Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

The Committee notes with regret that for the third year in succession the Government's report has not been received. It must therefore repeat its previous observations which read as follows:

The Committee notes that the Government had indicated in its previous reports that Legislative Decree No. 1/90 of 25 August 1967 respecting rural associations gives effect to the Convention. It also notes that this text provides that, in the case of public funding, the Minister of Agriculture may establish rural associations (section 1), the membership of such associations is compulsory (section 3) and that the associations' statues are established by the Minister (section 4). It also provides that the obligations of members of these associations include the performance of services in the interest of common enterprise, payment of a single or periodic contribution, the provision of agricultural or livestock products and the observance of rules of cultural or other discipline (section 7), and that failure to fulfil these obligations is punishable by seizure of the member's possessions (section 10). The Committee considers that the Legislative Decree respecting rural associations which imposes the above obligations on agricultural workers, does not give effect to the Convention. It therefore asks the Government in its next report to indicate the measures that have been taken or are contemplated to secure all those engaged in agriculture the same rights of association and combination as to industrial workers (Article 1 of the Convention).

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the very near future.