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The Committee notes the information contained in the Government’s report. It asks the Government to provide further information in its next report on the following points.

1. With respect to the determination of wages by collective bargaining and those fixed by employers at enterprise level, the Committee trusts that the Government will provide with its next report information on the methodology used for job evaluation exercises including the specific measures taken to reduce direct and indirect sex bias in the process. Please also supply further information on the tripartite Shops Wages Council, which is reported to fix wages for shop assistants, including the manner in which sex bias is avoided in the fixing of such wages.

2. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information on the activities of the Bureau of Gender Affairs, in particular on any activities carried out to help reduce the remuneration gap between men and women in the performance of jobs of equal value. The Committee further notes that the Bureau is still developing the national statement on gender and hopes it will refer to the importance of the application of the Convention.

3. The Committee notes from the 2001 labour force survey, attached to the Government’s report, that women’s participation in highly remunerated jobs continues to be about half that of men. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide statistical data on remuneration levels disaggregated by sex, and to report on the measures taken to promote and facilitate access by women to positions offering higher levels of remuneration.

4. Noting again that the Labour Department launched a survey in the plantation sector, the Committee reiterates its request for the results of this survey, including statistical data on the number and sex of workers employed in the various wage categories.

5. The Committee notes that the Labour Department has responsibility for enforcing the principle of the Convention, and that labour officers execute routine shop inspections on a daily basis. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate how the principle of equal pay for work of equal value is enforced and supervised in other places of employment.