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Article 26 of the Convention. Communication of the annual inspection report. The Committee notes the reference, in the Government’s report received in the Office on 29 August 2007 and covering the period from June 2005 to June 2007, to the annual inspection reports for 2005 and 2006 in relation to the matters covered by Articles 1–27 of the Convention. As these documents were not received by the Office, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide them with its next report.

Articles 3, paragraph 1, and 10. In comments made in 2003, the Netherlands Trade Union Confederation (FNV) deplored, on the one hand, the inadequate numbers of labour inspectors in relation to the duties they are required to perform and, on the other, the limitation of the competence of labour inspectors in relation to wages to checking whether the minimum wage is paid, without inspecting compliance with the provisions of collective agreements in this respect.

In relation to the first issue, the Committee notes the information provided by the Government according to which, as the agricultural sector employs fewer than 2 per cent of the workforce, the creation of specific labour inspection structures is not justified.

With regard to the issue of the fields of competence of the labour inspectorate in relation to wages, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide further information in this respect and supply updated information in its report, under Article 3, paragraph 1(a), of the Convention, in relation to the aspects of conditions of work and the protection of workers while engaged in their work which lie within the competence of the labour inspectorate, accompanied by copies of the relevant legal provisions.