Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2012, published 102nd ILC session (2013)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Singapore (Ratification: 2002)

Assessment of the gender wage gap. The Committee notes the statistics provided by the Government indicating that in 2009 the median gross monthly income of full-time employed women was 91.9 per cent of that of men (compared to 83.5 per cent in 2000). Women aged between 25 to 29 years earned a higher median gross monthly wage than men in sales and services jobs, managerial posts, and as professionals. Nonetheless, statistical data for June 2010 on median monthly gross wages for full-time employed residents in the private sector covering all age groups show a gender wage gap of 17.42 per cent. The gender wage gap continues to be narrowest for clerical support workers (3.53 per cent), professionals (7.56 per cent) and service and sales workers (8.11 per cent), but remains very wide for plants and machine operators and assemblers (39.58 per cent), followed by craftsmen and related trade workers (35.57 per cent), cleaners, labourers and related workers (28.07 per cent) and agricultural and fishery workers (20.06 per cent). The gender wage gap for managers and associate professional workers and technicians is 17.63 per cent and 10.35 per cent respectively. The Government indicates that the gender wage gap is mainly due to a tendency in the past for women to leave the workforce to take up family and household responsibilities, which has resulted in lower average wages for women. The Committee notes in this regard the initiatives such as the “Back2Work with U” Programme, the “Step Out for Change” Programme, the “Work–life Works!” Fund and “Flexi-Works!” aimed at assisting working parents and particularly women to remain in or to re-enter the workforce. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide detailed statistics on the gender wage gap in the private and public sectors, and information on initiatives to assist women to enter, remain in or re-enter the workforce, including in higher paid occupations. Recalling the Government’s previous indication that the wide gender wage gap in some occupational groups could be due to the fact that women are frequently employed in jobs which are typically lower paid than male dominated jobs, the Committee reiterates its request for information on the measures taken or envisaged to ensure that remuneration in occupations in which women are concentrated is not set at a lower rate than for occupations in which men are concentrated which involve work of equal value.

Article 2 of the Convention. Measures to promote the principle of the Convention. The Committee notes that as of April 2011, more than 1,650 employers signed the Employer’s Pledge of Fair Employment Practices, and that the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) continues to provide advisory services to companies and raise public awareness on fair employment practices. The Committee asks the Government to specify how the application of the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value is being promoted in the context of the above initiatives on fair employment practices, and the results achieved.

Collective agreements. The Committee notes that, as of June 2011, 26 per cent of collective agreements included a clause on equal remuneration for work of equal value (compared to 7 per cent in 2008). The Committee welcomes the progress made in this regard and asks the Government to continue to provide information on the inclusion of equal remuneration clauses in collective agreements. It also asks the Government to provide information on the manner in which the effective application in practice of such clauses is being ensured in wage setting in enterprises covered by the agreements concerned. Please also indicate whether any disputes regarding the application of such equal remuneration clauses have arisen, and how they have been addressed.

Article 3. Objective job evaluation. The Committee notes the information on the initiatives by TAFEP to promote fair and objective recruitment practices, but draws the attention of the Government to the fact that Article 3 of the Convention presupposes the use of appropriate techniques for objective job evaluation to determine value, comparing factors such as skill, effort, responsibilities and working conditions. As the implementation of job evaluation exercises has been shown to have a measurable impact on gender pay differentials, and in light of the persistent gender pay gap, the Committee asks the Government to give greater attention to developing and promoting objective job evaluation methods in the public and private sectors, and to indicate any measures taken in this regard, including by TAFEP.

Enforcement. The Committee notes that workers can approach TAFEP on cases of alleged discrimination, including regarding remuneration, and that according to the Government, advice given by TAFEP with respect to such complaints is generally followed by employers. It notes the general information provided by the Government that a Grievance Handling Handbook has been available since January 2011 and that fair employment grievance handling workshops have been organized for employers. The Committee asks the Government to provide concrete information on how the right to equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value, and violations of this right, have been addressed in the context of these initiatives, and on any measures, including awareness raising and guidance, addressing workers and their representatives. Please provide specific information on the nature, number and outcome of complaints submitted by workers to TAFEP regarding equal remuneration.