Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Dominica (Ratification: 1983)

The Committee notes with deep concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments initially made in 2011.

Repetition

Articles 1(1) and 2(1), (2)(a) and (d) of the Convention. National service obligations. Over a number of years, the Committee has been requesting the Government to repeal or amend the National Service Act, 1977, under which persons between the ages of 18 and 21 years are required to perform service with the national service, including participation in development and self-help projects concerning housing, school, construction, agriculture and road building, failure to do so being punishable with a fine and imprisonment (section 35(2)). The Committee observed that, contrary to the Government’s repeated statement that the national service was created to respond to national disasters, the Act contained no reference to natural disasters, but specified the objectives of the national service, which “shall be to mobilize the energies of the people of Dominica to the fullest possible level of efficiency, to shape and direct those energies to promoting the growth and economic development of the State”. The Committee pointed out that the above provisions are not in conformity with the present Convention and the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105), which specifically prohibits the use of forced or compulsory labour “as a means of mobilizing and using labour for purposes of economic development”.

The Government indicates in its report that the item concerning the amendment of the legislation has been included in the Decent Work Agenda, and that the necessary measures will be taken to address the requests in relation to compliance with the Conventions with the technical assistance of the ILO. While having noted the Government’s indications in its earlier reports that the National Service Act, 1977, has been omitted from the Revised Laws of Dominica, 1990, and that section 35(2) of the Act has not been applied in practice, the Committee trusts that appropriate measures will be taken in the near future in order to formally repeal the above Act, so as to bring national legislation into conformity with Conventions Nos 29 and 105 and that the Government will provide, in its next report, information on the progress made in this regard.

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

The Committee expects that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.