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The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It must therefore repeat its previous observation which read as follows:

The Committee recalls that, in its earlier requests, it referred to the comments it made in 1983 concerning the application of Convention No. 117, regarding alleged abuses in the payment of wages to agricultural workers, in the form of pay stoppages and delay in the payment of wages as a means of inducing workers to remain in agricultural establishments, and the non-payment of wages due and advances on wages, which cause indebtedness among the workers and compel them to remain in the service of landowners until their debts are paid off. These allegations were presented in August 1977 by the Anti-Slavery Society for the Protection of Human Rights to the Working Group on Slavery of the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.

The Committee notes with regret that the Government has not supplied information in this respect. It once again requests the Government to indicate whether it has conducted investigations into the abovementioned allegations and to provide any available information. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information in accordance with Part V of the report form on the application in practice of the Convention in agriculture.

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the very near future.

The Committee is also addressing a direct request to the Government concerning certain points.