The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) today (5 October 2001) hosted a conference entitled "Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value: International Best Practises." The gathering at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre attracted many participants from different sectors of the community.


In her welcoming remarks, Ms. Anna WU, Chairperson of EOC, said that the conference was organized to examine how the concept of "Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value" has been practiced in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. "The EOC is committed to the principle of "equal pay for work of equal value," said Ms. WU, "and we are working hard to understand how it may be best implemented in Hong Kong in a progressive way."


This seminar is organized by the EOC as part of the long-term study on equal pay for work of equal value under special funding from government. The speakers have presented experiences from other parts of the world. These experiences would help us to identify the technical support, impact and any cost implications relating to the progressive implementation of equal pay for work of equal value in Hong Kong.


Speakers at the conference included Ms. Carole CAMERON (a Canadian specialist in job evaluations), Ms. Louise E. CAMPBELL (Vice President of Human Resources at J.P. Morgan Australia Ltd.), and Ms. Susan HASTINGS (a British expert on grading and pay structures).


The conference's first panel focused on the implementation of "equal pay for work of equal value" in the private sector. Ms. HASTINGS described Equal Pay legislation in the United Kingdom and provided some case studies of private firms that have voluntarily adopted pay equity programs. Ms. CAMPBELL discussed the 'glass ceiling' phenomenon in Australia and talked about the implementation of "equal pay for work of equal value" in the Australian banking sector.


Speakers on the second panel discussed "equal pay for work of equal value" in the public sector. Ms. HASTINGS spoke on pay modernization in the National Health Service in the United Kingdom; while, Ms. CAMERON told the conference how pay has been equalized among government workers in Canada.


This gathering marked the second conference organized by the EOC on the concept of "Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value." The pay equity study being currently conducted by the EOC involved an analysis of pay and personnel data from civil service and hospital authority jobs.

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