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The Committee notes the Government’s report and the annual inspection report for 2000. It requests the Government to provide additional information on the following points.

Articles 3, 10 and 16 of the Convention. The Committee notes that the staff of the inspection services fell for the first time between 1998 and 2000 from 701 to 670. According to the annual inspection report for 2000, this reduction is to be explained by a better geographical distribution of inspection activities. However, the staff reached 700 persons in 2001. The Committee also notes that in 2001 emphasis was placed in particular on inspections in the field of occupational safety and health, which almost doubled in relation to 1998, while inspections targeting self-employed workers were reduced by around two-thirds over the same period. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information on the nature and purpose of inspections of self-employed persons, and the reasons for their substantial decrease during the period under consideration.

Article 4. The Committee notes that as from 2000, the former National Directorate of Labour Inspection and Protection has been divided into two distinct structures: the National Bureau of Labour Inspection (ONIT), responsible for labour inspection duties and reporting directly to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, with offices in all the provinces, and the National Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Policy. Noting that this restructuring was to result in a revision of the legislation that is in force, the Committee requests the Government to provide copies of any relevant text, as it has undertaken to do.

Article 7. The Committee notes with interest that the staff of the labour inspectorate receive training during 20 per cent of their working time in such fields as human resources management, occupational safety and health and informatics. It also notes the desire of the ONIT for the ILO to continue providing technical support, particularly for the training of inspection personnel. The Committee hopes that the Government will take this wish duly into account and that it will not fail to take the necessary steps for this purpose and to avail itself of international cooperation where necessary.

Article 18. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee notes that, according to the Government, the financial penalties applicable to self-employed workers for violations of the legal provisions, and the procedure for their revision, are appropriate in view of the economic situation of this category of workers. The Government is requested to provide information on the procedure for adjusting the amount of these penalties, and a copy of Legislative Decree No. 166 of 1996 respecting the fines which may be imposed on persons responsible for violations of the legislation in private sector enterprises.

Article 20. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee notes that the annual reports on the activities of the inspection services are broadly disseminated and that the media have published many analyses based on these reports. The Government is requested to provide copies of these documents.

Article 21(g). The Committee notes that the annual inspection report for 2001 shows a general decrease of 9.7 per cent in cases of occupational disease in relation to 2000. However, noting a substantial increase in the number of cases of certain occupational diseases over the same period which, according to the report, can be explained by negligence in wearing personal protective equipment provided free of charge to workers, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures which have been taken or are envisaged to encourage workers to be more aware of the need to take responsibility in this respect.