Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2007, published 97th ILC session (2008)

Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) - Burkina Faso (Ratification: 1974)

The Committee notes the Government’s report received on 1 June 2007, and the additional information received on 5 November 2007. It notes that this information relates exclusively to the composition and distribution of the labour inspection staff. Further to its previous comments, in which it drew the Government’s attention to the need to adapt the activities of the inspection services to the specific features of the agricultural sector, even if it covers other economic sectors, the Committee notes that nothing appears to have been done in this respect. Moreover, the Government has not been able to provide information, as requested, on the geographical distribution of agricultural enterprises and the workers employed therein. In the absence of such data, no assessment of the extent to which application of the Convention is possible, either by the national authorities with a view to improving coverage, or by the ILO supervisory bodies with a view to fulfilling their function in this respect. As the Committee emphasized in its previous observation, an appreciation of the effectiveness of the labour inspection system in agriculture is necessarily based on knowledge of the needs in this area and on the periodical updating of the relevant information. The obligation for inspection units to provide periodical reports on their activities in agricultural enterprises (Article 25 of the Convention) is designed specifically to enable the central inspection authority to follow, supervise and adjust their activities, as well as to allow information on the items listed in Article 27, which are specific to the agricultural sector, to be included in the annual general report on inspection activities required by Article 26. For more than ten years, no report of this nature has been transmitted to the ILO and no data on the number of agricultural enterprises liable to inspection has ever been provided.

With reference to the Government’s indication of the predominance of child labour in agriculture and stock-raising, and that projects to combat this phenomenon mean that labour inspectors are taking on an important role in this field, the Committee suggests that it should take advantage of the implementation of these projects to set in motion measures to revitalize the activities of the labour inspection services in agricultural enterprises. It notes that no information has been provided by the Government in this respect.

The Committee therefore once again requests the Government to ensure that the labour inspection services have access to data on the number and geographical distribution of agricultural enterprises and the workers employed therein, and to specify the geographical distribution of labour inspectors who in practice discharge their duties in agricultural enterprises.

Once again reminding the Government that, when the economic situation of a member State does not allow it to fulfil adequately the requirements of a ratified Convention, it may have recourse to international financial cooperation and the technical assistance of the Office, the Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on the manner in which effect is given in law and practice to each of the provisions of the Convention and to keep the ILO informed of the difficulties encountered and the measures adopted to resolve them.

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary measures in the very near future.