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Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Philippines (RATIFICATION: 1953)

1. Parts III and V of the report form. Inspection services and statistics. With reference to its previous comments concerning the new Statistical Performance and Reporting System (SPRS) to determine violations of standards effecting women workers, the Committee notes from the inspections conducted based on SPRS that about 177 establishments were reported for non-compliance with general labour standards and other policies affecting women workers, including the non-payment or underpayment of maternity benefits. The Committee welcomes this information and encourages the Government to continue to report on the number of establishments inspected and detected violations of section 135(a) of the Labour Code concerning equal pay.

2. Article 2 of the Convention. Promotion of the principle of the Convention. The Committee notes the measures taken by the Government to implement the recommendations proposed in the study named "Discrimination in the workplace in metro Manila" to promote women into higher paying jobs not traditionally held by women. It notes in particular, the "free-quality training" offered by the Womens’ Centre of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the scholarships, awards and grants in science and technology offered by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the impact of these measures as well as any other steps taken or contemplated to promote women into higher paying jobs, including information on the number of women having participated in the training or having received grants or scholarships and who have consequently entered into higher paying jobs.

3. Article 2. Wage determination in collective agreements. With regard to the application of the Wage Rationalization Act (No. 6727 of 1989), the Committee notes the Government’s statement that the wages orders issued pursuant to the Act apply to all workers regardless of sex. It asks the Government to provide in its next report copies of wages orders adopted for sectors or industries with an indication of the numbers of men and women employed in these sectors or industries. The Committee would also appreciate receiving copies of recent collective agreements, including information on the criteria and methods used by workers’ and employers’ organizations to determine classifications of jobs and their corresponding wage scales without discrimination based on sex as well as information on the numbers of men and women covered by the agreement and their distribution in the different wage levels.

4. Article 3. Objective job evaluation. For a number of years, the Committee has been asking the Government to provide information on any methods available aimed at an objective evaluation of jobs in accordance with Article 3(1) of the Convention. In this regard, the Committee had noted from the Government’s report of 1999 that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) was developing appropriate methods to promote an objective appraisal of jobs on the basis of the work to be performed. As no information has been received yet, the Committee reminds the Government that, when the value of different jobs has to be compared, it is important to have methods and a procedure which are easy to use and accessible and which ensure that sex is not taken directly or indirectly, into consideration as a criterion for comparison. The Committee urges the Government to take measures to this end and to provide information on any initiatives taken by workers’ and employer’s organizations to determine wages on the basis of an objective evaluation of jobs.

5. The Committee reiterates it request for information on the measures taken or envisaged by the Inter-Agency Task Force of Strategic Planning relating to the application of the Convention.