Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2002, published 91st ILC session (2003)

The Committee takes note of the Government’s report for the period ending on 30 June 2001, the documents sent in reply to its previous comments and the annual report of the labour inspectorate for 2000.

The Committee also notes the comments by the Latin American Confederation of Labour Inspectors (CIIT) sent on 20 May 2002, complementing those of 1999, stating that there has been no change in the situation and that Articles 1; 3, paragraphs 1(a) and 2; 4; 6; 7, paragraph 3; 10, 11, 14 and 16, of the Convention are not applied.

The Committee also notes that, in a communication received on 6 June 2002 by the Office, the Government refers to the serious economic and financial crisis which has given rise to internal and external insolvency and paralysis of all banking activity with implications for the labour market. The Committee refers in this connection to its previous comments and the information which the Government sent in reply, and would appreciate information on developments in the situation, particularly as regards the application of the abovementioned provisions of the Convention.

Labour inspection and child labour. The Committee notes with interest Annex IV to the Federal Labour Pact concerning the national action programme on child labour (Act No. 25.212 of 2000), and Decree No. 719 of 2000 setting up a national committee for the elimination of child labour which is responsible for the evaluation and coordination of efforts to prevent and eliminate child labour. The Committee notes that the abovementioned national action programme provides for the reinforcement of the labour inspectorate, inter alia, through the implementation of relevant training programmes, the establishment of interdisciplinary technical support teams for labour inspection, the formation of social networks allowing an immediate social response by the inspection services to every instance of child labour and the establishment of new machinery for detecting child labour. The Committee hopes that the Government will regularly send detailed information, including figures, of the results obtained by the strategy to combat child labour.

Regional and sectoral cooperation in labour inspection. With reference to its previous comments on joint labour inspection operations by MERCOSUR countries in the construction, manufacturing, food and electrical energy sectors, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the running of such operations in the country and the results obtained in the light of the objectives pursued.

Cooperation between government labour inspection services. The Committee notes that the supervision of occupational hygiene, health and safety conditions is carried out by the provincial labour administrations which may call on the inspectors of the Occupational Risks Supervising Authority to determine arrangements for supervision, training or technical assistance. Noting the information on the new comprehensive strategy developed by the occupational risk supervision service through the "Safe work for all" programme, the Committee asks the Government to indicate whether, and to what extent, labour inspectors who report to the Ministry of Labour are involved in the implementation of the above programme and to give particulars of the type of measures taken, particularly in the construction sector which, along with the agricultural sector, has been shown by studies to have the highest number of fatal accidents.