agreed Practices on Wages and Terms and Conditions of Employment (Tobacco and Tea Members) of 1985, providing that an adult female who is employed to complete a task which is less than that of the task given to an adult male shall be paid in proportion. The Committee hopes that the Government will be in a position to indicate in its next report the measures which have been taken to abolish the reference to women workers in the provisions of the Wages (General) Order on which the Agreed Practices are based, and as a consequence to amend the above Practices when they are next revised.

2. The Committee notes the information concerning the structure of wages in two private enterprises. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue to supply this type of information (including the wage rates established by collective agreements) for enterprises or sectors in which a large number of women workers are employed, with an indication of the percentage of women covered by these agreements and the distribution of men and women employed at different levels. The Committee also requests the Government to supply in its next report: (i) the salary scales applicable in the public service, with an indication of the percentage of men and women employed at different levels; (ii) statistical data concerning the minimum wage rates and average actual earnings of men and of women broken down, if possible, by occupation, branch of activity, seniority and level of qualification, as well as information on the corresponding percentage of women.

3. The Committee notes that the National Committee on Women in Development has identified the need for a study on the contribution of women to formal employment, with the prime aim of enhancing the proportion of women in formal employment and the application in practice of the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value for all workers regardless of sex. The Committee requests the Government to supply information in its next report on the progress achieved in carrying out this study.

4. With regard to the role of labour inspection in supervising the application of the principle of equal remuneration referred to by the Government, the Committee notes that the Government's last report on the Labour Inspection Convention (No. 81) makes no reference to the application of the principle of equal remuneration. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply detailed information in its next report on the supervision carried out by labour inspectors in this respect, the results obtained and the measures taken to remedy cases in which the principle is not observed.

5. The Committee would also be grateful if the Government would supply with its next report the standard letter issued by the Ministry of Labour, as the supervisory body, which is referred to as being attached to the report, but which has not been received.