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Marshall Islands - Compensation & Benefit Legislation

CAPITAL

Majuro

 

CLIMATE

Wet season from May to November; also hot and humid; the islands border a typhoon belt.

 

LANGUAGES

English (universally spoken and is the official language), two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family, and Japanese.

 

LEGAL SYSTEM

The Marshall Islands’ legal system is based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws.

 

CURRENCY

United States Dollar (USD)

 

MARSHALL ISLANDS - COST-OF-LIVING

ERI's Relocation Assessor is a recommended source for cost-of-living data.

 

MARSHALL ISLANDS - EMBASSY/CONSULATES

U.S. Embassy at Majuro

Oceanside Mejen Weto

Long Island, Majuro

Republic of the Marshall Islands

P.O. Box 1379

Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-1379

Telephone: (692) 247-4011

Fax: (692) 247-4012

Email: publicmajuro@state.gov

http://usembassy.state.gov/majuro/

 

Embassy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands at Washington D.C.

2433 Massachusetts Avenue N.W.

Washington D.C. 20008

Telephone: (202) 234-5414

Fax: (202) 232-3236

Email: info@rmiembassyus.org

http://www.rmiembassyus.org

 

MARSHALL ISLANDS - HOLIDAYS

 

MARSHALL ISLANDS - MINIMUM AGE

There is no law or regulation setting a minimum age for employment of children.

 

(Section 6.d. Acceptable Conditions of Work, Marshall Islands – Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S. Department of State.)

 

MARSHALL ISLANDS - MINIMUM REMUNERATION

The minimum wage for all government and private sector employees is $2.00 per hour.

 

(Section 6.e. Acceptable Conditions of Work, Marshall Islands – Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S. Department of State.)

 

MARSHALL ISLANDS - REMUNERATION

ERI's Geographic and Salary Assessors are recommended sources for international remuneration covering 189 countries.

 

MARSHALL ISLANDS - REPORT OF HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES (2001, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE)

Section 6 Worker Rights

 

a. The Right of Association

 

The Constitution provides for the right of free association in general, and the Government interprets this right as allowing the existence of labor unions, although none has been formed to date. The Constitution does not provide for the right to strike, and the Government has not addressed this issue.

 

There were no strikes during the year. In spite of the absence of legislation on strikes, during 1999 there were strikes at the government hospital and the government-owned airline. Although the Attorney General's Office indicated that some of the strikers apparently were in violation of national labor laws, there was no retaliation against any of the strikers.

 

b. The Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively

 

There is no legislation concerning collective bargaining or trade union organization. However, there are no impediments to the organization of trade unions or to collective bargaining. Wages in the cash economy are determined by market factors in accordance with the minimum wage and other laws.

 

There are no export processing zones.

 

c. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor

 

The Constitution prohibits involuntary servitude, and there is no evidence of its practice among citizens of the country. With the increasing presence of illegal aliens and the possibility that there is trafficking in persons, it is possible that forced or compulsory labor exists; however, there have been no specific reports of the problem.

 

During the year there were two separate reports of forced labor involving one Nepalese and one Sri Lankan citizen; one was a domestic worker and the other worked in a restaurant. The case of the restaurant worker was settled in a civil suit in January, and he returned to his home. The domestic worker's case was awaiting review by the Attorney General's Office at year's end; he continued to work in the country.

 

The law does not specifically prohibit forced and bonded labor by children; however, such practices are not known to occur.

 

d. Status of Child Labor Practices and Minimum Age for Employment

 

Children typically are not employed in the wage economy, but some assist their families in fishing, agriculture, and other small-scale domestic enterprises. There is no law or regulation setting a minimum age for employment of children. The Government has not ratified ILO Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labor.

 

The law does not prohibit specifically forced and bonded labor by children; however, such practices are not known to occur.

 

e. Acceptable Conditions of Work

 

A government-specified minimum wage is established by law, but it is not adequate to maintain a decent standard of living for a worker and family; however, in this subsistence economy, extended families are expected to help less fortunate members, and there are often several wage earners in each family. The minimum wage for all government and private sector employees is $2.00 per hour. The U.S. dollar is the national currency. The Ministry of Resources and Development oversees minimum wage regulations, and its oversight was regarded as adequate. Foreign employees and Marshallese trainees of private employers who have invested in or established a business in the country are exempt from minimum wage requirements. This exemption does not affect a significant segment of the workforce.

 

There is no legislation concerning maximum hours of work or occupational safety and health. On Sunday most businesses are closed, and persons generally refrain from working.

 

A government labor office makes recommendations to the Nitijela on working conditions, such as the minimum wage, legal working hours and overtime payments, and occupational health and safety standards in accordance with International Labor Organization conventions. The office periodically convenes board meetings that are open to the public. No legislation specifically gives workers the right to remove themselves from situations that endanger their health or safety without jeopardy to their continued employment, and no legislation protects workers who file complaints about such conditions.

 

Foreign workers are protected by the law in the same manner as citizens.

 

f. Trafficking in Persons

 

There are no specific laws concerning trafficking in persons; however, there is increasing suspicion that foreign-born Marshallese passport holders may be using the country as a staging point for trafficking. The Immigration Ministry, Attorney General's Office, the police, and religious communities all work on the problem. The eventual destination and fates of undocumented alien residents and prostitutes are unknown. There are no documented cases of nonresident aliens or prostitutes being trafficked to, from, or within the country during the year.

 

MARSHALL ISLANDS - SOCIAL SECURITY

Social Security Office of International Programs:

 

http://www.ssa.gov/SSA_Home.html

 

MARSHALL ISLANDS - STANDARD WORKWEEK

There is no legislation concerning maximum hours of work or occupational safety and health. On Sunday most businesses are closed, and persons generally refrain from working.

 

(Section 6.e. Acceptable Conditions of Work, Marshall Islands – Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S. Department of State.)