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Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (RATIFICATION: 1987)

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The Committee notes the supplementary information provided by the Government in light of the Governing Body’s decision at its 338th Session (June 2020) (particularly the information concerning measures taken in response to the COVID 19 pandemic). The Committee proceeded to examine the application of the Convention on the basis of the supplementary information provided this year, as well as of the information available to it in 2019.

Articles 7 and 8 of the Convention. Economically active population, employment, unemployment and underemployment statistics. Structure and distribution of the economically active population. The Committee notes the statistics provided by the Government in relation to employment, unemployment and underemployment, as well as in relation to the structure and distribution of the economically active population. It notes the Government’s indication that there have been no changes since the last report and that Articles 7 and 8 continue to be applied. In its supplementary information, the Government indicates that, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has reviewed all publications and data published, which has led to the postponement of some publications and datasets. In particular, the Government reports replacing face-to-face interviews with telephone interviewing, the imputation for non-response to the Labour Force Survey and the weighting methodology used. The Committee also notes the additional information communicated by the Government in relation to the planned census, providing links to the Census Regulations 2020 in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The Government indicates that the census in Scotland has now been postponed until 2022. The Committee requests the Government to continue to communicate information on the measures implemented in view of the ongoing pandemic and the ways in which the crisis affects data collection, the application of underlying methodology and data publication. It further requests the Government to provide relevant information, including methodological information in relation to the upcoming census as soon as practicable.

Articles 9, 10 and 11. Statistics of average earnings and hours of work, wage structure and distribution, and statistics of labour cost. The Committee notes that the main sources of statistics on earnings, hours of work and labour cost are the Business Register Employment Survey (BRES), a sample survey which has replaced the Annual Business Inquiry since 2009, the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings – Northern Ireland, the Index of Average Earnings and the Index of Labour Costs per Hour (ILCH).The Government indicates that given the creation of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in the United Kingdom, the ONS will consider revising the base definition for analysis (namely, employees on adult pay rates who have not suffered loss of pay due to absence from work). The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on statistics on earnings, hours of work and labour costs, as well as corresponding methodological information. In addition, the Committee requests the Government to keep it informed of developments in relation to the nature and impact of any revisions to the base definition for analysis.

Article 12. Consumer price indices. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that there have been no changes since its last report. In its previous comments, the Committee requested information with respect to the new advisory panels on consumer prices created in 2015. The Committee reiterates its request that the Government provide information with respect to the new advisory panels, including their functioning and impact on the calculation of consumer price indices.

Article 14. Statistics on occupational injuries. The Committee notes that the most recent statistics on occupational injuries received from the Government pertain to 2018. The Committee requests the Government to provide the most recent annual statistics on fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries, disaggregated by economic activity and occupation, derived from the Labour Inspectorate records, and as far as possible to provide the most recent annual statistics on occupational diseases, similarly disaggregated.

Article 15. Statistics of industrial disputes. The Committee notes that on the ONS website, under the heading “Coronavirus – Impact on labour market outputs”, it is indicated that the data collection and publication in relation to labour disputes will cease for the foreseeable future and that data for the missing periods will not be available at a later time. On the other hand, the Committee also recalls that the Government regularly provides statistics to the ILO on strikes, disaggregated by economic activity, via its annual questionnaire on labour statistics. In its previous comments, the Committee requested that the Government provide information in relation to the definition of “political strikes” and indicate the reasons for their exclusion from statistical coverage. The Committee requests the Government to provide clarification with respect to the indication on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website that data collection and publication regarding labour disputes will cease for the foreseeable future. In addition, the Committee once again requests the Government to provide information regarding the definition of “political strikes” and indicate the reasons for their exclusion from statistical coverage.

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Articles 7 and 8 of the Convention. Economically active population, employment, unemployment and underemployment statistics. Structure and distribution of the economically active population. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in reply to its previous request that it communicate relevant statistics and methodological information in relation to the latest census (total and economically active population). In this regard, the Committee notes that a census was carried out in 2011. The next census will be in 2021. Census data and methodological information relating to the 2011 census has been supplied to the ILO Department of Statistics for publication on the ILOSTAT database. The Committee further notes the statistics provided by the Government in relation to employment, unemployment and underemployment, as well as to the structure and distribution of the economically active population. The Committee requests the Government to provide relevant information, including methodological information in relation to the 2021 census as soon as practicable. It also invites the Government to provide information on any developments in relation to the implementation of the resolution concerning statistics of work, employment and labour underutilization (Resolution I), adopted by the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (October 2013).

Articles 9, 10 and 11. Statistics of average earnings and hours of work, wage structure and distribution, and statistics of labour cost. The Committee notes that statistics of average hours actually worked, derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), and average weekly earnings of employees, disaggregated by sex and by economic activity, derived from the earnings and hours of work (hours actually worked or hours paid for) and statistics of hourly labour costs for employees, by economic activity, derived from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), respectively, have been provided to the ILO Department of Statistics for dissemination on ILOSTAT, together with the relevant methodological information. The latest data refer to 2014. Statistics of wage structure and distribution are also provided. In relation to Article 11, statistics of labour cost are provided, published in the Index of Labour Cost per Hour (ILCH), derived primarily from the Monthly Wages and Salaries Survey (MWSS), the LFS and the ASHE. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide the relevant statistical and methodological information to the ILO as soon as it becomes available.

