Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1992, published 79th ILC session (1992)

Nursing Personnel Convention, 1977 (No. 149) - Belgium (Ratification: 1988)

The Committee notes the Government's first report. It asks the Government to provide additional information on the following points.

Article 2, paragraphs 1 and 2, of the Convention. The Committee takes note of the information and recommendations contained in the note of the Minister of Social Affairs on "the future of the art of nursing with the advent of the year 2000", which establishes the broad outlines of a policy concerning nursing services and nursing personnel in accordance with Article 2 of the Convention. It also notes the shortage of nursing personnel - an estimated 7,000 persons out of a total of approximately 60,000 health-care workers in 1987 - particularly in hospital and psychiatric institutions, owing partly to the working conditions of such personnel. At the same time, the number of nursing students dropped from 8,044 in 1981-82 to 6,027 in 1988-89. The Committee notes that the Government intends to adapt all training to future requirements in the area of health and nursing practice, and to take measures regarding working and employment conditions in order to promote the nursing profession.

The Committee asks the Government to provide particulars of the measures taken with regard to training nursing personnel and on progress made regarding work and employment conditions, in both the public and private sectors, including measures concerning career prospects and remuneration which is appropriate to the level of responsibility, which are likely to attract persons to the profession and retain them in it, in accordance with this provision of the Convention.

Article 6. With reference to the information supplied by the Government in its report, the Committee would like to receive copies of any new agreements applying to nursing personnel concluded in either the public sector or the private sector, concerning the requirements set forth in this Article.

Point V of the report form. Please provide information on the practical application of the Convention and indicate the number of nursing personnel in the public and private sectors in relation to the population. Please provide information on the number of persons leaving the profession.