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

Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) - Egypt (Ratification: 2003)

The Committee refers to its comments under the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81), in so far as they concern the application of the Convention.

Article 6(1)(a) and (b). Labour inspection activities directed at child labour in agricultural enterprises. The Committee previously noted, in its comments under the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), and the Worst Forms of United Nations Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), the concluding observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2001, according to which the main part of child labour is reportedly concentrated in the agricultural sector and that “many of these children work long hours in dusty environments, without masks or respirators, receiving little or no training on safety precautions for work with toxic pesticides and herbicides” (CRC/C/15/Add.145, 21 February 2001, paragraph 29). It further noted the information in the Survey of Young People in Egypt (Preliminary Report) of February 2010 (produced by the Egyptian Cabinet Information and Decision Support Centre and the Population Council), according to which 53 per cent of working children are estimated to work in the agricultural sector. In this regard, the Committee also noted the information by UNICEF that over 1 million children are hired each season to bring in the Egyptian cotton crop, and that these children routinely work 11 hours a day, seven days a week, in 40 degree summer heat.

The Committee also noted, under Conventions Nos 138 and 182, among others: (i) the information that although the Labour Code does not apply to children and women working in small family enterprises which produce for local consumption, inspections are still carried out in the agricultural sector to ensure that the working conditions conform to those prescribed under Orders Nos 188 of 2003 and 1454 of 2011, specifying that children under the age of 18 years may not be employed in certain agricultural occupations, such as cotton harvesting and the spraying of pesticides; (ii) the establishment of a separate unit within the Ministry of Manpower and Migration (MoMM) for child labour investigations in the agricultural sector; (iii) the organization of 50 national workshops in the field of agricultural labour inspections; (iv) the collaboration between the MoMM and the Ministry of Agriculture; (v) the detection of six violations, in the first quarter of 2010 by the labour inspectorate involving children in agriculture, in addition to 68 violations of Order No. 188; and (vi) the establishment of a monitoring and follow-up system for working children, within which inspections are conducted on large agricultural plantations.

While noting the information provided in the Government’s report under Convention No. 81 that, among the 70 violations recorded in the area of child labour in 2011, some were detected in the agricultural sector, and the general information on the sanctions in the Labour Code for violations in the area of child labour and on enforcement procedures for the violation of labour law provisions, the Committee observes that the annual report on the work of the labour inspectorate contains no information on the work of the labour inspection services in child labour in any sector, let alone in the agricultural sector, and that no other information in this regard has been provided by the Government in its report. The Committee asks the Government to provide the Office with information on the number of inspection visits conducted in the area of child labour in agriculture, the number of violations detected and the legal provisions to which they relate, as well as concrete information on the sanctions applied (the amount of fines imposed and other measures ordered, such as the suspension of operations, or other administrative or judicial measures taken), during the period covered by the next report. Please also continue to provide information on any educational activities carried out by the labour inspectorate in this regard.

Noting that the annual reports on the work of the labour inspection services for 2010 and 2011 do not contain any information on the work of the labour inspectorate in the area of child labour, the Committee also requests the Government to ensure that relevant information will be included in future annual inspection reports.

The Committee is raising other points in a request addressed directly to the Government.