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

Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) - Syrian Arab Republic (Ratification: 1957)

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

Repetition

Scope of the Convention. The Committee had previously requested the Government to specify and provide details concerning the legislative provisions affording to the following categories of workers the rights enshrined in the Convention: independent workers, civil servants, domestic servants and similar categories, workers in charity associations and organizations, casual workers and part-time workers whose hours of work do not exceed two hours per day. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that : (i) pursuant to section 5(b) of the Labour Act No. 17 of 2010, domestic workers and similar categories, workers in charity associations and organizations, casual workers and part-time workers shall be subjected to the provisions of their employment contracts, which may not, under any circumstances, prescribe fewer entitlements than those prescribed by the Labour Act, including the provisions of the Law on Trade Union Organizations; and (ii) civil servants are governed by the Basic Law on State Employees No. 50 of 2004. Noting that section 5(b) of the Labour Act excludes several categories of workers from its scope of application and exclusively refers to the content of their individual contracts of employment, the Committee requests the Government to specify the legislative provision recognizing the right to collective bargaining. The Committee further requests the Government to indicate legislative provisions regulating the right of collective bargaining for civil servants not engaged in the administration of the State. It further requests the Government to indicate whether independent workers enjoy the rights afforded by the Convention and to specify the relevant legislative provisions.

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Adequate protection against acts of interference. In its previous comments, noting that the Labour Act of 2010 does not expressly prohibit acts of interference on the part of the employers’ or workers’ organizations in each other’s affairs, the Committee had requested the Government to take measures with a view to adopting clear and precise provisions prohibiting acts of interference, accompanied by sufficiently dissuasive sanctions. While observing that the Government does not provide specific information in this regard, the Committee recalls that under the terms of Article 2 of the Convention, workers’ and employers’ organizations shall enjoy adequate protection against any acts of interference by each other or each other’s agents or members in their establishment, functioning or administration. Acts of interference are deemed to include acts which are designed to promote the establishment of workers’ organizations under the domination of an employer or an employers’ organization, or to support workers’ organizations by financial or other means, with the object of placing such organizations under the control of employers and employers’ organizations (see 2012 General Survey on the fundamental Conventions, paragraph 194). The Committee therefore requests the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that the legislation explicitly prohibits all of the acts covered by Article 2 of the Convention and that it provides for sufficiently dissuasive penalties in this respect.

Article 4. Promotion of collective bargaining. The Committee had previously noted that section 187(c) of the Labour Act grants an excessive power to the Ministry to object and refuse to register a collective agreement on any grounds that it deems appropriate during a 30-day period after filing the collective agreement and therefore requested the Government to amend the provision in order to fully guarantee the principle of free and voluntary collective bargaining established in the Convention. Additionally, it pointed out that pursuant to section 214 of the Labour Act, if mediation fails, either party may file a request to initiate dispute settlement through arbitration and accordingly recalled that compulsory arbitration is only acceptable in relation to public servants engaged in the administration in the State, essential services in the strict sense of the term, and acute national crises. The Committee observes that the Government merely states that all laws and subsequent amendments on the Labour Act were adopted in full consultation with social partners, and reiterates that section 187(c) of the Labour Act aims to ensure that collective agreements are in conformity with the abovementioned Act. The Committee once again requests the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that sections 187(c) and 214 of the Labour Act are brought into conformity with the Convention.

Arbitration bodies. The Committee previously requested the Government to take measures to amend section 215 of the Labour Act so as to ensure that the composition of the tribunal is balanced and has the confidence of the parties in the arbitration mechanism. Noting with regret the absence of any new development in this regard, the Committee expects that the Government will undertake, as soon as possible, the amendment of the abovementioned provision.

Application of the Convention in practice. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to indicate the measures taken to promote and encourage the greater development and utilization of procedures of voluntary negotiations between employers or employers’ organizations and workers’ organizations. While taking note that the Labour Act refers in its section 178 to collective bargaining and social dialogue, the Committee requests the Government to indicate, in practice, the measures taken or envisaged to promote and encourage the greater development and utilization of procedures of voluntary negotiations between employers or employers’ organizations and workers’ organizations to regulate the terms and conditions working through collective bargaining. It also requests the Government to provide information on the number of existing collective agreements, the sectors concerned and the numbers of workers covered by those.

While acknowledging the complexity of the situation prevailing on the ground due to the presence of armed groups and armed conflict in the country, the Committee trusts that the Government will make all efforts to bring its law and practice into conformity with the Convention.

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