Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1989, published 76th ILC session (1989)

Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, 1970 (No. 131) - Ecuador (Ratification: 1970)

The Committee notes with interest the information contained in the Government's report and in particular Act No. 001 of 6 October 1986 determining minimum living wages and salaries and increasing wages and salaries.

Article 5 of the Convention. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee takes note of the information supplied by the Government in its report to the effect that the present methods of supervising the application of the Convention are adequate. However, the Committee notes that the "Bulletin of Statistics and Legislation concerning the Labour Inspection Service. Summary of the period 1984 to 1987" contains no information on the activities of the labour inspectorate relating to the observance of the provisions on minimum wages. The Committee also notes that section 3, subsection 2 of the new Regulations concerning the health and safety of workers and the improvement of the working environment, which define the powers and responsibilities of the Ministry of Labour in this field, provides that the Ministry is responsible for collecting data at the national level concerning the composition and number of the working population, working hours and the number of occupational accidents and diseases. The Committee trusts that, independently of the provisions of the above Regulations, the labour authorities and in particular the labour inspectorate will ensure, in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Code (sections 604 to 609) that the provisions concerning minimum wages are effectively applied. The Committee therefore requests the Government to provide information on the activities carried out by the labour inspectorate to ensure the application of the standards concerning minimum wages, and to supply extracts from labour inspection reports on the visits made, the infringements registered and the penalties imposed.