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

Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Costa Rica (Ratification: 2001)

The Committee takes note of the Government’s report received in September 2009, in reply to its previous comments as well as the documentation attached.

Articles 7 and 8 of the Convention in connection with Articles 5 and 6. According to the Government, the representative employers’ and workers’ organizations were to be consulted in the first quarter of 2010 to validate the final proposals for labour market research while the statistics on the economically active population, employment and unemployment, continue to be provided to the ILO for publication in the Yearbook of Labour Statistics and for dissemination in the ILO website. Moreover, according to the information available at the ILO, the next population census will be conducted in 2011. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue to supply data as soon as practicable.

Article 9(2). Referring to its previous request, the Committee notes with interest (though the report contains no relevant information), that this provision is now applied according to information available at the ILO showing that statistics of average wage rates and normal hours of work are compiled and have been transmitted to the ILO for publication in the October Inquiry (the latest data refer to 2008). The Committee asks the Government to keep the ILO informed of any developments of the “new” survey as indicated in the Government’s report and encourages it to continue to send to the ILO the statistics as soon as available. It draws to its attention the new international standards concerning the measurement of working time (see Resolution I adopted by the 18th International Conference of Labour Statisticians, accessible via http://ilo.org/global/What_we_do/
Statistics/standards/resolutions/lang--en/docName--WCMS_112455/index.htm, whose larger number of concepts and measures would seem to be better aligned to national practice).

Article 10. In reply to the Committee’s previous comment, the Government indicates that, as for Article 9, measures have been taken to investigate the distribution of wages and of hours of work, according to the guidelines contained in the Labour Statistics Recommendation, 1985 (No. 170), Paragraph 5(2)(b). The Committee understands that statistics on the distribution of wages have not yet been compiled. The Committee asks the Government to keep the ILO informed of any further developments relating to the distribution of wages and hours of work, according to the relevant guidelines contained in Recommendation No. 170.

Article 11. The Committee notes with regret that the Government does not plan to compile statistics of labour cost in the short run and normally derived from an establishment/employers’ survey or estimated on the basis of earnings surveys and administrative records. The Committee asks the Government to take steps to compile and publish statistics on the level and structure of labour cost, in accordance with the Resolution on Statistics of Labour Cost adopted by the 11th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (1966) and Paragraph 6 of Recommendation No. 170 and to keep the ILO informed of any development in this regard. The Committee asks the Government to ensure that these statistics cover important branches of economic activity and if possible, that they are consistent with data on employment and hours of work from the same source and of the same scope.

Article 13. The Committee notes that the Government has conducted Household Income and Expenditure Surveys in 1949, 1961, 1974, 1988 and 2004–05. The latest Survey (Encuesta nacional de ingresos y gastos 2004–05) was conducted in the period April 2004 to April 2005 on a sample of 5,520 dwellings distributed throughout the whole county. It also notes that additional information about living standard of the population, income distribution and poverty incidence is collected through the multipurpose household survey (Encuesta de hogares de propositos multiples) that is being conducted in July of each year. Referring to its previous request, the Committee also notes the information requested under Articles 2, 5 and 6. Noting, however, that the Government’s report does not provide the information requested on whether the representative organizations of employers and workers have been consulted for the 2004‑05 survey in designing or revising the concepts, definitions and methodology used in the collection, compilation and publication of the statistics required under Article 13, the Committee asks it to provide full information in this regard. It also points out that Household Income and Expenditure Surveys should be conducted with frequency not exceeding 5 years and asks the Government to keep the ILO informed about the plans to conduct the next round of Household Income and Expenditure Survey.

Article 14. It appears from the general information provided in the Government’s report, the statistics attached, and those regularly transmitted to the ILO for publication in the ILO Yearbook of Labour Statistics, that the provisions of this Article remain only partially applied. In 2007, the coverage of the statistics was limited to about 53 per cent of workers employed. Available information is insufficient to determine whether these data are representative of the country as a whole. Relevant information is needed regarding:

(a)   the international standards that may have been taken into account when the statistical system was established or revised (Article 2);

(b)   whether any employers’ or workers’ organizations were consulted (Article 3);

(c)   whether a methodological description has been established and published (Article 6); and

(d)   the methods used to compile statistics of occupational diseases, if any.

Consequently, the Committee asks the Government to provide information on:

–      the standards and guidelines established under the auspices of the ILO that were followed when the concepts, definitions and methodology used for the statistics on occupational injuries were designed or revised (Article 2);

–      the manner in which workers’ and employers’ organizations are consulted (Article 3);

–      to transmit to the ILO the publications entitled “Estadísticas del seguro de riesgos del trabajo”, INTE 31-09-01-2002: Registro, clasificación y estadistica de lesiones del trabajo and/or the titles and reference numbers of the principal publications containing the statistics and the detailed descriptions of the sources, concepts, definitions and methodology used in collecting and compiling the statistics on occupational injuries (Articles 5 and 6);

–      the measures that are planned, if any, to extend the coverage of the statistics of occupational injuries so that they are representative of the country as a whole;

–      the compilation and publication of statistics on occupational diseases, if any.

Article 15. In view of the total absence of statistics of strikes and lockouts as reported in the Government’s reply to its previous request, the Committee requests the Government to keep the ILO informed of any developments concerning the extent to which effect may be given to Article 15 in future, in order to supply statistics and relevant methodological information to the ILO for international dissemination, in view of its obligations under the relevant Articles 2, 3, 5 and 6.