Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2017, published 107th ILC session (2018)

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) - Madagascar (Ratification: 1960)

The Committee notes the observations of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and of the Confederation of Malagasy Workers (CTM), received on 25 September and 26 October 2017, respectively, on the application of the Convention in practice, and notes the Government’s comments in this regard. The Committee notes the observations of the Christian Confederation of Malagasy Trade Unions (SEKRIMA), received on 20 September 2017, containing allegations of restrictions on the right to organize, and especially the right of trade unions to organize their management and training activities, and also on the difficulties encountered in establishing trade unions. The Committee requests the Government to provide its comments on the observations of SEKRIMA.

Restrictions on trade union activities in the maritime sector. In its previous comments, the Committee urged the Government to ensure that the independent inquiry conducted into anti-union acts in the maritime sector is concluded as soon as possible. The Committee notes that no information has been provided by the Government in this regard. The Committee therefore reiterates its previous request and once again urges the Government to ensure that the independent inquiry is concluded as soon as possible and to communicate the findings thereof.

Legislative matters

Article 2 of the Convention. Workers governed by the Maritime Code. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that a new Maritime Code was to be adopted and hoped that the right of seafarers to establish and join trade unions would be recognized. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that a roadmap on the adoption of the Maritime Code has been established and received the approval of the tripartite partners. The Committee also notes that a plan of action has been adopted to put into practice the efforts of the Malagasy Government to comply with the provisions of the Convention, and that the Maritime Code that will soon be adopted will take this plan into account. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any progress achieved in this regard and to provide a copy of the Maritime Code as proposed or adopted, and to ensure that the Code establishes the right of seafarers to establish and join trade unions.

Article 3. Representativeness of workers’ and employers’ organizations. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the adoption of Decree No. 2011 490 on employers’ and workers’ organizations and representativeness and asked the Government to provide information on its application and its impact on the determination of the employers’ and workers’ organizations that participate in social dialogue at the national level. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the Decree is to be implemented in several phases, the first of which is the holding of elections for staff delegates at the enterprise level. The Committee notes that, according to the Government, the election process began in 2014, but was slowed down by the adoption of Order No. 34-2015 on the determination of trade union representativeness, as an appeal was lodged to set aside the result of the elections. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that, in early 2017, the Council of State (CE) issued a decision rejecting the appeal, and that the process to determine representativeness was relaunched. Moreover, the Committee notes the Government’s indications that a tripartite meeting on the issues of representativeness and the composition of the National Labour Council (CNT) was held on 10 November 2017. Lastly, the Committee notes that a new ministerial order (Decree No. 2017-843), which envisages the optimization of the CNT and tripartite labour councils with a view to facilitating the determination of employers’ and workers’ representativeness, has been adopted. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any progress made in the election of staff delegates at the enterprise level and on the application and impact from such election in the determination of the employers’ and workers’ organizations that participate in dialogue at the national level.

Right of workers’ organizations to organize their activities and formulate their programmes. Compulsory arbitration. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to take all necessary measures to amend sections 220 and 225 of the Labour Code, which provide that if mediation fails, the collective dispute is referred by the Minister of Labour and Social Legislation to a process of arbitration and that the arbitral award ends the dispute and the strike. The Committee recalled that, in a collective dispute, a compulsory arbitration order is acceptable only where strikes may be prohibited, namely in the case of public servants exercising authority in the name of the State, in essential services in the strict sense of the term and in the event of an acute national crisis. The Committee also asked the Government to take the necessary measures to amend section 228 of the Labour Code on the requisitioning of striking employees, so as to replace the concept of the disruption of public order by the concept of acute national crisis. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that a compilation of the Committee’s observations, in relation to the requested legislative amendments, has been made so that it can be transmitted to the CNT for examination and adoption. The Committee encourages the Government to take all the necessary measures to amend sections 220 and 225 of the Labour Code on arbitration, as well as section 228 of the Labour Code on requisitioning, in order to bring them into conformity with the above principles, and to provide information on any progress made in this regard.