Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Minimum Age (Industry) Convention (Revised), 1937 (No. 59) - Lebanon (Ratification: 1977)

Article 2(2) of the Convention. Family undertakings. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that, with regard to measures of protection, family undertakings are subject to the general provisions of Legislative Decree No. 21/1932 concerning dangerous establishments harmful to the workers’ health, and the provisions of the Law of Contracts. The Committee noted the Government’s indication that Decree No. 14900 of 2 May 1949 was annulled by Decree No. 3273 of 26 June 2000 on labour inspection, which entrusts to the Labour Inspection, Protection and Safety System at the Ministry of Labour the monitoring of safety and prevention measures in family undertakings. It noted the Government’s information that in the case of family undertakings in industry, it was extremely rare to find children under the age of 15 years and that the high rates of education in Lebanon decreased to a large extent the possibility of children under 15 years working in such undertakings. The Committee requested the Government to provide more detailed information on the number of children under 15 years who work in industrial family undertakings.

The Committee notes the Government’s information that a study on child labour was conducted in 2005 by the ILO, the Director of the Consultation and Research Institute and the Ministry of Labour, which contains statistics on children working in Lebanon. However, the Committee observes that this study provides no statistics pertaining specifically to children working in industrial family undertakings. In fact, the Committee notes that the study indicates that in the town of Nabatiyeh, a low percentage of working children was found because the children working to assist their families in tobacco plantations were not taken into account. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide more detailed information on the number of children under 15 years who do work in industrial family undertakings, and on the protection they are afforded by the abovementioned legislation.

Article 3. Technical training. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the Government’s information that section 16 of the draft Labour Code, which was prepared by the tripartite committee set up by the Ministry of Labour’s Order No. 210/1 of 2000, specified that a training contract is a contract observed by employers in their undertakings, notably in an industrial undertaking, so as to provide full occupational vocational training to a person who is at least 14 years of age, on the condition that the safety, health and morals of the young person concerned are ensured. The Committee reminded the Government that Article 3 of the Convention provides for an exception to the application of the Convention only regarding technical schools approved and supervised by the public authority.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the National Centre for Vocational Training, which is supervised by the Ministry of Labour, offers training to young persons who are over 16 years of age in industrial specializations, such as air conditioning, refrigeration, car mechanics, electricity and electronics.

Article 5. Work dangerous to the life, health or morals. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes with interest the adoption of Decree No. 8987 on the prohibition of the employment of minors under the age of 18 in works that may harm their health, safety or morals. The Committee observes that, according to this decree, minors under the age of 18 shall not be employed in prohibited types of work and activities which, by their nature, harm the health, safety or morals of children, limit their education and constitute one of the worst forms of child labour included in Annex No. 1 of the Decree, which includes working in quarries, caves, mines, and crushing sites, whether underground or not. Moreover, minors under the age of 16 shall not be employed in such types of hazardous work, which are listed extensively in Annex No. 2 of the Decree, and which include all kinds of work in factories that manufacture tiles, rocks, and the like, all types of work in building, demolition, excavation, construction, sand blasting and heights climbing, and working in commercial, industrial, and small enterprises of services with a high rate of occupation hazards. Minors who are at least 16 years of age may be employed in the types of work listed in Annex No. 2, provided that they are offered full protection for their physical, mental and moral health, and provided that they have received a special education or appropriate vocational training in the relevant field of work.

Part V of the report form. Application of the Convention in practice. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that, during inspection visits, female workers under the legal minimum age were found working in harvesting and in the manufacturing of food and beverage products. The Government indicates that, consequently, there is a current investigation into the matter. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the results of the investigation conducted into the matter of underage female workers in harvesting and the manufacturing of food and beverage products. It also requests the Government to continue providing information on the practical application of the legislation giving effect to the Convention in all sectors, including information concerning the number and nature of the contraventions reported.