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Nursing Personnel Convention, 1977 (No. 149) - Uruguay (RATIFICATION: 1980)

The Committee notes the information contained in the Government’s last report and the attached documentation.

Article 2, paragraph 2(b), of the Convention. Further to its previous comment regarding remuneration levels for nursing personnel in the public sector, the Committee notes the Government’s statement that the economic policy tending to reduce public expenditure affects the income of nursing personnel, and that consequently it has not been possible to take any measures to increase the wages of nursing personnel and maintain their purchasing power.

In this connection, the Committee requests the Government to provide more detailed information, including copies of collective agreements, on the remuneration levels practiced in both the public and the private sectors. It further asks the Government: (i) to specify whether low salaries of nursing staff employed in public health care institutions have an impact on the number of nurses leaving the profession or even migrating to other countries; (ii) to indicate any other difficulties (e.g. redundancies, salary reductions, delayed payment of wages) which may be experienced by nurses in the public or private sector; and (iii) to outline any measures taken or envisaged to remedy this situation in the short term.

Article 3, paragraph 2. With reference to its previous comment concerning the need for coordination of nursing education with the education and training of other health workers, the Committee notes the Government’s statement that the Universidad de la República has undertaken the initiative to create a "health area" composed of all the schools and institutes in order to unify the different teaching faculties related to health care professions, including the nursing profession. The Committee would appreciate receiving further information on any concrete steps taken to put this initiative into practice.

Article 5. The Committee notes that, according to the information provided by the Government, the Technical Nursing Committee has prepared health care guides for patients with emerging diseases and is currently in the process of formulating a national plan for nursing services, whereas the advisory commission for the planning of nursing services has never become effective. The Committee requests the Government to keep it informed of the progress made in the preparation of the national plan and to communicate a copy of the text once it is finalized. Moreover, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that, due to the restructuring of the Ministry of Public Health, the Nursing Central Department ceased its functions at the end of 1999. In this regard, the Committee requests the Government to specify the agency or service, if any, responsible for the tasks previously entrusted to the Nursing Central Department and also to clarify whether the abolition of that Department has had an impact on the process of active participation of nursing personnel in the planning of nursing services and full consultation with such personnel on decisions affecting the terms and conditions of their employment.

Article 6. The Committee notes with interest Decision No. 12.537 of the Labour Court of Appeals, which makes express reference to ILO Convention No. 149 and its impact on domestic legislation.

Article 7. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the existing bio-security standards were last updated in 2002 and that they were distributed to health personnel both in the public and the private sectors. The Committee would appreciate receiving a copy of the revised bio-security standards. In addition, the Committee notes the Government’s statement that in 2003 the need for a quick HIV test for occupational accident prevention was raised with the competent authorities. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any follow-up action in this respect and also to report on measures taken with respect to the working conditions of nursing personnel in relation to the risks of accidental infection, the confidentiality test results, recognition of the occupational nature of the HIV disease contracted during the course of work, etc.

Part V of the report form. While recalling that statistical information on nursing personnel was transmitted for the last time in 1993, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply in its next report all available data including, for instance, statistics on the evolution of the nursing workforce both in rural and urban areas, the number of students enrolled or graduating from nursing schools, as well as the number of persons leaving the nursing profession every year, copies of official reports or recent studies examining the employment and working conditions of nursing personnel, etc.