Demande directe (CEACR) - adoptée 2019, publiée 109ème session CIT (2021)

Malte

Convention (n° 81) sur l'inspection du travail, 1947 (Ratification: 1965)
Convention (n° 129) sur l'inspection du travail (agriculture), 1969 (Ratification: 1988)

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of the ratified Conventions on labour inspection, the Committee considers it appropriate to examine Conventions Nos 81 (labour inspection) and 129 (labour inspection in agriculture) together.

Article 14 of Convention No. 81 and Article 19 of Convention No. 129. Notification of cases of occupational disease. The Committee previously noted, in its comment on the application of the Working Environment (Air Pollution, Noise and Vibration) Convention, 1977 (No. 148), research indicating that a large number of occupational accidents and diseases went unreported. The Committee notes from the 2018 annual report of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority that notifications of suspected cases of occupational disease are an important tool, when used effectively, in obtaining a reliable picture regarding the prevalence of occupational ill-health in Malta, which according to the report, remains very unclear. The report also states that during 2018, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority worked on a number of initiatives targeting medical practitioners as part of its efforts to rectify that situation. The Committee requests the Government to provide more detailed information on the activities undertaken by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority to improve the notification of occupational accidents and diseases

Articles 20 and 21 of Convention No. 81 and Articles 26 and 27 of Convention No. 129. Annual labour inspection reports. The Committee notes that no annual report on the work of the labour inspection services was received by the Office, but that the annual reports of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority and the Department of Industrial and Employment Relations are available on the website of those entities. The Committee notes that these reports contain information in relation to most of the subjects listed in Article 21 of Convention No. 81, but that disaggregated information is missing as regards labour inspection activities in the agricultural sector, such as statistics of agricultural undertaking liable to inspection and the number of persons working therein (Article 27(c)), statistics of inspection visits (Article 27(d)), statistics of violations and penalties imposed (Article 27(e)), statistics of occupational accidents, including their causes (Article 27(g)). Moreover, information on the number of occupational diseases is missing (Article 21(g) of Convention No. 81 and Article 27(g) of Convention No. 129). The Committee requests the Government to transmit to the ILO the annual reports on the work of the labour inspection services, as required by Articles 20 of Convention No. 81 and 26 of Convention No. 129, containing all the information listed in Articles 21 and 27 of Conventions Nos 81 and 129 respectively.

Labour inspection and child labour. The Committee previously noted that the number of reported cases of violations of the minimum age legislation had dropped from 52 cases in 2005–06 to 42 cases in 2010–11. In this respect, the Committee notes from the statistical information provided in the Government’s report under the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), that this number had further decreased to 21 cases in 2016. The Committee takes note of this information.