Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2005, published 95th ILC session (2006)

Nursing Personnel Convention, 1977 (No. 149) - Zambia (Ratification: 1980)

The Committee notes with regret that the Government’s report has not been received. 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 matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:

Article 6(a), (b) and (d) of the Convention. Further to its previous comments the Committee notes that the Government has not mentioned in its last report the legal provisions governing weekly hours of work for nursing personnel in the civil service. It is therefore bound to request once more to the Government to provide more details on the abovementioned legislation and to supply the Office with a copy of the relevant text.

The Committee observes that with the report for the period ending 30 June 1993, the Government only enclosed text of legislation intended for those who are not effectively represented by any trade union. The Committee recalls that in its previous comments it requested the Government to provide samples of the agreements related to nursing personnel in the branches of industry. The Committee hopes that the Government will provide samples of these agreements.

In addition, the Committee notes that the Government’s report does not reply to its previous comments requesting information on the provisions of the Statutory Instruments Nos. 126 and 127 which subject nursing personnel to the scope of application of these instruments and which provide that weekly rest and educational leave are to be granted. The Committee trusts that the Government will supply the requested information with its next report.

Article 7. The Committee takes note of the indication of the Government that nursing personnel are subjected to medical check-ups only on first appointment and during confirmation and that examination to detect the AIDS virus is done on a voluntary basis. The Committee notes also that consultations have been initiated with the Ministry of Health concerning measures to be taken to adapt national legislation on health and safety at work to the particular risk of accidental exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It requests the Government to report on any progress achieved in this respect.

Part V of the report form. The Committee hopes that the Government will provide information on any practical difficulties encountered in the implementation of the Convention.