Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2009, published 99th ILC session (2010)

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Ghana (Ratification: 1959)

With reference to its observation, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide additional information on the following points.

Articles 1, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 16 of the Convention. Organization and functioning of the labour inspection system. The Committee notes the Government’s commitment to establishing the necessary systems and infrastructure to allow for effective establishment inspection. It also indicates that it is in the process of providing IT resources, such as computers and technical equipment. According to the information provided in its 2008 report on the application of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), the lack of capacity building and logistics for labour inspection supervision, and non-enforcement of laws are major difficulties but the Government has helped the Labour Department and the Department of Factories and Inspectorate, through human resource development and the provision of logistics and equipment, to increase their capacities. These departments are undergoing needs assessment and organizational rearrangement to meet their requirements in labour inspection duties. The Committee further notes that the Government has enhanced its commitment to enable the staff of these departments to undertake some of the training courses run by the ILO–ARLAC (African Regional Labour Administration Centre) to strengthen their capacities aimed at providing effective labour inspection.

The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide detailed information on the structure of the existing labour inspection system, the results of the assessment undertaken and any measures taken or envisaged to reorganize the labour inspectorate.

Noting with concern the small number of visits carried out (106 to 147 according to the statistics provided by the Government) and of workers covered by such visits (1,647) in 2007, the Committee requests the Government to describe, in particular, any measures taken, in terms of strengthening staff numbers, training of staff, allocation of transport facilities and logistical means, with a view to ensuring that workplaces are inspected as often and as thoroughly as is necessary to ensure the effective application of the legal provisions covered by the Convention, in accordance with Article 16.

The Committee requests once again the Government to describe the procedure applicable for the reimbursement to labour inspectors of their occupational transport and travel expenses, and to communicate a copy of any relevant legal provisions.

Article 5(a) and (b). Cooperation with other bodies and collaboration with employers and workers. The Committee requests the Government to indicate arrangements made by the competent authority to promote:

(a)   effective cooperation between the inspection services and other government services and public institutions; and

(b)   collaboration between officials of the labour inspectorate and employers and workers or their organizations, in particular with regard to the partnership approach encouraged by the Government.

Articles 14 and 21(f) and (g). Notification of industrial accidents and cases of occupational disease. Publication of relevant statistics. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to indicate the manner in which inspectors are notified in practice of occupational accidents and relevant statistics are produced and used by the inspection services with a view to developing a strategy for preventing risks. The Committee notes with interest that, according to section 18(2) of the Labour Regulations issued in 2007, these occurrences should be reported to “the Chief Labour Officer or the Inspector of Factories”.

The Committee would like to emphasize that the purpose of such notification is to enable the labour inspectorate to identify the occupational risks inherent in the various activities carried out in the workplaces liable to inspection and determine appropriate preventive action to be implemented at the local and national levels. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would describe any mechanism established to that end (through reporting forms, etc.) and its operation since the entry in force of the above mentioned regulations. It further requests the Government to indicate the number of industrial accidents and cases of occupational disease reported to the labour inspection services by employers during the next reporting period and to take the necessary measures to ensure that such statistical data will be included in the annual report of the work of the labour inspectorate.

Labour inspection and child labour. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information on the activities performed by labour inspectors in the field of child labour and the results achieved. It also request the Government to supply a copy of the inspection form designed to register such information, if any.