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

Nursing Personnel Convention, 1977 (No. 149) - Zambia (Ratification: 1980)

The Committee notes that the Government's report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the following matters raised in its previous direct request:

Article 1, paragraph 3, of the Convention. Please supply copies of the special agreements entered into between the Government and agencies employing nursing personnel who give nursing care and services on a voluntary basis.

Article 5, paragraph 3. The Committee noted the statement in the previous report that collective agreements covering the civil service including nursing personnel have been reviewed by the Government from time to time, and that no dispute has occurred between nursing personnel and employers necessitating dispute resolution procedures. Please indicate the procedures which would apply should such a dispute arise.

Article 6. 1. Please supply the administrative regulations in force regarding nursing personnel in the public service covering hours of work, including regulation and compensation for overtime, inconvenient hours and shift work (paragraph (a)); weekly rest (paragraph (b)); and educational leave (paragraph (d)).

2. Please also supply relevant collective agreements relating to nursing personnel in the private sector, particularly with respect to conditions set out in paragraphs (a), (b) and (d) of the Article.

Article 7. The Committee requests the Government to keep it informed of any developments on measures taken or envisaged to improve existing laws and regulations on occupational health and safety by adapting them to the special nature of nursing work and of the environment in which it is carried out, as provided for in the above provision of the Convention.

Point V of the report form. The Committee has noted the statistical data in the previous report on the distribution of nurses by category throughout the country. It would be grateful if the Government would include in its next report statistics on the numbers of nursing personnel in relation to population, the number of patients and other health workers; data on the number of persons leaving the nursing profession, and a general appreciation of the manner in which the Convention is applied in the country, including any practical difficulties encountered.