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The Committee notes the Government’s reports received in 1997 and 1999 in reply to its previous comments, as well as the information contained in the annual reports of the Department of Labour for 1996 and 1998 concerning certain of the activities of the labour inspection services. It wishes to draw the Government’s attention to and request it to provide additional information on the following points.

Articles 20 and 21 of the Convention.  The Committee notes that the 1998 annual report transmitted to the ILO in November 1999 concerns the mission and functions of the Department of Labour. It reminds the Government that the annual report, the preparation, publication and transmission to the ILO of which are required by Article 20 of the Convention, should cover the work of the inspection services under the control of the central inspection authority and should contain information on each of the subjects enumerated in Article 21. The Committee requests the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that such a report is published regularly and that a copy is transmitted to the ILO within the time limits set out in Article 20.

Article 8.  In relation to this provision, the Government indicates the absence of discrimination against women. However, the Committee notes that it also refers to the low level of salaries as an obstacle to the recruitment of inspectors. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate the proportion of women, their position in the hierarchy of the labour inspection staff and the salary scale of the public service.

Article 10.  The Committee notes that the staff of the Department of Labour is composed of a chief labour officer, assisted by an assistant chief labour officer, two senior labour officers and 13 labour officers, and that these numbers are inadequate in relation to needs. The Government states that, to resolve the low level of the salaries of labour inspectors, a supplementary sum is paid to them for three years following their recruitment. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate, firstly, whether all the above officers form part of the staff of the labour inspection services and, if not, the exact numbers of the staff of the labour inspectorate and, secondly, if it would specify the manner in which the maintenance of labour inspectors in their jobs is ensured after the payment of the salary supplement comes to an end three years after their recruitment.

Article 11.  The Committee notes that, according to the Government, travelling and incidental expenses are reimbursed to officers who do not possess their own means of transportation and it would be grateful if the Government would indicate the manner in which inspectors who make use of their own vehicles for professional travel are reimbursed the expenses which they occasion and if it would supply copies of the legal texts governing the cases and procedures for the reimbursement of the expenditure incurred in both cases, as well as the texts requiring the use by labour inspectors of public transport for their professional travel.

Article 16.  The Committee notes that the statistical data provided on the inspections undertaken between 1993 and 1998 concerns all economic sectors and does not allow an assessment to be made of the extent to which the Convention is applied. Such an assessment is only possible if figures are available on the number of workplaces liable to inspection and the number of workers employed therein. This information should be provided separately for the industrial workplaces covered by the Convention and should include information concerning the frequency of inspections, the nature of inspections (regular, as a result of complaints or campaigns, following formal notice), with a view to demonstrating the manner in which effect is given to this provision, which states that workplaces shall be inspected as often and as thoroughly as is necessary to ensure the effective application of the legal provisions which come under the supervision of the labour inspection services. The Government is therefore requested to indicate the measures which have been taken with a view to the application of this provision.