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National policy to provide permanent or regular employment for dockworkers. The Committee notes the Government’s report received in August 2007, which recalls the position of the employers’ organizations that the Convention is inadequate and should be denounced. In the view of the General Union of Workers, the specific characteristics of dock work require the adoption of special rules, particularly in relation to occupational health and safety and the vocational training of the workers concerned. The Committee refers to its previous comments and requests the Government to continue providing detailed information on the results achieved in a tripartite context with a view to improving the efficiency of work in ports, as required by the Convention.

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The Committee notes the Government’s report and the legislative texts with respect to, among other matters, the authorities responsible for the application of the measures giving effect to the Convention and the establishment of a specific social protection scheme for workers in the port sector. The Committee requests the Government to provide with its next report, as requested in Part V of the report form, a general appreciation of the manner in which the Convention is applied, including for instance extracts from reports, studies or surveys by the above authorities.

In paragraph 216 of its General Survey of 2001 on dock work, the Committee noted the positions expressed by the Confederation of Portuguese Industry (CIP) and the General Union of Workers (UGT) relating to difficulties in the application of the Convention and of Recommendation No. 145. The Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures taken to encourage cooperation between employers or their organizations, on the one hand, and workers’ organizations, on the other hand, in improving the efficiency of work in ports (Article 5 of the Convention).

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The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in reply to its earlier comments. It also notes the adoption of Legislative Decree No. 280 of 13 August 1993 which revised the legislation concerning dock work. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply, in its next report, additional information on the following points:

1. The Committee notes from the Government's report the information concerning the register established and maintained by the Dock Work Institute (ITP), including the number of registered dockworkers. It also notes that section 11, paragraph (1), of Legislative Decree No. 280 of 13 August 1993 abolished the system of registration and exclusive status of registered dockworkers as well as the port pools established by the legislation previously in force, specifically by Legislative Decree No. 151 of 15 May 1990 which has been repealed. Please indicate how effect is given or is proposed to be given to (i) Article 2 of the Convention which requires the Government to encourage the provision of permanent or regular employment to dockworkers in so far as practicable and in any case, to assume minimum guarantees of employment or income, and (ii) Articles 3 and 4 which provide for the establishment and maintenance of registers for all occupational categories of dockworkers, in a manner to be determined by national law and practice, and for the periodic review of the strength of such registers.

2. The Committee notes the adoption of Legislative Decree No. 21 of 10 January 1991 which provides for the grant of specific interim benefits under the general workers' social insurance scheme to dockworkers of the ports of the Autonomous Region of the Azores and Legislative Decree No. 41 of 21 January 1991 and similar benefits to dockworkers of the port of Funchal. Please continue to supply information on measures taken with a view to prevent or minimize the detrimental effects on dockworkers of any redundancies which took place in the context of structural adjustment in the Portuguese ports.

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The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in reply to its direct request. It would be grateful if the Government would supply additional information with its next report on the following points:

1. Article 3. The Committee notes that the register established by the Dock Work Institute (ITP) covers all categories of dockworkers. Please supply additional information concerning the number of dockers appearing on the ITP register and the fluctuations in their numbers during the period covered by the next report (Part V of the report form).

2. Articles 4 and 5. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee notes the Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 19/87 of 26 March 1987. This Decision lays down the conditions required for the application in the ports of Lisbon and Leixoes of an accelerated redundancy scheme, which is considered to be the only means of finding a solution to the relatively high cost of operations in Portuguese ports. The Committee trusts that the Government will take fully into account the provisions of Article 4, paragraph 2, and will take all the necessary measures to prevent or minimise the detrimental effects on dockworkers of any dismissals. It requests the Government to supply detailed information in its next report on the work of the Inter-Ministerial Commission set up under section 7 of Decision No. 19/87 and, in general, on the measures that have been taken under the Decision and on the co-operation established for this purpose with the social partners.

3. The Committee notes the information supplied with regard to the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira. It hopes that future reports will contain fuller information on the application in these regions of the 1984 legislation on dock work and, consequently, on the progress achieved in giving effect to the provisions of the Convention.