Article 12. Consumer price indices. The Government indicates that, following a review of the Governance of Price Statistics, two new advisory panels on consumer prices were to be created in 2015: a stakeholder panel to advise the National Statistician on the uses and applications of price indices and a technical panel to provide advice on technical aspects of the statistics. The Committee invites the Government to provide information with respect to the new advisory panels, including their functioning and impact on the calculation of consumer price indices.

Article 15. Statistics of industrial disputes. The Committee notes that the Government regularly provides statistics to the ILO on strikes, disaggregated by economic activity, via its annual questionnaire on labour statistics. It nevertheless reiterates its previous request that the Government provide information in relation to the definition of “political strikes” and the reasons for their exclusion from statistical coverage.

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The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report. It draws once again its attention to the obligations of Articles 5 and 6 of the Convention concerning the communication of data collected from the latest Population Census (total and economically active population) to the ILO. The Committee hopes that the Government will provide the methodological information on the 2011 Population Census as soon as possible and the census results as soon as they become available. The Committee also requests the Government to take all necessary measures so as to ensure that the published statistics compiled in accordance with Article 11 (statistics of labour cost) are in the future communicated to the ILO, as soon as practicable.

Article 15 of the Convention. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information on the definition of “political strikes” and the reasons for their exclusion from data collection.

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The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. 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:

The Committee notes the Government’s report on developments in the application of the Convention during the reporting period and the information demonstrating that effect is given to all the technical requirements of its provisions. Nevertheless, the Committee once again draws the Government’s attention to its obligations under Articles 5 and 6 of the instrument and hopes that the published statistics, and particularly the statistics compiled in accordance with Article 8 (statistics of the structure and distribution of the economically active population), will in future be communicated to the ILO, as soon as practicable.

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The Committee notes the Government's report and, in particular, information supplied in reply to its previous request concerning the application of Articles 3, 8 and 14 of the Convention.

Noting that the technical requirements of the Convention are being met, the Committee would like to draw the attention of the Government to the obligations under Article 5 concerning the communication of the published statistics to the ILO as soon as practicable, in particular regarding the statistics compiled in accordance with Article 8 (statistics of the structure and distribution of the economically active population).

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The Committee notes the Government's third report as well as the attached comments made by the Trades Union Congress noting the regular consultation on labour statistics.

Article 3 of the Convention. Further to its previous comments, the Committee notes the information provided by the Government concerning the role of the Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee.

The TUC welcomes the cooperation of the Employment Department with the Labour Market Statistics Users Group (LMSUG) concerning, among other things, the issue of unemployment statistics. The Committee hopes that the Government will continue to provide in future reports information on the LMSUG activities as related to the application of Article 3 of the Convention.

Article 8. The Committee notes that although no reference is made in the Government's reports, a population census was conducted in 1991, according to the information available at the ILO. It requests the Government to indicate, with regard to the 1991 census: (i) whether the latest ILO guidelines were followed, and the reasons for any departures therefrom (in accordance with Article 2); and (ii) the manner in which employers' and workers' organizations were consulted in designing the concepts, definitions and methodology used (in accordance with Article 3).

The Committee would also draw the Government's attention to the obligations under Article 5 to communicate to the ILO, as soon as possible, the published statistics and the reference information concerning their publication.

Article 14. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide: (i) any information on the developments regarding the collection and compilation of statistics of occupational diseases; and (ii) an indication as to whether it is envisaged to collect information regarding the work time lost by persons injured.

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Article 7. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee notes that the enhanced Labour Force Survey in spring 1992 will include questions on the number of unremunerated homeworkers in the population. It looks forward to receiving the published statistics and detailed descriptions of the concepts and definitions in this regard.

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The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in its report as well as the observations of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) communicated in a letter dated 13 January 1992.

Article 3 of the Convention. Further to its previous request, the Committee notes the Government's explanations of the manner in which the employers' and workers' organisations are or would be consulted in designing or revising the concepts, definitions and methodology with regard to the statistics referred to in Articles 14 and 15 of the Convention. It however notes the Government's indication that the interdepartmental committee which considers and approves changes in concepts, definitions and methodology for the Family Expenditure Survey (FES) statistics (covered by Article 13) does not contain representatives of these organisations, although they are represented on the Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee which uses the FES data. Please indicate whether the latter committee as a user is consulted in designing or revising the concepts, definitions and methodology for FES statistics.

Besides, the Committee notes with interest that following the conference of the independent Statistics Users' Council, a Labour Market Statistics Users' Group (LMSUG) was set up, and that this provides a further channel for consultation with all users of statistics, including the employers' and workers' organisations. The first issue of this Users' Group's newsletter was communicated with the observation of the TUC, which welcomes this improvement in the arrangements for consultation about statistics. The Committee requests the Government to provide in its future reports information on the outcome of the activities of the LMSUG when it concerns the application of Article 3 of the Convention.

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

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The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in its first report, which arrived too late to be examined at its last session. The Committee asks the Government to supply information on the following points.

Article 3 of the Convention. The Committee notes that, according to the Government's report, in designing or revising the concepts, definitions and methodology used in the collection, compilation and publication of the statistics required under the Convention, the representative organisations of employers and workers are consulted through the survey control mechanism. The Committee none the less asks the Government to indicate how these organisations are consulted when the sources of information for the compilation of statistics are administrative records, for example in the case of the statistics referred to in Articles 14 and 15 of the Convention.

Article 7. The Committee asks the Government to indicate whether it plans to obtain separate information for the unremunerated homeworker category in its statistics of the economically active population.