Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1992, published 79th ILC session (1992)

Workmen's Compensation (Agriculture) Convention, 1921 (No. 12) - Morocco (Ratification: 1956)

In its general observation of 1991, the Committee requested the Government to report in detail in response to the comments made on 5 March 1991 by the Democratic Confederation of Labour and the General Union of Workers of Morocco on the application by Morocco of several Conventions including Convention No. 12. According to these comments, the defective and limited supervision exercised by the labour inspectorate in the agricultural sector is depriving the workers of their social protection and stability in employment and encouraging agricultural employers not to declare industrial accidents and to flout their obligations in that respect. The two organisations also allege that agricultural workers often relinquish their rights because they are ignorant of the law and wish to avoid judicial proceedings which would require them to appear before a tribunal in the city. Hence, the absence or limited presence of labour inspectors in agriculture has the effect of preventing effective implementation of a system of industrial accident compensation in that sector. Finally, the Democratic Confederation of Labour and the General Union of Workers draw attention to the absence of any Ministry of Labour statistics of industrial accidents occurring in the agricultural sector.

The Committee notes that the report which the Government was asked to supply for the period ending 30 June 1991 has not been received. It trusts that the Government will not fail to supply, for examination at its next session, detailed information in response to the comments of the Democratic Confederation of Labour and the General Union of Workers and on all measures taken or contemplated in that connection. The Committee also hopes that the Government will supply information on the application of the Convention in practice in accordance with point V of the report form adopted by the Governing Body. In this context, it hopes that statistics can be supplied concerning the number of employees in the agricultural sector who are protected by the industrial accident compensation scheme in proportion to the total number of employees in that sector; concerning the number of industrial accidents occurring in agriculture; and concerning the amount of benefits granted in case of the worker's incapacity, invalidity or death. Please also supply information concerning the number of inspections carried out to verify the application in agriculture of the industrial accident compensation law and concerning the number and nature of the violations detected.

[The Government is asked to report in detail for the period ending 30 June 1992.]