Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

The Committee notes the information supplied in the Government's report, which refers only to the application of Articles 1 and 3 of the Convention.

1. Article 1 of the Convention. The Committee notes with interest the Government's indication according to which the Trade Toxic Agents Act contains a list of toxic agents permitting their trade on the domestic market, and since white lead and sulphate of lead are not on the list, their use is not allowed. The Committee would request the Government to indicate whether white lead and sulphate of lead is prohibited in general.

2. Article 3. The Committee further notes the information provided by the Government with respect to the painting work of an industrial character which is considered as work under special working conditions. Therefore it is prohibited to employ young persons under the age of 18 to perform this kind of work. The Committee requests the Government to indicate if this prohibition is established by law and, in the case of an affirmative answer, the Government is requested to provide a copy of the authentic legal text for further examination. In addition, the Committee would point out that, in accordance with Article 3 of the Convention, also the performance of painting work of an industrial character by female workers should be prohibited. The Government is therefore requested to indicate measures taken or envisaged to give full effect to this Article of the Convention.

3. Furthermore, the Committee trusts that the Government will take the necessary steps in the near future, in consultation with the employers' and workers' organizations concerned, as called for in Articles 1 and 3 of the Convention, to ensure that full effect is given to the following provisions of the Convention: Article 1 (prohibition of the use of white lead and sulphate of lead in internal painting of buildings); Article 2 (regulation of the use of white lead in artistic painting); Article 5 (regulation of the use of white lead in painting operations for which its use is not prohibited); and Article 7 (establishment of statistics of morbidity and mortality due to lead poisoning).

The Committee would request the Government to communicate information on progress made in this respect.