CMNT_TITLE

The Committee notes with regret that for the third consecutive time the Government’s report has not been received. It must therefore repeat its previous observation which read as follows:

        1. Article 8 of the Convention. The Committee notes with interest the Government’s statement that in 1992 the National Social Security Fund together with the National Occupational Medicine Service revised the list of occupational diseases, increasing it from 13 to 29 items, thus aligning it with the list appended to Schedule 1 of the Convention, as amended in 1980. The Committee asks the Government to provide a copy of the list, indicating whether it is now in force.

        2. Article 15(1). In answer to the Committee’s previous comments, the Government indicates that, in accordance with the provisions of section 111 of the Social Security Code, periodical payments for employment injury are converted into a lump sum when the permanent incapacity is at most equal to 10 per cent. The Committee recalls, however, that its comments concerned the possibility of converting the benefit granted in the event of employment injury in the circumstances provided for in sections 114 (conversion after expiry of a five-year period) and 115 of the Social Security Code (conversion into a lump sum of part of the periodical payment at the request of the person concerned). The Committee again expresses the hope that the necessary measures will be taken to ensure that in all these cases periodical payments may be converted into a lump sum only in exceptional cases and with the consent of the victim where the competent authority has reason to believe that the lump sum will be utilized in a manner which is particularly advantageous for the injured person.

        3. Articles 19 and 20. The Committee notes the Government’s reply. It notes however that the Government’s report does not contain the statistical information requested which the Committee needs so that it can determine whether the amount of benefits paid in the event of temporary incapacity, permanent incapacity and death of the breadwinner, reaches the level prescribed by the Convention. In these circumstances the Committee once again asks the Government to indicate whether it avails itself of Article 19 or of Article 20 of the Convention in establishing that the percentages required by Schedule 2 of this instrument have been reached, and to provide the statistical information required by the report form adopted by the Governing Body under Article 19 or 20, depending on the Government’s choice.

        4. Article 21. In answer to the Committee’s comments, the Government states that it has increased the benefits so as to ensure better coverage for victims of occupational accidents; furthermore, studies are under way with a view to a further increase in order to take fuller account of the economic context. The Committee notes this information. In view of the importance it attaches to this provision of the Convention which establishes that the rates of employment injury benefits must be reviewed to take account of trends in the cost of living and the general level of earnings, the Committee hopes that the Government’s next report will contain information on the amount of the increases already established and that it will not fail to provide all the statistics required by the report form under this Article of the Convention.

        5. Article 22(2). The Committee once again expresses the hope that the Government will be able to take the necessary measures to ensure that, in all cases where employment injury benefits are suspended and particularly in the cases provided for in sections 121 and 129 of the Social Security Code, part of these benefits will be paid to the dependants of the person concerned in accordance with the provisions of this Article of the Convention.

        6. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the provisions of the Conditions of Service of the Public Service give public servants and their families full satisfaction as regards social coverage. It once again asks the Government to provide the text of the provisions of the above Conditions of Service dealing with compensation for employment injury with its next report.

        7. Lastly, the Committee asks the Government in its future reports to provide information on any progress made in the revision of the Social Security Code, to which the Government referred previously.

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the very near future.