Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2003, published 92nd ILC session (2004)

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Uruguay (Ratification: 1973)

Referring also to its observation, the Committee notes that the Government has not supplied information on the points raised in its previous comment which read as follows:

1. Distribution by gender of the inspection service. Recalling that under Article 8 of the Convention both men and women shall be eligible for appointment to the inspection staff and that, where necessary, special duties may be assigned to men or women inspectors, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the proportion of women engaged in inspection work and to specify whether they have been assigned special duties.

2. Notification to the labour inspectorate of industrial accidents and cases of occupational disease. Referring to the explanations supplied by the Government on how effect is given to this by Ministerial Resolution, section 14, of 23 June 1995, the Committee notes that this information concerns the specific manner of notifying industrial accidents occurring in the building sector and that the labour inspectorate is notified through the social insurance scheme or the police in the most serious cases. The Government is requested to supply information as to how the aforementioned provision of the Convention is applied in the other sectors of activity covered by the Convention and to provide any relevant texts. The Committee would also be grateful if the Government would specify the criteria of seriousness taken into consideration for notification of industrial accidents.

The Committee recalls that under Article 14 cases of occupational disease shall also be notified to the labour inspectorate and requests the Government to supply information on any legislation and practice on this matter as well as any measure taken or envisaged to promote information to employers and workers on the requirement for, and manner of, giving effect in practice to this provision.

3. Labour inspection and child labour. Referring to its 1999 general observation, the Committee notes with interest the information regarding the numerous activities, with UNICEF financial support, designed to diagnose the situation regarding child labour as well as the training and awareness-raising programme on the matter for staff of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. It notes that the National Institute for Young People (INAME) collaborates in inspection activities. The Committee hopes that the Government will not fail to communicate information on the outcome of these various activities in practice and that statistics concerning inspection activities in regard to child labour will be supplied separately in forthcoming annual inspection reports.

4. Training of inspectors on the subject of women at work. The Committee notes with interest that, in the framework of in-service training, labour inspectors have participated in workshops on working conditions of women. The Government is requested to supply information regularly on the content of in service training for labour inspectors, and the impact of this training on inspection activities.

The Committee requests the Government to provide the information asked for as well as any relevant document.