CMNT_TITLE

The Committee notes that the information supplied by the Government on the impact that the earthquake which took place last August in its country has had on its capacity to submit its reports. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:

With reference to its observation, the Committee draws the Government’s attention to the following points.

1. Articles 10 and 16 of the Convention. Number of labour inspectors and inspections. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee notes a decrease in the number of labour inspectors which, according to the table provided by the Government, fell from 234 in 2003 to 203 in 2005. Further noting the persistence of the imbalance that it observed in its previous comments in the distribution of inspectors between the regional directorate in Lima and the 23 other regional directorates, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would: (i) indicate the reasons for the fall in numbers; (ii) specify the number of inspectors responsible for general conditions of work and those dealing with occupational safety and health; and (iii) indicate the number and geographical distribution of workplaces liable to inspection and the workers employed therein.

2. Articles 5(a) and 14. Cooperation between the competent services and notification of industrial accidents and cases of occupational disease to the labour inspectorate. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee notes with satisfaction that section 7 of Act No. 28806 of 19 July 2006, issuing the General Act on labour inspection, establishes the obligation for public bodies and persons discharging public functions to collaborate with the labour inspectorate when such collaboration is necessary for the discharge of the inspection function, and to provide the information at their disposal, including copies of employers’ notifications of industrial accidents and cases of occupational disease. It would be grateful if the Government would take measures rapidly to ensure the application in practice of this provision and provide information in its next report on these measures and their results, as well as copies of any relevant legal text, instruction, form or document.

3. Labour inspection and child labour. Further to its previous comments, the Committee notes with interest that the structures to combat child labour have been reinforced by the establishment, within the Regional Directorate of Labour and Employment Promotion in Lima-Callao, of a service responsible for the protection of minors and occupational safety and health. It notes in particular that this Directorate has undertaken a campaign in the areas most concerned, disseminated information on the legal provisions and procedures governing the issuing of authorizations for work by young persons, gathered information for the preparation of a methodological guide on labour inspection in relation to children, planned seminars on work by young persons and discussions in educational centres concerning the prevention of child labour and coordinated the implementation of a training programme for labour inspectors on this subject. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate whether similar activities have been undertaken in other regions of the country and if it would provide information on the inspection activities undertaken in the field of child labour in the workplaces covered by the Convention and their results.