CMNT_TITLE

Equality of Treatment (Social Security) Convention, 1962 (No. 118) - Guinea (RATIFICATION: 1967)

With reference to its observation, the Committee notes the information provided in reply to its earlier comments by the Government in its report, and has studied Act L/94/006/CTRN of 14 February 1994 establishing the new Social Security code.

Article 3, paragraph 1, of the Convention. The Committee notes, under section 57 of the Social Security Code, that when submitting a request for survivor's benefit, the person submitting the request must declare, inter alia, the nationality of the deceased insured person. Given that a declaration of nationality is not required of beneficiaries when requesting the other types of benefits provided for by the Code, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would clarify the objective of this request for information on the nationality of the deceased insured person to obtain survivor's benefits.

Article 3, paragraph 1 (read with Article 4, paragraph 1). The Committee notes that under section 4, paragraph 1, of the Social Security Code, coverage by the general social security scheme is accorded without condition of residence and applies to all workers governed by the Labour Code or those who have an employment contract with an employer concluded on national territory, whatever the place of residence of either party to the contract (sections 1, 3 and 11 of the Labour Code). However, the right to family benefits, including family allowance and daily allowance for women in delivery, is open to all workers carrying out their activity and resident in the Republic of Guinea (sections 93 and 94, paragraph 1, of the Social Security Code). Moreover, under section 109, paragraph 2, of the Code, "dependants of the worker as defined under family benefits shall only be covered for health care"; this definition applies only to those residents in the Republic of Guinea. The Committee observes that as regards branches (a) medical care, (c) maternity benefit, and (i) family benefit, these provisions establish a condition of residence which seems to apply equally to nationals and to foreigners. Recalling that, according to Article 4(1) of the Convention, equality of treatment must in principle be accorded without condition of residence, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would clarify the manner in which entitlement to the abovementioned benefits is accorded to foreign workers and their dependants who are covered by the general social security scheme in Guinea but only reside temporarily on its territory.

Articles 7 and 8. In reply to the earlier comments of the Committee, the Government states that completion of draft bilateral social security agreements with certain bordering countries and Morocco depend on the schedules of the main mixed committees in these States. The Committee recalls that, according to the information contained in the Government's previous reports, negotiations for such agreements had begun, in particular with Mali, Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire (States which have not ratified the Convention). It requests the Government to submit in its next reports information on the progress achieved in concluding new social security agreements with States bound by the Convention -- with which there are migratory flows -- with a view to participation in a scheme for the maintenance of acquired rights and rights in course of acquisition, in compliance with the provisions of Articles 7 and 8 of the Convention. In addition, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply the texts of the following legislation: (1) the special regulations regarding employment of foreign workers provided under section 7 of the Labour Code; (2) the Decree establishing procedures for the application of the Social Security Code to temporary or occasional workers, provided under its section 4(4).