Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2022, published 111st ILC session (2023)

Convention concerning Statistics of Wages and Hours of Work, 1938 (No. 63) - Cuba (Ratification: 1954)

Part I of the Convention. General Provisions. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government with respect to the normative framework related to labour issues, notably in relation to the regulation of working time. In particular, the Committee notes the adoption of the Decree establishing the principles of organization and operation of the Government Information System (Decree-Law No. 6 of 16 April 2020). In addition, the Government provides information with respect to the adoption of Resolution 29 on 25 November 2020, which establishes the current salary scale in Cuba.

Parts II, III and IV of the Convention. Statistics disaggregated by sex and age. Wage indices. The Committee notes that the data compiled in relation to average monthly earnings covers all employed persons (workers and employees) in all branches of economic activity (including agriculture, mining and manufacturing, building and construction), in public and mixed enterprises in the formal sector. Annual statistics in this respect are compiled by the National Statistics and Information Office (ONEI) and are drawn from the National Employment Survey (Encuesta Nacional de Ocupación). According to the information available to the ILO Department of Statistics (ILOSTAT), the latest available data, which is not disaggregated, is derived from the National Employment Survey and refers to 2010. The Government has not provided new information in this respect, apart from noting that the National Employment Survey from which the disaggregated statistical data is compiled has not been carried out during the reporting period. The Committee therefore once again invites the Government to provide statistics regularly to the ILO on the subjects covered by Parts II, III and IV of the Convention. The Committee hopes that the Government will be in a position in its next report to identify the measures adopted to ensure the availability of statistics disaggregated by sex and age (drawing a distinction between young persons and adults) (Article 10(2)) and to confirm that the index numbers of earnings required by Article 12 have been established. The Committee also recalls that statistics are required on time rates of wages and normal hours of work and that, under the terms of Article 15 of the Convention, such statistics shall be provided separately for the principal occupations at intervals of not more than three years (Part III of the Convention).

Hours of work. Methodological information. The Committee notes that, according to the information available to ILOSTAT, the latest data on hours actually worked (Parts II and IV), provided by ONEI refer to 2009 and 2010. The data is drawn from the National Employment Survey and is disaggregated by economic activity (including the categories of agriculture, stockbreeding, forestry and fishing, mining and quarrying, and manufacturing). The Committee notes, however, that none of these statistics are disaggregated by sex, age (distinguishing between young persons and adults), or any other characteristics of employed persons (Article 10(2)). In its response to the comments of the Committee, the Government indicates that the disaggregated data requested has not been produced during the reporting period. The Committee therefore once again recalls that, under the terms of Article 10(2) of the Convention, the statistics of hours actually worked shall be supplemented by separate figures for each sex and for adults and juveniles at least once every three years and where possible at shorter intervals. The Committee invites the Government to provide the Office with methodological information relating to working time (the concept of “hours actually worked”).

The Committee recalls that the ILO Governing Body, at its 334th Session, October–November 2018, on the recommendation of the Standards Review Mechanism Tripartite Working Group, confirmed the classification of the Convention concerning Statistics of Wages and Hours of Work, 1938 (No. 63) as an outdated instrument, and placed an item on the agenda of the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference (2024) for the consideration of its abrogation or withdrawal. The Governing Body requested the Office to undertake follow-up action to actively encourage the ratification of up-to-date instruments concerning labour statistics. The Committee encourages the Government to follow-up the Governing Body’s decision at its 334th Session (October–November 2018) approving the recommendations of the Standards Review Mechanism Tripartite Working Group, and to consider ratifying the Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160), as the most up-to-date instrument in this subject area.