Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2021, published 110th ILC session (2022)

North Macedonia

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) (Ratification: 1991)
Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) (Ratification: 1991)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments.

Repetition

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of ratified Conventions on labour inspection, the Committee considers it appropriate to examine Conventions Nos 81 (labour inspection) and 129 (labour inspection in agriculture) together.

Article 3(1)(a) and (2) of Convention No. 81 and Article 6(1) and (3) of Convention No. 129. Labour inspection activities with regard to foreign workers and the protection of foreign workers in an irregular situation. The Committee notes the Government’s indication, in reply to its previous comments, that labour inspectors carry out the supervision of the implementation of the Law on Employment of Foreign Nationals (LEFN) during regular inspections in the areas of labour relations. The Committee notes that, pursuant to section 18(2) of the Law, the monitoring of its implementation shall be carried out by the State Labour Inspectorate (SLI) and pursuant to section 18(3), labour inspections related to work permits and illegal employment or work of foreign nationals may be carried out ex officio or at the request of the Employment Service Agency (ESA). The SLI is then obliged to submit reports every six months regarding the instituted procedures and imposed misdemeanour sanctions to the ESA pursuant to section 18(4) of the LEFN. Fines can be imposed not only on an employer or a facilitator of illegal work, but also on a foreign national if she or he does not present the work permit when requested by the SLI (section 27). The Committee recalls that, pursuant to Article 3 of Convention No. 81 and Article 6 of Convention No. 129, the functions of the system of labour inspection shall be to secure the enforcement of the legal provisions relating to conditions of work and the protection of workers while engaged in their work. Further, in its 2006 General Survey, Labour inspection, paragraph 78, the Committee indicated that any function of verifying the legality of employment should have as its corollary the reinstatement of the statutory rights of all the workers if it is to be compatible with the objective of labour inspection, which is to protect the rights and interests of all workers and to improve their working conditions. Referring to paragraph 452 of the 2017 General Survey on certain occupational safety and health instruments, the Committee recalls that workers in a vulnerable situation may not be willing to cooperate with the labour inspection services if they fear negative consequences as a result of inspection activities, such as the loss of their job or expulsion from the country. The Committee requests the Government to take specific measures to ensure that the functions assigned to labour inspectors do not interfere with the main objective of labour inspectors, which is to ensure the protection of workers in accordance with Article 3(2) of Convention No. 81 and Article 6(3) of Convention No. 129. It requests the Government to provide information on action undertaken by the inspectorate to ensure the enforcement of the rights of foreign workers found to be in an irregular situation. It further asks the Government to provide information on the number of cases in which foreign workers found to be in an irregular situation have been granted their due rights, such as the payment of outstanding wages or social security benefits.

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

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