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The Committee previously noted the observations made by the Democratic Organization of African Workers’ Trade Union (DOAWTU) concerning the delay of wage payment to workers in the public and semi-public sector for the last six years. In its reply, the Government states that the failure to ensure the regular payment of wages is not a deliberate act but one of the many consequences of the three rebellions in 1996 and 1997 which crippled the national economy. It adds that the problem of arrears in wage payment will be addressed as a matter of priority. The Government’s communication, however, does not respond to the Committee’s request for detailed information on the practical application of Article 12(1) of the Convention, including a particular reference to the situation in the public and semi-public sectors. The Government simply refers to section 105 of the Labour Code. However, recalling that in the absence of documented information it is difficult for the Committee to evaluate the effective application of section 105 in implementation of Article 12 of the Convention, the Committee requests the Government to provide full and up-to-date information on: (i) the actual size of outstanding debts due to wage-earners (number of workers affected, length of the delay in payment and total amount of sums owed, number and nature of establishments concerned); (ii) the concrete measures taken to improve the present situation, including measures to ensure effective supervision, strict application of penalties, and adequate compensation of workers’ loss from the delayed payments; and (iii) the results obtained.

The Committee is also addressing a request directly to the Government.

[The Government is asked to report in detail in 2002.]