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

Articles 1 and 3(c) of the Convention. The Committee notes the report provided by the Government and the adoption on 6 December 2002 of the Organic Act on the social security system. With reference to the comments it has been making for many years on the scope of the social security system in practice, the Committee notes that section 4 of the new Act guarantees social security to all Venezuelan nationals living on the national territory as well as foreign nationals lawfully residing in the country. The Committee notes, however, that the Social Insurance Act remains applicable until the end of the transition period set for the entry into force of the new Organic Act (section 130 of the Organic Act) and that many regions of the country are still not covered by the social security system. Under these circumstances, it is bound once again to recall the need to take all the measures necessary as soon as possible to extend in practice the social security system in matters of maternity benefits, with regard to both medical care and cash benefits, throughout the national territory to ensure that all women workers employed in industrial or commercial enterprises, whether public or private, covered by the scope of application of the Convention, benefit from the protection afforded by this instrument.

Furthermore, the Committee requests the Government to provide statistics on the regions covered by the social security system and those which are still excluded with regard to maternity benefits. It also requests the Government to provide statistical information on the number of women workers employed in both public and private industrial and commercial enterprises who are covered by the full social security system in relation to the total number of such women workers.

Finally, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide detailed information in its next report on the application in practice of the Organic Act on the social security system adopted in 2002, and if it would provide a copy of all the legislative texts and regulations adopted to give effect to it.

[The Government is asked to reply in detail to the present comments in 2006.]