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

Convention concerning Statistics of Wages and Hours of Work, 1938 (No. 63) - Cuba (Ratification: 1954)

In its previous direct request, the Committee asked the Government to take measures to ensure the compilation of statistics of hours actually worked (Parts II and IV of the Convention) and of time rates of wages and of normal hours of work (Part III). It notes with interest that the information required by the Convention with regard to statistics of wages and hours of work in each economic branch of the formal sector are compiled through current sources of statistics, namely: (i) the annual reports provided by economic units in the formal sector (Sistema de Información de Estadística Nacional, SIE-N and Sistema de Información de Estadísticas Complementarias, SIE-C; and (ii) the National Employment Survey (Encuesta Nacional de Ocupación (ENO)). It draws the Government’s attention to the new standards on the measurement of working time, namely Resolution I adopted at the 18th International Conference of Labour Statisticians, of which the broader concepts and measures are defined in detail and are accessible through the Internet link www.ilo.org/global/What_we_do/Statistics/standards/resolutions/
lang--en/docName--WCMS_112456/index.htm.

Annual statistics of average monthly earnings covering all persons employed (wage-earners and employed persons) are compiled for all branches of economic activity (including agriculture, mining and manufacturing, building and construction), in public and mixed enterprises in the formal sector, based on the annual reports referred to above (Articles 5 and 22). However, the Committee notes that these statistics are not available for each sex, nor for any other characteristic of the persons employed (Article 10(2)) and that index numbers of wages are not compiled (Article 12). Recalling that, in accordance with Article 10(2) of the Convention, once every three years and where possible at shorter intervals the statistics of hours actually worked shall be supplemented by separate figures for each sex and for adults and juveniles, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide methodological information relating to working time (the concept of “hours actually worked”) and would continue to provide the ILO with statistics on each of the subjects covered by Parts II, III and IV as soon as possible.

Furthermore, with reference to its general observation of 2000, the Committee once again invites the Government to envisage the ratification of the Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160), and to keep the ILO informed of any relevant information and any difficulties encountered. It recalls in this respect that the objective of the adoption of Convention No. 160 was the preparation of statistics to provide “the elements for describing, understanding, analysing and planning the many and complex dimensions of labour’s role in the functioning of the modern economy and of society in general” (ILC, 71st Session, 1985, Provisional Record No. 35). For this purpose, Convention No. 160 includes the necessary provisions for its flexible and gradual implementation. The Committee suggests that the Government may wish to seek technical assistance to be in a position to initiate the process of the ratification of the above Convention, which would ipso jure involve the denunciation of Convention No. 63.