Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1994, published 81st ILC session (1994)

Minimum Age (Industry) Convention (Revised), 1937 (No. 59) - Lebanon (Ratification: 1977)

The Committee takes note of the information in the Government report. It also notes that a revision of the Labour Code is to be undertaken in the light of the provisions of the international Conventions, ratified by Lebanon. The Committee recalls the points it has raised in its previous comments.

Article 2, paragraph 1, of the Convention. The Committee notes that the minimum age for employment or work in industry, set at 13 years under section 23 of the Labour Code, is still in force. It requests the Government to keep it informed about all measures envisaged or taken to fix the minimum age at 15 years, as required by the Convention.

Article 2, paragraph 2. The Committee notes that section 7, subsection 3, of the Labour Code excludes from the application of its provisions undertakings in which only members of the family are employed and that therefore no provisions exist to ensure that the work of children in family undertakings may only be authorized in employment which, by its nature and the conditions in which it is carried on, is not dangerous to the life, health or morals of the persons concerned. It hopes that in the near future the necessary measures will be taken to extend relevant legislation to this category of undertakings, to bring it into conformity with this provision of the Convention.

Article 3. The Committee notes that according to Decree No. 11019 of 7 October 1968, children may undergo occupational training with individual employers from the age of 12 years onwards, which is not in accordance with this provision of the Convention. The Committee asks the Government to provide it with a copy of the said Decree.

Furthermore, no information regarding technical schools has been provided, which have been exempted from the application of the Convention under section 25 of the Labour Code. The Committee hopes that the Government will provide the required information with its next report.

Article 4. The Committee notes that the requirement for every employer in an industrial undertaking to keep a register of all persons under the age of 18 years employed by him, and of the dates of their births, has not yet been fulfilled.

The Committee hopes that the special committee to study the internal legal measures aimed at giving effect to the provisions of ratified Conventions will soon recommend the pertinent measures and that they will be transformed into legal reality in the near future. It asks the Government to keep it informed on any progress achieved.