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Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Azerbaijan (RATIFICATION: 1992)

The Committee takes note of the Government’s report received on 4 September 2009, which contains information in reply to its previous comments. It would be grateful if the Government would supply additional information as to the following points.

Article 7 of the Convention. Statistics of the economically active population. The Committee notes that a labour force survey was carried out in 2003. However, no methodological information has been made available to the ILO and no estimates of employment and unemployment have been provided based on this survey. The Committee asks the Government to supply statistics and methodological information concerning the 2003 Labour Force Survey, as well as information on their adaptation of the International Standard Classification of all economic activities (ISIC).

Article 8. Statistics of the structure and distribution of the economically active population. Noting that the last population census in Azerbaijan was conducted in 2009, the committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information and data structure and distribution of the economically active population based on that census.

Article 9(1). The Committee notes that statistics of average monthly earnings by economic activity, covering the whole country and classified according to ISIC, Rev.3, are now disaggregated by sex. New series of statistics on average monthly hours actually worked by employees and covering 2008 and 2009, made available to the ILO for publication in the ILO Yearbook of Labour Statistics (in accordance with article 5) are also disaggregated by sex. The Committee notes with interest such progress made with regard to the compilation of wages and hours of work statistics and invites the Government to continue to supply regularly such statistics, as soon as practicable. In this regard, the Committee also draws to the attention of the Government the new international standards concerning the Measurement of Working Time (see Resolution I, adopted by the 18th International Conference of Labour Statisticians at http://.ilo.org/global/What_we_do/Statistics/standards/resolutions/
lang--en/docName--WCMS_112455/index.htm), whose larger number of concepts and measures would seem to be better aligned to national practice.

Articles not accepted according to Article 16.

Article 10. Statistics of wage structure and distribution. The State Statistical Committee’s website showed that statistics on the per cent distribution of full-time employees were compiled with reference to November, according to levels of earnings and by economic activity. Statistics on the structure of total earnings (in per cent of total) were also available as part of the statistics on the structure of labour cost, classified by branch of economic activity.

Article 11. Statistics of labour costs. Annual averages of hourly labour cost from enterprises’ reports, relating to 2008, have been transmitted to the ILO for publication in the 2009 Yearbook.

The Committee encourages the Government to continue to supplying information on any development concerning the extent to which effect is given to Articles 10 and 11.

Article 12. Consumer price indices. Even though no new information has been provided in response to the Committee’s previous request, the Committee notes that data on consumer price indices were received at the ILO in reply to the questionnaires for publication in the 2009 edition of the Yearbook of Labour Statistics and Bulletin. The latest data published by the ILO refers to May 2010. In view of the fact that the requirements of this provision appear to be fulfilled, the Committee encourages the Government to consider the possibility of accepting the related obligations and to keep the ILO informed in this regard.

Article 13. Statistics of household income and expenditure. The Committee notes that the Government continues to provide information on development of household income and expenditure statistics as well as some results from the annual surveys carried out between 2001 and 2008.

Methodological information and results of the 2003 Household Budget Survey have been supplied by the State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan for dissemination in the ILO Sources and Methods, Volume 6: Household Income and Expenditure Statistics and in the ILO database on Household Income and Expenditure Statistics. The Committee also notes that the results of the survey together with the methodological information are disseminated on the State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan website at http://www.azstat.org/
statinfo/budget_households/en/index.shtml. The Committee invites again the Government to consider the possibility of accepting the obligations in respect of this article as it appears to be applied.

Article 14. Statistics of occupational injuries. The Committee notes the statistical information about occupational injuries in 2008 provided by the Government. It observes that data on cases of occupational injury with lost of workdays by economic activity (fatal, non-fatal and total) as well as rates of occupational injuries (fatal and non-fatal) have been regularly supplied to the ILO Department of Statistics for publication in successive editions of the Yearbook of Labour Statistics. The latest figures relate to 2008, while the latest data on the number of days lost by economic activity relate to 1998 (article 5).

Methodological information has been supplied by the State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan for publication in the ILO Sources and Methods, Volume 9 – Transition Countries, which is also disseminated on LABORSTA. The Government is invited to consider the possibility of accepting this article as it appears to be applied, at least in part, provided that the following information is supplied: the international standards and guidelines taken into account when the concepts, definitions and methodology used for these statistics were designed, as requested in Article 2; the manner in which the representative organizations of employers and workers were consulted when the concepts, definitions and methodology used for these statistics were designed, as requested in Article 3; the title and reference number of the principal publication in which the statistics appear, as requested in Article 5; and the title and reference number of the principal publication which contains a detailed methodological descriptions article, as requested in Article 6. The relevant publications should be sent to the ILO and the website addresses also be provided.

Article 15. Statistics of industrial disputes. The Government’s report does not provide any information regarding application of this article. No new statistics on industrial disputes have been provided since those for 1990 for publication in the ILO Yearbook of Labour Statistics and dissemination on the ILO statistical website (http://laborsta.ilo.org). The Committee would be grateful if the Government would keep the ILO informed in due course of any developments concerning the extent to which effect may be given to this Article in the future.