Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2023, published 112nd ILC session (2024)

Paraguay

Minimum Wage-Fixing Machinery Convention, 1928 (No. 26) (Ratification: 1964)
Minimum Wage Fixing Machinery (Agriculture) Convention, 1951 (No. 99) (Ratification: 1964)

Previous comment

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of the ratified Conventions on wages, the Committee considers it appropriate to examine Conventions Nos 26 and 99 (minimum wages) together.

Minimum wage

Article 4 of Conventions Nos 26 and 99. Supervision and sanctions. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s information in its report that, with the entry into force of the adjustment of the minimum wage through Decree No. 7270 of 2022, a communication and dissemination campaign was launched. The Committee notes that the information prepared by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MTESS) contained details on sectoral minimum wages and on which authorities to consult in cases of violation of the provisions on minimum wages. The Committee also notes the Government’s indication that: (i) the Labour Department of the MTESS has handled complaints from more than 560 informal workers since 2019, demanding an adjustment to the current minimum wage; and (ii) report No. 07/2023 of the Department of Inspection for Labour and Occupational Safety of the MTESS sets out that, as part of the labour inspection procedures, compliance with the current minimum wage is monitored by checking payslips with the date of the inspection against the total number of workers in the enterprise.

With regard to the agricultural sector, the Government indicates that thorough inspections have been carried out in rural workplaces in Chaco and refers, specifically, to memorandum No. 306/2023 of 9 June 2023 of the Department of Inspection and Monitoring, setting out the inspection procedures for workplaces located in Chaco Paraguayo. From the memorandum, the Committee notes that 13 inspections were conducted, five of which concluded with reports of infringements, including failure to comply with the minimum wage. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the cases dealt with by the individual and collective dispute settlement services relating to the minimum wage, including the number of cases, the problems reported and the results achieved. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the measures adopted or envisaged to ensure payment of the minimum wage, including data on the number of inspections conducted, number of workers involved, infringements detected and penalties imposed, in particular with regard to the agricultural sector. The Committee also refers to its comments on the application of the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81).