Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012)

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Egypt (Ratification: 1956)

With reference to its observation, the Committee wishes to raise the following additional points.

Articles 3(1)(a) and 10 of the Convention. Geographical distribution of labour inspection personnel in relation to the distribution of the number of workplaces liable to inspection and workers employed therein. The Committee notes that, according to the Government, there are 1,039 inspectors entrusted with inspections in the field of safety and health, and 856 entrusted with general inspections: industrial and commercial workplaces are liable to these two types of inspection. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate whether the above inspectors are entrusted with conducting inspections solely in industrial and commercial workplaces, or in all workplaces in the private sector, and if it would also indicate the geographical distribution of labour inspection personnel in relation to the distribution of the number of workplaces liable to inspection.

Article 8. Gender distribution of labour inspection personnel. The Government provides indications on the distribution of men and women inspectors amongst the personnel, according to which women inspectors represent around 40 per cent of the inspection personnel in the field of safety and health and 25 per cent of the general labour inspection personnel. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide details of this distribution by grade and to indicate whether there are duties with which women inspectors are especially entrusted, for example in workplaces employing a majority of women or a significant number of young workers.

Articles 11 and 16. Means of transport and transport-related facilities necessary for the performance by labour inspectors of their duties in industrial and commercial workplaces. The Government indicates that the Ministry of Manpower and Migration provides inspectors with the means of transport necessary for the discharge of their duties or reimbursements, and that the Five year Plan 2008–12 envisages the delivery of ten cars to provinces where there are agricultural activities at the rate of two each year. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide a copy with its next report of any legislation governing the reimbursement of the costs and expenses necessary for the discharge of inspection duties and if it would describe the procedure to be followed by inspectors to obtain the necessary transport facilities and reimbursements for their professional travels including any incidental expenses. It would also be grateful if the Government would indicate the distribution of the vehicles made available to labour inspectors for inspections in the industrial and commercial workplaces covered by the Convention and describe the procedure to be followed for them to be able to obtain a vehicle for that purpose.

Articles 5(a) and 14. The Committee notes the statistics provided by the Government on the number of serious accidents and cases of occupational disease received from the Central Department of Safety and Health for the year 2009. With reference to its previous comments on the collaboration between the Department of Occupational Safety and Health of the Ministry of Manpower and Migration and the National Centre for Studies entrusted with this issue, with a view to the establishment of an annual research plan aimed at identifying occupational activities which involve the most serious exposure to risks, such as chemical, mechanical or physical hazards, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the establishment of this annual plan, relevant statistics resulting from its implementation as well as on any other measure adopted in this framework.

Moreover, the Committee once again requests the Government to:

• -indicate the activities of a preventive nature undertaken by the labour inspectorate in workplaces occupying fewer than 50 persons, and the results obtained; and
• -keep the ILO informed of the impact of the recommendations made by health and safety research bodies to the 188 occupational safety and health committees established throughout the country.

Articles 20 and 21. Preparation and publication of an annual report. The Committee notes with interest that the annual labour inspection report for 2010 contains detailed statistics on workplaces inspected and the number of workers employed therein disaggregated by sex, inspection visits, violations reported and industrial accidents and cases of occupational disease. The Committee however observes that the annual labour inspection report does not contain statistics on the penalties imposed (Article 21(e)). The Committee recalls that Paragraph 9(e) of Recommendation No. 81 indicates that statistics of violations and penalties should include, among other elements, the number of infringements reported to the competent authorities and the penalties imposed, as well as particulars of the nature of the penalties imposed by the competent authorities in the various cases (fines, imprisonment, etc.). The Committee also draws the Government’s attention to its 2007 general observation in which it observed, among other matters, that the effectiveness of the binding measures taken by the labour inspectorate depends to a large extent on the manner in which the judicial authorities deal with cases referred to them by, or at the recommendation of labour inspectors. The Committee hopes that the necessary measures will be taken to ensure that future annual reports contain detailed information on the penalties imposed in accordance with the legal provisions violated.

The Committee also reminds the Government of its obligation to ensure that, in accordance with Article 20, the central authority publishes the annual inspection report, and requests it to indicate whether the report provided to the ILO has been published and, if not, to take the necessary measures for that purpose and to keep the Office informed of any progress in this respect.