Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2019, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Trinidad and Tobago (Ratification: 1970)

Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention. Discrimination based on sex. In a comment adopted in 2015 and repeated in 2017 and 2018, the Committee recalled that for many years, it had been expressing concern about the discriminatory nature of several provisions concerning married female police officers. It noted the Government’s indication that Regulation 52 of the Police Commission Regulations, which provides that the appointment of a married female police officer may be terminated on the ground that her family obligations are affecting the efficient performance of her duties, would be put before the Police Service Commission for consideration. The Committee also recalled the potentially discriminatory impact of section 14(2) of the Civil Service Regulations which requires a female officer who marries to report the fact of her marriage to the Public Service Commission. The Committee requested the Government to take the necessary steps to revoke Regulation 52 of the Police Commission Regulations and to provide information on the measures taken to amend section 14(2) of the Civil Service Regulations to eliminate any potentially discriminatory impact. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the request for the revocation of Regulation 52 was submitted to the Police Service Commission and is still ongoing, and that information on the amendment of section 14(2) of the Civil Service Regulations would be transmitted in a subsequent report. The Committee notes with deep concern that very little progress seems to have been made with regard to these long-standing issues. In view of the above, the Committee is bound to ask, once again, that the Government revoke Regulation 52 of the Police Commission Regulations without further delay and to amend section 14(2) of the Civil Service Regulations in order to eliminate any potentially discriminatory impact, for example by requiring notification of name changes for both men and women.

The Committee is raising other points in a request addressed directly to the Government.