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Article 5 of the Convention and Part V of the report form. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government concerning the composition and functioning of the Higher Labour Council. It also notes the information supplied by the Government on the basic elements which are used to determine the minimum guaranteed interoccupational wage, such as the living wage, economic conditions and their impact on the income of workers. The Committee notes that copies of collective agreements which can provide information on wage negotiations in the different branches of activity have not been received. It therefore requests the Government to supply copies of the collective agreements fixing the minimum wage in different branches of activity. Furthermore, the Committee again requests the Government to provide further information on the practical application of the Convention and it hopes that the Government will be in a position, at the time of its next report, to supply statistics concerning the number of workers subject to the regulations on minimum wage rates, and also extracts of reports from the inspection services concerning the monitoring of the practical application of the Convention.

The Committee’s understanding is that the minimum wage has been officially approved and currently corresponds to CFA francs 28,460 (US$60) per month. It also understands that this minimum wage is now fixed uniformly for all sectors and replaces the different amounts previously fixed for the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would send a copy of the latest decree fixing the minimum wage at its current level and also more detailed information on the consultations held in this regard within the Higher Labour Council.

Finally, the Committee takes this opportunity to draw the Government’s attention to the conclusions adopted by the ILO Governing Body on the basis of the recommendations of the Working Party on Policy regarding the Revision of Standards (GB.283/LILS/WP/PRS/1/2, paragraphs 19 and 40). The Governing Body considered that Convention No. 26 was one of the instruments which were no longer up to date, even though they were still relevant in certain regards. The Committee therefore suggests that the Government examine the possibility of ratifying the Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, 1970 (No. 131), which represents a degree of progress in comparison with previous instruments concerning the fixing of a minimum wage, for example by providing for a wider scope, the setting-up of a general minimum wage system and, finally, the adoption of certain criteria for determining minimum wage levels. The Committee requests the Government to keep the Office informed of any decision taken or contemplated in this regard.