Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Paraguay (Ratification: 1967)

The Committee notes the Government's report for the period ending on 1 September 1996. It requests the Government to provide further information on a certain number of points.

Article 5 of the Convention. Please describe the arrangements made by the Government in order to promote collaboration between officials of the labour inspectorate and employers and workers or their organizations and indicate the particular forms of such collaboration.

Article 6. The Committee asks the Government to provide information enabling it to compare the average annual salary of labour inspectors with that of public officials and the average annual wage in Paraguay.

Articles 10 and 16. The Committee has previously noted that the number of inspectors was insufficient to secure the discharge of their duties. The Committee notes that according to the report of the Inspection and Vigilance Department, 767 inspection visits took place within the period from January to December 1996. Taking into consideration the information provided in the Government's report that there were 38 labour inspectors, it turns out that each inspector on average would have conducted only 1.68 inspection visits per month. The Committee hopes that the Government will adopt measures to increase the number of labour inspectors and inspection visits in order that workplaces be inspected as often and as thoroughly as necessary and asks to provide information on any progress made.

Article 11. Please indicate the geographical distribution of cars and other means of transport furnished to labour inspectors in relation to the number of inspectors.

Article 13. In previous comments the Committee noted the draft resolution intended to ensure the application in law of this Article of the Convention and expressed the hope that it would be adopted in the near future. The Committee notes the Government's indication that labour inspectors have the authority to suspend temporarily the work in case of danger to the lives of workers and other persons. The Committee requests the Government to provide the texts of the relevant specific provisions of the national legislation providing inspectors with such authority.

Articles 20 and 21. The Committee notes that in the report of the Inspection and Vigilance Department for the period from January to December 1996, a significant portion of statistical information required in accordance with Article 21 of the Convention is missing. The Committee asks the Government to take into consideration that annual reports published by the central inspection authority shall deal in particular with all items listed in Article 21 of the Convention, including statistics of industrial accidents and statistics of occupational diseases (Article 21, paragraphs (f) and (g)). The Committee also asks the Government to indicate whether this report was officially published and how its availability to an interested party is assured.