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Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) - New Caledonia

1. Articles 26 and 27 of the Convention. Impact of increasing labour inspection resources on its activities in agricultural undertakings. Further to its direct request on the application of Convention No. 81, in which it notes with interest the reorganization of the Directorate of Labour and Employment (Order No. 2005-2591 of 13 October 2005) and the reinforcement of the staff and of the material means available to the inspection service, the Committee trusts that prevention and monitoring activities will be stepped up in the agricultural sector so that as a result of these changes, it will finally be possible to publish and communicate to the Office relevant and specific information, either as a separate report or as part of a general activity report (Article 26). This information should focus in particular on the number of agricultural undertakings liable to inspection and of persons working therein, statistics on inspections in agricultural undertakings, statistics on violations and penalties imposed and statistics on occupational accidents and diseases and their causes (Article 27).

2. Article 17. Prevention of occupational risks. The Committee notes that the Occupational Safety and Health Plan for 2006–08 on the prevention of occupational risks does not contain any specific provisions for agricultural undertakings. Noting the Government’s statement to the effect that in 2005 there were 1,700 employees in the agricultural sector, the Committee asks it to indicate the preventive measures taken or envisaged to reduce the occupational hazards linked to the handling or use of chemical products and plant and machinery to which workers are exposed.