Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2000, published 89th ILC session (2001)

The Committee notes the Government’s report on the matters raised in its previous comment, and the information provided in reply to its general observation of 1999 concerning labour inspection in the field of child labour.

Article 11 of the Convention. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information on the cases in which duly qualified technical experts and specialists are invited to collaborate in the work of labour inspection in agriculture, and on the arrangements made for such collaboration.

Article 14. The Committee notes the information that inspection functions in agriculture are carried out in the same way as in other sectors by the same staff with a flexible distribution of work, although it is ensured that the additional functions assigned to inspectors working mainly in agricultural inspection do not prejudice the effectiveness of their principal functions. The Committee notes that, in the view of the Government, the structural situation in relation to occupational safety and health is in line with the requirements of the Convention, although in practice inspection is nevertheless restricted by the limited number of inspectors. With reference to the observation made by the Central Organization of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), the Government indicates that the problem of the inadequacy of human resources is felt particularly at the level of small enterprises and results in frequent violations of the provisions of collective agreements covering such issues as minimum wages, hours of work and rest periods. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate the measures which have been taken in practice or which are envisaged with a view to strengthening the resources of the inspection services to ensure the application of provisions respecting conditions of work and the protection of workers, including in small agricultural enterprises.

Labour inspection and child labour. The description provided by the Government of the legal system and the explanations of national practice show that child labour is only authorized in limited cases determined in relation to the requirements of the law determining the length of compulsory school. The Committee notes that supervision of the observance of the relevant legal provisions is carried out by the labour inspectorate in the general framework of each inspection and that inspections do not specifically target young workers, unless there are specific reasons for so doing. The Committee draws the Government’s attention to the risk factors of occupational accidents and diseases inherent in the agricultural environment and activities and, with reference to the above general observation, would be grateful if the Government would provide information on the measures which have been taken or are envisaged, on the one hand, to identify the above risk factors and protect the health and safety of young persons living or working on an occasional or permanent basis on farms and, on the other hand, to detect any cases which may occur of children being engaged in undeclared work in the agricultural sector or work which does not form part of the vocational training organized by the educational system.