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The Committee has noted the Government's report. It notes with interest a very positive effort made by the Government in order to give effect to the provisions of the Convention, in particular through a detailed annual inspection report (1995). It would appreciate it if the Government would provide further information on a certain number of points.

Article 3 of the Convention. Please indicate what measures have been undertaken or envisaged in order to ensure that inspectors' additional duties set forth under section 31(j) of Decree No. 154/91, dated 31 October 1991 do not interfere with the effective discharge of their primary duties.

Article 6. The Committee asks the Government to provide information enabling it to compare the average annual salary of labour inspectors with that of public officials and the average annual wage in Cape Verde.

Article 8. Please provide information on the percentage of women appointed to the inspection staff in general and the relative percentage of women in higher grades of the labour inspection in particular.

Article 9. The Committee would be grateful if the Government could provide information about rules or regulations governing the participation of experts and specialists in the work of inspection. Please indicate whether technical experts and specialists participate in the inspection visits, what is the overall number of inspection visits with their participation or, in the event that they do not participate in such visits, what are the forms of their collaboration with labour inspectors.

Article 10. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the current number of labour inspectors and the measures undertaken or envisaged in order to fill 15 vacant positions, enumerated in the report on the activities of the labour inspection in 1995 (page 8 of the report). Please also indicate the measures taken or envisaged in order to resolve the problems with labour inspection staff in the island of Sal.

Article 11. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the distribution of cars and other means of transport furnished to labour inspectors in relation to the number of inspectors. Please also indicate whether the building in Mindelo where the office of the labour inspection is located was repaired.

Article 14. Please indicate whether any legislative efforts have been made or are envisaged in order to restore the provision requiring notification to the labour inspection about industrial accidents and occupational diseases.

Article 15. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the practical application of Article 15, paragraph (a), and, in particular, the criteria and the procedure for its enforcement.

Article 16. The Committee asks the Government to indicate: (i) the total number of workplaces liable to inspection; (ii) the number of initial and second inspection visits made and the number of workplaces inspected during the latest reporting period; and (iii) the usual period between two consecutive planned inspections at each single workplace. Please also describe the manner in which the inspection visits are conducted in practice.

Article 20. The Committee notes the statistical information about the work of labour inspection in 1996 and asks the Government to indicate whether it was officially published by the central inspection authority of Cape Verde in the form of an annual general report and what is the procedure for access to such report by an interested party. The Committee hopes that the Government will be able to provide a copy of such report within the time-limit set forth by paragraph 3 of Article 20.

Article 21. The Committee asks the Government to take into consideration that annual reports published by the central inspection authority shall deal in particular with the subjects listed in Article 21 including, but not limited to, statistics of industrial accidents and statistics of occupational diseases (Article 21, paragraphs (f) and (g)).