CMNT_TITLE

The Committee notes the Government’s report and the attached documents, including the annual inspection reports for 2004 and 2005, the statistical report on employment accidents for the years 2000-04, the report of the second methodological meeting of the heads of provincial labour inspection departments and Executive Decree No. 21 of 30 April 1998 issuing general regulations on employment accident prevention commissions.

1. Strengthening of personnel and improvement of material working conditions in inspection services. With reference to its previous observation, the Committee notes with interest the information reporting the strengthening of: (i) the staff of the labour inspectorate following a public competition resulting in the recruitment and training of 23 inspectors; (ii) means of transport, through the provision of 16 vehicles and 26 motorcycles; and (iii) office equipment (desks, computers and air conditioning), as well as the refurbishing and rehabilitation work on the most dilapidated premises.

2. Need for legislative, structural and budgetary measures to ensure the effective operation of the labour inspection system. The Committee notes that, according to the report of the second methodological meeting of the heads of provincial labour inspection departments (4-5 May 2005), the labour inspectorate suffers from a number of shortcomings and dysfunctions preventing its effective operation: the absence of texts implementing the Labour Code; the absence of labour inspection structures in the provincial directorates of Huambo and Namibe; the excessively weak cooperation of provincial judicial and financial authorities; and the manifest inadequacy of the proportion of the budget allocated to cover the operating expenses of inspection services. The Committee hopes that the Government will not fail to ensure that these shortcomings are remedied rapidly through:

(i) the identification of fields in which the legislation requires the adoption of regulations for its implementation in practice and tripartite consultation with a view to the formulation of appropriate provisions;

(ii) the implementation of measures to facilitate effective and useful collaboration between the labour inspection services and other public or private bodies and institutions; and

(iii) the determination of appropriate budgetary allocations for the normal operation of the inspection services taking into account the need for fuel, materials and office consumer items, as well as other ongoing operational expenses (rent, maintenance of premises, water supply, electricity, telephone, etc.).

The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate in its next report any progress achieved in this respect, as well as the difficulties encountered.

The Committee is addressing a request directly to the Government on other matters.