Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1991, published 78th ILC session (1991)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Guyana (Ratification: 1966)

1. The Committee previously requested the Government to supply copies of laws and regulations governing the service in the armed forces for commissioned and non-commissioned ranks, in particular with regard to the length of contractual periods, of any additional contractual periods which are required upon the completion of training and on terms of resignation from the force as well as copies of corresponding provisions applying to terms of service in the public services. The Committee had referred to information supplied by the Government in its report covering the period ending 30 June 1981 that career personnel of the armed forces are contracted in three-year bands, that additional contract periods are required depending on the cost and length of any training received, and that judges and magistrates like any officers in the public service are free to leave the service when desired on giving the required notice. The Committee requested the Government to provide copies of relevant laws and regulations on which the indications made by the Government in its earlier reports were based.

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its latest report received in June 1988 that copies of the relevant laws and regulations mentioned in its 1981 report are currently in print and will be submitted as soon as possible. The Committee hopes that the Government will provide a copy of these laws and regulations with its next report.

2. In its comments made in 1978 the Committee had noted the provisions of the National Service Act, 1942 (Chapter 15:02), communicated by the Government with its report; in 1980 it noted the Government's indication that this Act had been adopted in 1942 to meet emergency situations during the war and did not govern the national service in existence. In 1982 the Committee took note of the detailed information supplied by the Government on the Guyana National Service: the Government has indicated that this service is a uniformed paramilitary organisation whose aims and objectives are among others to increase national production, develop the hinterland, produce new values, attitudes and discipline so as to create the New Guyana Man, provide the vanguard to the socialist revolution, defend the nation. The Government also stated that the service includes the Pioneer Corps, the Young Brigade and National Corps, the New Opportunity Corps and the Special Service Corps. It further indicated that participation or service in the Guyana National Service was voluntary and that disciplinary procedures similar to those of a paramilitary organisation were applicable.

The Committee had requested the Government to provide the texts establishing and governing the Guyana National Service. In a further comment it also requested the Government to provide information on the nature and subject of the National Service involvement in certain commercial ventures to which the Government had referred.

The Committee notes the Government's statement in its report that these enterprises are state-owned; persons are required by virtue of their educational contractual arrangements with the State, which offers free education from nursery to university levels, or, voluntarily, to join the National Service; staff members and instructors are paid wages and salaries and pioneers are provided training in the technical and vocational fields; they are all maintained at the State's expense.

The Committee takes due note of these indications. Noting also that it has been requesting the texts of the provisions establishing the Guyana National Service for several years, the Committee expresses the hope that the Government will provide with its next report a copy of the provisions in question.

The Committee would also appreciate a copy of the provisions governing contractual arrangements between the State and beneficiaries of free education, in particular at university level.

3. The Committee has noted that under section 24 of the Education Act (Cap. 39:01) every child attending an industrial school may be employed in the vicinity of the school during prescribed hours in agricultural pursuits of any plantation or lands or in any workshop: provided that the full value of any labour performed by a child after deducting the cost of the instruction and of the food (if any) supplied at the cost of the school to the child shall be paid to the parent of the child or secured for it.

The Committee requests the Government to supply copies of any laws or regulations governing attendance of industrial schools and describing the nature of such schools.

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report that industrial schools are mainly in the field of vocational and technical training and, apart from three of them being owned by industrial undertakings, the others - five in all - are managed by the Government; agriculture, except for the Guyana School of Agriculture, forms part of the school curriculum as a practical subject. The Committee also notes the Government's indication that legislation governing the Board of Industrial Training is currently being printed and will be submitted when made available.

The Committee hopes that the Government will provide a copy of this legislation as well as of the provisions organising these schools.