Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1997, published 86th ILC session (1998)

Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144) - Zambia (Ratification: 1978)

1. The Committee notes the Government's report and the information supplied in answer to its previous direct request.

2. It notes with interest the consultations on the subjects referred to in Article 5, paragraph 1(a), (b) and (d), of the Convention as a result of which a decision was taken to ratify the Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995 (No. 176).

3. The Committee notes the information to the effect that, owing to logistic problems, the Tripartite Technical Committee of the Tripartite Consultative Labour Council was unable to fulfil its mandate during the period covered by the report. The Government states, however, that every effort is being made to enable it to resume its mandate. The Committee hopes that the Tripartite Technical Committee will be able to resume its work at the earliest possible date, and particularly the re-examination of unratified Conventions and of Recommendations to which effect has not yet been given paragraph 1(c).

4. In this connection and further to its previous comments, the Committee asks the Government to inform it of action taken following the consultations on the ratification of the Equality of Treatment (Social Security) Convention, 1962 (No. 118). It would also appreciate information on the status of the discussions concerning the denunciation of the Underground Work (Women) Convention, 1935 (No. 45) and the Night Work (Women) Convention (Revised), 1948 (No. 89) (and Protocol, 1990).

5. Lastly, the Committee notes the detailed information supplied by the Government on the process of the re-examination of unratified ILO Conventions Nos. 87 and 98. It notes with interest that amendments are to be made to the Industrial and Labour Relations Act to bring it into line with the provisions of the above-mentioned Conventions in particular by removing trade union monopoly from the legislation. In this connection, the Committee wishes to recall that in paragraph 91 of its General Survey of 1994 on freedom of association and collective bargaining, it stated that trade union unity imposed directly or indirectly by law is contrary to the express provisions of Convention No. 87. The Government is asked to keep the Office informed of developments in the consultations on the ratification of Conventions Nos. 87 and 98 resulting from these amendments to the Act.