CMNT_TITLE

Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) - Hungary (RATIFICATION: 1994)

Other comments on C129

Observation

Direct Request

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The Committee notes the observations made by the workers’ representatives of the Tripartite National ILO Council of the Ministry of Social Matters and Labour, which were attached to the Government’s report under the Labour Inspection Convention No. 81 (1947), and the Government’s reply to these observations.

Referring to its comments under Convention No. 81, the Committee would like to draw the Government’s attention to the following additional points:

Article 9(3) of the Convention. Need for specific skills of inspectors for the discharge of their duties in agricultural undertakings. Having noted the observations made by the workers’ representatives under Convention No. 81 on the insufficient experience of OSH inspectors, particularly in the area of chemicals, as well as the information in the Government’s report that the highest number of occupational diseases were caused by chemicals and biological agents in 2007 and 2008, the Committee notes that the Government has still not replied to the Committee’s previous comments with regard to the training available to labour inspectors in relation to the discharge of their specific duties in the agricultural sector. While the Committee notes that according to the Government certain inspectors are primarily, but not exclusively engaged in agriculture, the Committee recalls, once again, that the specific characteristics of work in the agricultural sector involve specific risks for workers (for example, risks related to the handling and use of chemicals and pesticides, and agricultural machinery) and therefore require specific skills from inspectors acquired through adequate training. The Committee, recalling that it has been raising this issue since 2005, once again asks the Government to provide information on the training provided to labour inspectors (subjects of training, frequency of such training and number of participants, etc.) to enable them to acquire the technical knowledge required to perform their duties adequately in the agricultural sector. In this regard, the Committee would like to draw the Government’s attention to Paragraphs 4–7 of Recommendation No. 133 concerning labour inspection in agriculture, on the minimum qualifications needed by labour inspectors called upon to work in the agricultural sector.

Article 6(2) of the Convention and Paragraph 14 of the Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Recommendation. Role of labour inspection in agriculture with respect to occupational safety and health. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the agricultural sector is a high-risk sector and therefore continues to be treated as one of the priority sectors by the labour inspectorate, including in terms of prevention. However, as the Government has not provided any further information in reply to the previous comments, the Committee once again asks the Government to provide information on labour inspection activities in agriculture in the fields of prevention and the dissemination of information. It once again refers to Paragraph 14 of the Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Recommendation, 1969 (No. 133), for examples of appropriate action and strongly encourages the Government to implement further measures in order to develop a health and safety culture in agricultural work. It also once again requests the Government to provide information on any progress made in this regard.

Articles 6(1)(a), 26 and 27 of the Convention. Content of the annual report on the activities of the labour inspection services in agriculture. The Committee notes that no annual labour inspection report has been received at the ILO. It notes, however, that the annual report on the activities of the labour inspectorate in the area of occupational safety and health for 2008, published on the website of the Labour Inspectorate, includes some information on the activities of the labour inspectorate in agriculture, including data on industrial accidents in agriculture and cases of occupational disease. It also notes that the Government provides some data in its report relating to the activities of the labour inspectorate in agriculture, namely: the number of inspection visits in agriculture in 2009, as well as the measures taken by the labour inspectors, including orders relating to the suspension of work or the use of products during their inspections visits from 2006 to 2010. Referring to its comments under the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81), the Committee requests the Government to take steps to publish and communicate to the ILO up-to-date annual reports, in accordance with Article 26 of the Convention. It hopes that such reports, which can be either separate reports or part of the general annual labour inspection report, will include information on all the items under Article 27 (a)–(g) of the Convention, also in relation to the work of inspectors in areas other than occupational safety and health.