Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1990, published 77th ILC session (1990)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Ecuador (Ratification: 1954)

1. Article 2, paragraph 2(a), of the Convention. In previous comments the Committee has referred to the Compulsory Military Service Act which includes among the objectives of military service "co-operation in the social and economic development of country through the implementation of mixed military programmes as indicated by the Ministry of National Defence" (section 3(c) of the Compulsory Military Service Act of 1977).

The Committee recalled that for the purposes of the Convention, work performed with the objective of economic development is not considered to be strictly military and that, in addition, compulsory labour for this purpose is contrary to Article 1(b) of Convention No. 105, which has also been ratified by Ecuador. The Committee requests the Government to supply information on the effect given in practice to section 3(c) of the Compulsory Military Service Act of 1977, in particular as regards the definition and content of mixed military programmes and the measures that have been taken to ensure that the Convention is observed in this respect.

The Committee notes that the Government's report does not contain the requested information and hopes that this will be supplied in its next report.

2. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government concerning the freedom of career members of the armed services to terminate their employment.