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The Committee notes that the Government's report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:

1. The Committee has for some years raised the discriminatory nature of provisions in several government regulations which provide that married female officers may have their employment terminated if family obligations affect efficient performance of duties (section 57 of the Public Service Commission Regulations; section 52 of the Police Service Commission Regulations; section 58 of the Statutory Authorities' Service Commission Regulations). The Committee has also raised the discriminatory nature of section 14(2) of the Civil Service Regulations, which provides that a female officer who marries must report the fact of her marriage to the Public Service Commission.

Noting from the Government's report that, in the context of the current review of the relevant pension laws, these provisions are receiving active consideration, the Committee again asks the Government to take measures to amend or repeal these provisions so as to ensure equality in employment between male and female officers in conformity with the Convention.

2. The Committee notes from the Government's report that initiatives have begun concerning development of legislation on equal opportunity with a view to its finalization. The Committee requests the Government to keep it informed of progress in the drafting and adoption of this legislative text, and would appreciate receiving a copy of it with the Government's next report.

The Committee trusts that the text will cover discrimination in both access to training, access to employment, and terms and conditions of employment, particularly since the Ombudsman's 16th Annual Report (for 1993, annexed to the Government's report) highlights the fact that "there has been an increase in the number of complaints received from daily paid employees alleging discrimination in selection for employment and promotion ...".

3. The Committee notes that the Centre for Ethnic Studies of the University of the West Indies completed a survey entitled "Ethnicity and employment practices" in the public and private sectors which was the subject of public discussions throughout 1994. From the copy of that study (provided with the Government's report) the Committee notes that 16 recommendations were made concerning the public sector, in particular the need for non-discriminatory recruitment practices in the public service in view of the study's findings concerning racial and ethnic discrimination. There were also eight recommendations for the private sector, commencing with the call for firms to "take immediate steps to draw up clearly written equal opportunity programmes relating to recruitment, training and promotion". The Committee would appreciate receiving information in the Government's next report on the status of these recommendations, in particular any reaction from the Public Service Commission in the current period of structural reform of the public service.