Observation (CEACR) - adoptée 1995, publiée 82ème session CIT (1995)

1. The Committee notes with satisfaction that helping to prevent and eliminate discrimination on the basis of race, colour, sex, sexual preference, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, family responsibilities, pregnancy, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin, is now included as one of the objects of the industrial relations legislation for the prevention and settlement of industrial disputes (section 3(g) of the Industrial Relations Act, 1988, as amended by the Industrial Relations Reform Act, 1993). In addition, the Committee notes that Division 2 (Equal Remuneration for Work of Equal Value) of Part VI A of the Industrial Relations Act, as amended by the 1993 Reform Act, provides that the object of the Division is to give effect to or further the effect of certain anti-discrimination Conventions, including ILO Conventions Nos. 100 and 111 (section 93A of the Act obliges the Industrial Relations Commission to take account of the principles embodied in Convention No. 156). The texts of these ILO Conventions and their accompanying Recommendations are set out in the schedule to the Act (apart from the text of Convention No. 111 which, as the Industrial Relations Act notes, was already included in the schedule to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Act, 1986).

2. The Committee also notes with interest that a National Advisory Committee, comprising high-level representatives of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, the federal and state governments, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and various community and interest groups, was established by the federal Attorney-General in 1993 to advise the Commission on the performance of its functions in relation to equality in employment and to advise the Attorney-General, as requested, on the action that should be taken to comply with the Convention.

3. The Committee is addressing a request directly to the Government on other points.