Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2015, published 105th ILC session (2016)

Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) - Germany (Ratification: 1973)

The Committee notes the observations of the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB), received on 4 September 2015. The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments in this regard.

Articles 6(1)(b), 14 and 21 of the Convention. Effectiveness of labour inspection activities in agriculture. The Committee recalls the joint observations made by the Union of Construction, Agriculture and Environment Workers (IG Bau) and the DGB received on 24 November 2011. According to these observations, the number of labour inspections in agricultural undertakings is insufficient to guarantee adequate occupational safety and health standards (particularly in small workplaces), and results in a number of fatal occupational accidents in this sector that is above average. In this context, the trade unions also indicated that, on average, agricultural undertakings are only inspected once every three to five years. The Committee notes that the Government, in response to the Committee’s previous request on preventive measures undertaken and their impact, refers to the 2012 report on preventive measures undertaken by the Social Insurance Fund for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture (SVLFG) attached to its report. It notes from the information in the SVLFG report that the numerous preventive and training activities provided in 2012 also covered areas in which a high number of fatal accidents occurred, that is animal husbandry, landscaping and horticulture, forestry, traffic and transportation routes. At the same time, the Committee notes that it appears from the statistics provided that the number of enterprises visited decreased from 96,196 in 2010 to 80,110 in 2012. It also notes from the statistics provided in this report that the number of fatal accidents and injuries decreased from 188,334 in 2002 to 164,541 in 2012. While welcoming the preventive activities as effective measures to ensure compliance with the national legislation, the Committee requests the Government to provide information about the action taken to ensure that these measures are accompanied by an adequate number of labour inspection visits of agricultural undertakings. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the number of labour inspections carried out and the steps taken to ensure that the conditions of work for seasonal workers and other atypical workers are the subject of labour inspections.