Above: Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas (UN Photo/Evan Schneider)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The administration of St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas has sent legislation to the National Assembly to ensure equal pay for men and women in the workplace.

The law would make it an offence if an employer or his or her agent does not comply with the law.

The Equal Pay Bill 2012, introduced by Deputy Prime Minister Sam Condor last month, makes a provision for the removal and prevention of discrimination based on the gender of the employee in paid employment, and to provide for related or incidental matters.

The bill defines equal pay as a rate or scale of remuneration for work in which there is no element of differentiation between male and female employees.

The bill includes several other provisions, including one that would empower a court to order the payment of arrears of remuneration against an employer who is convicted of such an offence.

Another clause in the bill prevents employers from entering into contracts aimed at avoiding the law.