Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1997, published 86th ILC session (1998)

The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in its report as well as the adoption of the Labour Code of 1996.

With reference to the comments it has been making for many years on the need to adopt measures to ensure the application of Article 2 of the Convention, the Committee notes that except for 14 days of paid leave for courses, the new legislation contains no provisions to afford facilities in the undertaking to workers' representatives in order to enable them to carry out their functions promptly and efficiently. The Workers' Representative Recommendation, 1971 (No. 143) gives examples of such facilities: time off for attending trade union meetings, congresses, etc.; access to all workplaces in the undertaking if necessary; access to the management of the undertaking whenever necessary; permission to distribute written documents and publications of the union to the workers; material facilities and information for the exercise of their functions, etc.

The Committee requests the Government to take steps to give full application to the Convention in particular through legislative provisions or regulations or collective agreements. It asks the Government to indicate in its next report the measures taken in this respect and to provide copies of any collective agreements containing provisions which grant facilities to workers' representatives in order to carry out their functions.