Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Kiribati (Ratification: 2009)

Article 2(2) (b) of the Convention. Wage Policy. Minimum wage. In reply to the Committee’s previous request, the Government indicates in its report that it cannot provide sex-disaggregated data on the impact of the new minimum wage on the gender pay gap because the Household Income and Expenditure Survey lack the necessary detail, and reliable data would require a dedicated Labour Force Survey. The Government reports however that, with ILO support, it developed a draft Minimum Wage Policy in 2023, which is currently under review by stakeholders, and that the country took part in a regional wage study. Both initiatives are intended to help the Decent Work Advisory Board apply gender-sensitive analysis and the principle of equal remuneration for work of equal value when determining or revising the minimum wage. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the adoption of the Minimum Wage Policy and the findings of the regional wage study regarding the gender pay gap. It also encourages the Government to collect sex-disaggregated data on the percentage of men and women receiving the minimum wage and their distribution across economic sectors and occupations.

Article 3. Objective job evaluation. Private and public sectors. The Government reports that Phase 2 of the public sector Job Evaluation Exercise has been completed and a revised salary grading structure submitted to the Cabinet. The Government has asked an inter-ministerial Human Resources (HR) network to further review the proposal to ensure alignment with objective job evaluation methods. In the private sector, noting that most enterprises do not have standardized HR structures or evaluation practices, the Ministry of Employment and Human Resources has begun consultations with the Kiribati Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) to develop objective job evaluation systems. The Government is seeking ILO support and the KCCI is expected to lead capacity-building workshops to provide practical training for private sector employers. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the revised public sector salary grading structure, including how job relativities have changed across occupational groups, particularly those with a high proportion of women.

Article 4. Cooperation with social partners. The Committee notes the Government’s explanation that Part VI of the Employment and Industrial Relations Code (EIRC) – which requires collective agreements to include an equal remuneration clause – has not yet been implemented because the Kiribati Trade Union Congress (KTUC) needs further capacity-building. The Government also reports that the Kiribati Overseas Seafarers Union has concluded a collective agreement with remuneration provisions, though it mainly covers male workers. It reiterates its commitment to implement Part VI of the EIRC once the necessary training is completed. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on efforts to strengthen the capacity of social partners to apply the Convention’s principle and to promote its inclusion in collective agreements. It also requests that the Government take proactive steps, in cooperation with workers’ and employers’ organizations, to develop technical tools such as codes of practice, guidelines or regulatory measures promoting the objective of the Convention.

Statistics. The Government reports that the National Statistics Office (NSO) collects sex-disaggregated labour market and wage data through the Household Income and Expenditure Survey and the Census, including information on women’s and men’s participation and average earnings by sector, economic activity, and occupation. The Government also indicates that the NSO plans to conduct a Labour Force Survey, subject to funding, to provide more detailed and up-to-date labour market data. The Committee requests the Government to submit sex-disaggregated information on labour market participation and earnings using the data already available from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey and the Census.

Awareness-raising and enforcement. The Committee notes that the Government has produced EIRC pamphlets and carried out outreach on 18 islands, acknowledging that gender pay gaps are most pronounced in the outer islands. Training has also been provided to labour inspectors and other stakeholders to strengthen enforcement. No complaints, violations, or fines were reported during the period under review. The Committee therefore requests the Government: (i) to reinforce efforts to build the capacity of labour inspectors and other authorities to detect and address issues related to equal remuneration for work of equal value, and to continue raising public awareness of relevant rights and remedies; and (ii) to report any cases of violation of the principle of the Conventions detected by, or brought to the attention of, the labour inspectors or any other competent authorities, indicating the nature of the case, any sanctions imposed and the remedies provided.