Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2010, published 100th ILC session (2011)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Seychelles (Ratification: 1999)

Legislation. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that in the context of the review of the National Employment Act, the National Tripartite Committee will give consideration to including the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value and to defining remuneration as set out in Article 1(a) of the Convention. The Committee asks the Government to provide specific information on the progress achieved in reviewing the National Employment Act, and in ensuring that full legislative expression is given to the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value, including defining remuneration to include all the elements set out in Article 1(a) of the Convention.

Article 2. Application of the principle. The Committee notes from the Government’s report that the remuneration system in the public sector is managed by the Department of Public Administration (DPA), which recently revised the salary grid structure. The Committee also notes the Government’s indication that remuneration in the private sector is left to the market and should not be set below the minimum wage. The Committee asks the Government to indicate the methodology used by the DPA when determining wage rates, and how it takes into account the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value, and ensures that the criteria used are free from gender bias. The Committee again asks the Government to provide information on steps taken to promote the application in practice of the principle of the Convention in the private sector.

Minimum wages. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that a national minimum wage has been introduced in the public and the private sectors. It also notes that the minimum wage became applicable to non-Seychellois workers in July 2010. The Committee notes that, pursuant to section 6 of the Employment (National Minimum Wage) Regulations 2007, the Minister of Employment and Human Resources may “exempt any worker or category of workers” from the application of the national minimum wage “subject to such conditions as the Minister may think fit”. The Committee asks the Government to provide specific information on the workers and category of workers exempted from the application of the national minimum wage, including specifying the number of women and men in such categories. Noting that the Minimum Wage Regulations were not included with the Government’s report, the Committee asks the Government to provide copies thereof.

Statistical information. The Committee notes that the Ministry of Labour has recommended that the National Bureau of Statistics gather sex-disaggregated data on the earnings of men and women, by occupation, sector and industry, in the context of the next surveys on employment and earnings. The Committee hopes that the Government will be in a position to provide the fullest possible statistical information disaggregated by sex in its next report, and asks the Government to provide information of progress achieved in this regard.