Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2010, published 100th ILC session (2011)

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Ratification: 1997)

style='font-weight:normal'>(notification: 1997)

With reference to its observation, the Committee wishes to raise the following additional point.

Articles 10, 20 and 21 of the Convention. Availability of statistics of  industrial and commercial workplaces liable to labour inspection and of the number of workers covered. With reference to its general observation of 2009, the Committee notes the information provided by the Government on the various sources of information used by the labour inspectorate in its strategic planning, policy formulation and identification of problems (database of establishments which have been visited by labour inspectors; collaboration with social partners and other law enforcement agencies; occupational safety and health management information system maintained by the Occupational Safety and Health Branch of the Labour Department; Licensing Information Management System maintained by the Radiation Board).

The Committee recalls the interest of having available all the data required by Article 21 of the Convention for inclusion in an annual inspection report so that the report may reflect as faithfully as possible the scope, coverage and effectiveness of the labour inspectorate and allow for the elaboration of accurate impact analyses and needs assessments with a view to the progressive improvement of the functioning of the labour inspection system. The availability of data on the number of industrial and commercial workplaces liable to labour inspection and of the number of workers covered is indeed essential in making a comprehensive assessment of the impact of the labour inspection system and identifying possible areas for improvement, including in relation to the available human and material resources, as provided for in Article 10(a)(i) and (ii) of the Convention. The Committee therefore requests the Government to take measures to foster inter-institutional cooperation for the establishment of a register of workplaces liable to labour inspection, and to keep the ILO informed of any progress in this regard.