Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2003, published 92nd ILC session (2004)

The Committee notes the information sent in reply to its repeated comments on the measures announced by the Government to give effect to Articles 14, 15(b), 20 and 21 of the Convention both in law and in practice.

1. Scope of the principle of professional confidentiality. The Committee notes that no measure has yet been taken to extend the scope of the principle of professional confidentiality established in Article 15(b) in order to ensure that inspectors are bound by it even after leaving service. The basic trust that must underlie the relationship between labour inspectors and employers cannot be established if employers are not legally protected in a durable manner against any dissemination by inspectors, including after they leave the service, of manufacturing or commercial secrets or operating procedures which they might have learned during the exercise of their duties. The Committee therefore trusts that, in accordance with the undertaking it has given for many years, the Government will promptly adopt the measures to amend the legislation in order to bring it into full conformity with the Convention on this point, and that the relevant information will be communicated in its next report.

2. Labour inspection and child labour. The Committee notes that, despite the Government’s undertaking to make its best effort to ensure enforcement by the labour inspectors of child labour legislation, no specific resources have yet been allocated to this task. It trusts that budgetary measures will soon be taken to this end and that the Government will provide relevant information on them.

The Committee is addressing a request on other points directly to the Government.