Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1996, published 85th ILC session (1997)

Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) - Aruba

The Committee notes with regret that no report has been received from the Government. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the following matters raised in its previous direct request:

In its previous comments, the Committee noted that the Netherlands Antilles legislation has been in force in Aruba since 1 January 1986. The Committee asks the Government to indicate whether the amendments made to the Criminal Code of the Netherlands Antilles by Ordinance No. 152 of 7 November 1986, particularly as regards sections 413 and 414 of the Code, have also been applied to Aruba.

The Committee has noted the information supplied by the Government in its report received in June 1991 to the effect that the amendments have not yet been adopted. The Committee observes that under sections 413 and 414 of the Criminal Code, certain breaches of labour discipline by seamen are liable to imprisonment involving compulsory labour, which is contrary to Article 1(c) and (d) of the Convention.

The Committee refers to its observation of 1989 on this Convention regarding the Netherlands Antilles, and asks the Government to indicate the measures taken or under consideration to bring the legislation into conformity with the Convention.