Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1993, published 80th ILC session (1993)

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Democratic Republic of the Congo (Ratification: 1968)

In its previous comments, the Committee noted the need to prepare and publish annual inspection reports in accordance with Articles 20 and 21 of the Convention, and the difficulties encountered by the Government in the application of Article 7, paragraph 3 (the vocational training of labour inspectors), Article 10 (the number of labour inspectors), Article 11 (the transport and other facilities furnished to labour inspectors) and Article 16 (the frequency of inspections). It notes that the Government has supplied very incomplete reports on the activities of the inspection services for the years 1989, 1990 and 1991. These reports, supplemented by brief information in the report on the Convention, appear to confirm that the objective set out in the Convention, which is to ensure that workplaces are inspected as often and as thoroughly as necessary, despite the efforts of the labour inspectors, is still implemented in a very unsatisfactory manner. The Committee notes in this context that the ILO provided assistance to the Government in 1990 to retrain labour inspectors, and that the Government would like to see this assistance renewed, but that, in view in particular of the lack of resources of the inspection services, this assistance cannot by itself ensure that the Convention is applied. In this context, the Committee also notes the information contained in the annual report for 1991 concerning the impact of social and political events in the country and the hope placed in the National Sovereignty Conference by the workers.

The Committee recalls the important contribution that labour inspection can make to economic development and the sound management of rare resources (see paragraphs 55 to 57 of its General Report of 1992). It trusts that the Government will find the means to overcome its difficulties in the application of the Convention by endeavouring, in particular, to supply the inspection services with the human and material resources which are essential for them, and that it will supply all the necessary information in this respect.