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

Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) - Cuba (Ratification: 1958)

In earlier comments, the Committee referred to the Social Service Act (No. 1254) of 2 August 1973 and to the regulations issued under it by Decree No. 3771 of 5 June 1974, by virtue of which Cuban citizens who graduate in higher education or as middle-level technicians or through regular courses for primary-school teachers are obliged to perform social service in accordance with the planning and priorities laid down by the Government in respect of development tasks. The service in question lasts three years and is to be performed at the place and in the post for which the graduate is intended, and his personal and family circumstances are taken into account.

The Committee observed that unwarranted refusal to perform social service entails temporary or permanent disqualification from the exercise of the profession, which is recorded in the work-book of the person concerned. In addition, graduates disqualified are required to perform tasks, for a period of three years, that do not correspond to the responsibility of their professional work, on pain of being considered, for purposes of their application for rehabilitation, to have failed to observe a correct conduct.

In previous reports, the Government has stated that the provisions concerning temporary or permanent disqualification for the exercise of the profession are not applied at present, as basic occupational and technical training is now provided thanks to the increase in the number of universities and training centres, thus precluding mobility of the workforce.

The Committee took note of these indications and asked the Government to provide information on any measures that had been taken or were contemplated to align the Social Service Act and its regulations with the Convention and the practice described by the Government.

The Committee notes that, in its latest report, the Government refers to the process of analysing the provisions supplementing the Code and all the labour legislation with a view to bringing the provisions of law into harmony with economic and social developments.

The Committee hopes that the Government will supply the information requested in connection with the Social Service Act (No. 1254) and its regulations.