Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2017, published 107th ILC session (2018)

Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) - Nicaragua (Ratification: 1967)

Article 4 of the Convention. Promotion of collective bargaining. In its previous comments, the Committee asked the Government to provide information about the promotion of collective bargaining in all areas at national level, including export processing zones (EPZs). In this regard, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that: (i) in 2016, the gender dimension was promoted in collective bargaining, particularly through the signature of 57 collective agreements that included clauses specifically for the benefit of 47,609 women workers; (ii) in 2016, a total of 73 collective agreements were registered at national level, which have an impact on the standard of living of 640,536 persons; (iii) as regards the special regulations concerning EPZs, the Ministry of Labour has reduced its participation in negotiations for collective agreements, leaving direct dialogue between the parties to take place in bipartite committees; only where no bipartite agreements are reached are tripartite committees formed; and (iv) the readjustment of the minimum wage for workers in this sector has been carried out with the participation of the Tripartite National Committee on Export Processing Zones.

The Committee notes with interest the abovementioned initiatives to promote collective bargaining and requests the Government to continue taking steps to expand collective bargaining in all spheres, including EPZs. The Committee requests the Government to send information on any developments in this regard, including the number of collective agreements signed and in force in EPZs, and also the number of workers covered by them. The Committee requests the Government to provide additional information on the nature of the clauses of collective agreements that provide for specific benefits for women and to indicate the number of women workers covered by these agreements.