Minimum Wage-Fixing Machinery Convention, 1928 (No. 26) - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (RATIFICATION: 1998)

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The Committee notes the information provided by the Government, which answers the points raised in its previous direct request and has no further matters to raise in this regard.

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Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Minimum wage fixing machinery. The Committee notes the Government’s indications that a new set of wages regulation orders were issued in 2008 setting out the minimum pay rates for seven different categories of workers, i.e. security, agriculture, domestic, hotels, industrial, workers in offices of professionals and shop assistants. The Government also indicates that minimum wages have now been fixed for 20 different categories of hotel workers (instead of 16 in 2003) and seven categories for office workers (instead of four in 2003). The Committee requests the Government to supply more detailed information on the consultation process followed by the wages councils, in particular as regards the investigations they make before submitting their proposals pursuant to section 10(4) of the Wages Councils Act, Cap. 155 and the criteria (social, economic or other) they take into account in revising minimum pay rates.

Article 5 and Part V of the report form. Practical application. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue to provide up-to-date information on the application of the Convention in practice, including for instance, the approximate number of workers covered by the Convention, statistics on the evolution of the minimum wages in recent years as compared to the evolution of economic indicators, such as the inflation rate, in the same period, inspection results showing the number of visits carried out, violations of the minimum wage legislation observed and sanctions imposed, and copies of official reports or studies addressing issues of minimum wage policy.

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Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Minimum wage fixing machinery. The Committee notes that wages regulation orders were last issued in 2003 setting minimum pay rates for certain categories of workers, such as domestic, agricultural, hotel, industrial and security workers, as well as shop assistants and workers in offices of professionals. It also notes the Government’s indication that steps were taken to appoint new Wages Councils with a view to recommending increases in the minimum wages and identify other categories of workers for consideration. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would communicate up to date information on the proceedings and recommendations made by these wages councils and transmit copies of any new wages regulation orders which may have been issued.

Article 5 and Part V of the report form. The Committee would appreciate if the Government would continue supplying all available information on the effect given to the Convention in practice, including, for instance, the minimum wage rates in force, the proportion of the workforce remunerated at the minimum pay rate, comparative statistics on the evolution of minimum wages and indicators such as the consumer price index in recent years, copies of collective agreements fixing minimum wages for specific sectors or branches of economic activity, inspection results showing the number of contraventions of the minimum wage legislation reported and sanctions imposed, copies of official documents or studies on minimum wage policy, etc.

Finally, the Committee wishes to draw the Government’s attention to the conclusions of the ILO Governing Body on the continued relevance of the Convention based on the recommendations of the Working Party on Policy regarding the Revision of Standards (GB.283/LILS/WP/PRS/1/2, paragraphs 19 and 40). In fact, the Governing Body has decided that Convention No. 26 is among those instruments which may no longer be fully up to date but remain relevant in certain respects. The Committee therefore suggests that the Government should consider the possibility of ratifying the Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, 1970 (No. 131) which marks certain advances compared to older instruments on minimum wage fixing, for instance, as regards its broader scope of application, the requirement for a comprehensive minimum wage system, and the enumeration of the criteria for the determination of minimum wage levels. The Committee requests the Government to keep the Office informed of any decision taken or envisaged in this regard.

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The Committee notes the Government’s report.

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that proposals are currently being drawn for fixing minimum wage rates for hotel workers, security personnel and workers in offices of professionals. The Committee requests the Government to keep it informed of any progress made in this respect and forward copies of the new wages regulation orders as soon as they are issued.

Article 5 and Part V of the report form. The Committee notes the statistical information concerning the number of workers covered by the wages regulation orders in force. It also notes the Government’s statement to the effect that the minimum wage rates fixed in 1989 in respect of industrial, domestic and agricultural workers and shop assistants are still operative. In this connection, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures taken or envisaged to ensure the periodic adjustment of those wages so as to maintain their purchasing power in the light of the evolution of indicators such as the inflation rate, productivity, or the consumer price index. Recalling that minimum wage fixing entails providing wage earners and their families with decent wage levels in keeping with the economic and social realities of a country, the Committee requests the Government to continue supplying all available information on the effect given to the Convention in practice.

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The Committee notes with interest the Government’s first report on the application of the Convention.

Article 5 of the Convention and Parts IV and V of the report form. While noting the statistical information provided by the Government as to the number of workers covered by the 1989 wages regulation orders, the Committee requests the Government to continue to supply all available information on the effect given to the Convention in practice, including, for instance, inspection reports indicating the number of infringements observed and sanctions imposed in matters related to statutory minimum remuneration. In addition, the Committee notes from the Government’s report that courts of law have given decisions involving questions of principle relating to the application of the Convention but that the text of those decisions is unavailable. The Committee would appreciate if the Government would make an effort to obtain and forward copies of those decisions in accordance with Part IV of the report form.