Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1988, published 75th ILC session (1988)

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Cuba (Ratification: 1975)

The Committee notes with interest that the Labour Code of 28 December 1984 has raised the normal minimum age for admission to employment from 15 to 17. The Government may also wish to consider raising the minimum age which was specified in ratifying the Convention, under Article 2, paragraph 3, of the Convention and informing the Director-General of the ILO accordingly, as provided for in paragraph 2 of Article 2.

The Committee requests the Government in its next report to provide additional information on the following points:

Article 3, paragraph 1, of the Convention. The Committee notes that the only types of employment or work for which the Labour Code fixes a minimum age of 18 years are underground work and work entailing handling substances that may affect general health or development. Please indicate whether measures have been taken or are envisaged to fix a minimum age of 18 for other types of employment or work which by their nature or the circumstances in which they are carried out are likely to jeopardise the health, safety or morals of young persons, in order to give full effect to Article 3, paragraph 1, of the Convention.

Article 3, paragraph 2. Please indicate the measures which have been taken in accordance with Article 3, paragraph 2, of the Convention to determine the substances the handling of which is prohibited to young persons under 18, in pursuance of section 225 of the Labour Code.

Article 3, paragraph 3. The Committee also notes that section 224 of the Labour Code forbids the employment of young persons below 17 years of age on certain dangerous or arduous jobs. Please indicate the measures which have been taken or envisaged to ensure that the health, safety and morals of those young persons are fully protected and that the young persons have received adequate specific instruction or vocational training in the relevant branch of activity, as required by paragraph 3 of Article 3.