Demande directe (CEACR) - adoptée 1999, publiée 88ème session CIT (2000)

With reference also to its observation under the Convention, and noting the body of information transmitted on the development of the application of the Convention, the Committee requests the Government to supply additional details on the following points.

1. Statistics of establishments liable to inspection and the number of workers employed therein. The Committee takes notes of the information concerning the subjects covered by the Convention and its presentation according to public or private sector, in particular concerning the distribution of the workers concerned, the statistics of inspected establishments as well as the number and distribution of workers covered by the inspection visits. The Committee wishes to draw the Government's attention to the need also for overall statistics of establishments liable to labour inspection as well as on the number of workers employed therein. This information can yield a fuller appreciation of the degree to which the Convention is applied in the light of needs. Consequently, the Committee requests the Government to take appropriate measures so that in future this information will also be provided, in compliance with Article 21(c) of the Convention.

2. Special duties assigned to men and women inspectors. The Committee notes a reduction in the number of women on the labour inspection staff over the last three years, in particular at the higher levels of the labour inspection. There are effectively no longer any posts as regional or divisional inspectors filled by women, and of the ten women principal inspectors working in 1996, only nine remain. Noting further that in 1995, the budget covered 1,021 labour inspection posts, and that in 1998, only 971 posts were filled, a drop of 50 posts, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate whether this difference is due to budgetary restrictions or, if not, to supply information on the reasons for the difficulties in filling the required posts and the manner in which effect is given to Article 8, which provides, where necessary, that special duties may be assigned to men and women inspectors.

Prevention of occupational diseases. Noting the statistics of occupational diseases and referring to those provided with an earlier report, the Committee observes a substantial, progressive reduction in cases of occupational diseases recorded between 1995 and 1998 (629 and 249 cases respectively). With reference to an earlier Government report listing research into the causes of cases of occupational diseases detected in certain occupations, and the means of preventing them, as a priority activity on the labour inspectors' programme, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply information on measures implemented since 1994 in this regard, together with all other information allowing an understanding of the development of statistics of occupational diseases.