Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2006, published 96th ILC session (2007)

Minimum Wage Fixing Machinery (Agriculture) Convention, 1951 (No. 99) - Belgium (Ratification: 1968)

The Committee notes the new collective agreements adopted in the agricultural sector, namely the collective agreement of 29 July 2005 respecting wage and working conditions (joint committee No. 144, agriculture); the collective agreement of 8 February 2006 respecting the wage indexation to consumer prices (joint committee No. 144); the collective agreement of 8 February 2006 respecting wage and working conditions of seasonal and casual workers (joint committee No. 144); the collective agreement of 18 April 2006 respecting wage and working conditions of seasonal and casual workers (joint committee No. 145, horticultural enterprises); and the collective agreement of 29 July 2005 respecting the payment of a single allowance (joint committee No. 132, agricultural and horticultural enterprises).

In addition, the Committee notes that the monitoring of compliance with the wage scales established in collective agreements is entrusted to the Social Inspectorate, and in particular to the General Directorate of supervision of social laws. In this respect, the Committee notes the statistical information provided by the Government on labour inspection visits undertaken to ensure the protection of remuneration. It notes, in particular, that in 98 out of the 120 cases examined in the agricultural and horticultural sectors, that is in more than 80 per cent of the cases, irregularities were identified. It also notes from the information available on the web site of the General Directorate of the Social Inspectorate that the horticultural sector is considered as a sector that causes concern based on three criteria: the average inspection results based on the amount of wages being settled compared to the number of workers examined; the percentage of inspections that have resulted in a notification or judicial proceedings; and the number of complaints compared to the number of workers.

Based on this information, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on measures taken or envisaged to reinforce the labour inspection system and the system of sanctions in order to reduce significantly the number of irregularities with respect to the payment of wages in the agricultural and horticultural sectors.