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The Committee takes note of the Government's report.

The Committee notes that for several years the Government has indicated in its reports that Legislative Decree No. 1/90 of 25 August 1967 respecting rural associations gives effect to the Convention. It also notes that this text provides that, in the case of public funding, the Minister of Agriculture may establish rural associations (section 1), that membership of such associations is compulsory (section 3) and that the associations' statutes are established by the Minister (section 4). It also provides that the obligations of members of these associations include the performance of services in the interest of the common enterprise, payment of a single or periodic contribution, the provision of agricultural or livestock products and the observance of rules of cultural or other discipline (section 7), and that failure to fulfil these obligations is punishable by seizure of the member's possessions (section 10).

The Committee observes that in its last report the Government states that the Minister of Agriculture is responsible for the application of the Legislative Decree, whereas the previous reports indicated that this text was not yet applied.

The Committee considers that the Legislative Decree respecting rural associations which imposes the above obligations on agricultural workers, does not give effect to the Convention. It therefore asks the Government in its next report to indicate the measures that have been taken or are contemplated to secure to all those engaged in agriculture the same rights of association and combination as to industrial workers (Article 1 of the Convention).