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In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to indicate the measures which had been taken or were envisaged to ensure the provision of cash benefits for apprentices in case of incapacity for work (sickness). The Government indicates in its latest report that apprentices receiving monthly remuneration equal to or above half the guaranteed national minimum wage are now on the list of workers assimilated to salaried employees in respect of social security and therefore benefit from all the social security benefits (section 1 of Decree No. 85-33, as amended by Decree No. 92-274).

The Committee notes with interest this progress in the application of the Convention to apprentices. However, it observes that apprentices receiving monthly remuneration lower than half the national guaranteed minimum wage still do not benefit from the cash benefits afforded by the social security system in the event of incapacity for work. It hopes that the Government will continue to examine this matter and that it will take the necessary measures to ensure that all apprentices, where they receive remuneration and irrespective of the level of such remuneration, are entitled to cash benefits in the event of incapacity for work, in accordance with Article 3, paragraph 1, of the Convention in conjunction with Article 2, paragraph 1. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any progress achieved in this respect.

The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the application of the Convention in practice, including the statistics requested under Part IV of the report form, with an indication of the number of apprentices.