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

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Ratification: 1949)

The Committee refers to its earlier observations and direct requests and would be grateful if the Government would provide further particulars in the following respects:

Articles 4(1) and 10 of the Convention. The Committee notes from the report received in February 1992 that the categorization of inspectors seems to have changed from that used in 1987 and referred to in the Committee's 1988 observation, following comments as to the decline in the numbers of inspectors and inspection visits made by the Trades Union Congress. In particular, the Committee notes that there were 665.5 factory inspectors in June 1991, compared with only 561 in June 1987. At the same time, the numbers of mines inspectors (40) and specialist inspectors (110) as of June 1991 were half those in 1987, whilst wages inspectors (of whom there were 75 in 1987) are no longer mentioned at all. The Committee would be glad if the Government would indicate the administrative practice in this regard. Given also the increased responsibilities of the labour inspectorate as regards, for example, public sector industrial and commercial workplaces (such as shipyards and health service premises), would the Government please indicate how it is assured that the numbers of inspectors and the means at their disposal are sufficient?

Articles 2(1) and 16. The Committee would be glad if the Government would indicate how it is ensured that the transient construction and other workplaces referred to in the report are in fact subjected to inspection as required.

Articles 17 and 18. The Committee would be glad if the Government would provide copies of recent judicial decisions affecting the application of the Convention, particularly as regards the responsibility of legal persons to observe provisions enforceable by labour inspectors.

Articles 20 and 21. The Committee notes that no later copies of annual inspection reports are available than the Health and Safety Commission Report for 1987-88. As regards Northern Ireland, referred to in the Committee's previous direct request, the report for 1987-88 was transmitted only in February 1992, and the 1989-90 report has not yet been received. The Committee hopes that the annual reports required by the Convention will in future be published and communicated in the prescribed time limits.

As regards labour inspection in the agricultural sector, the Committee has noted with interest the information supplied. It would observe that this relates to Convention No. 129, to which it would therefore draw the Government's attention, since the United Kingdom has not yet ratified that Convention.