Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1995, published 82nd ILC session (1995)

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

The Committee notes the detailed information supplied in the Government's report in reply to its previous comments.

Article 2, paragraphs 1 and 2, of the Convention. The Committee notes with interest that by virtue of the circular to hospital managers, dated 21 January 1994, the measures taken between 1989 and 1993 have made it possible to revalue nursing work both in financial terms and at the level of the numbers of personnel providing hospital services. It also notes that the preparation of social agreements has been completed and that the measures taken by the Government to safeguard competitiveness and social security mean that additional wage increases cannot be awarded between 1994 and 1996 inclusive.

The Committee requests the Government to continue supplying detailed information on the progress achieved in ensuring career prospects and remuneration that are likely to attract persons to the profession and retain them in it, in accordance with these provisions of the Convention.

Article 7. The Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures which have been taken or are envisaged to improve existing laws and regulations on occupational health and safety by adapting them to the special nature of nursing work and of the environment in which it is carried out. Furthermore, with reference to its general observation of 1990, which was repeated in 1994, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures which have been taken or are envisaged, in consultation with the employers' and workers' organizations concerned, to take into account the particular risk of accidental exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among nursing personnel: for example, by the arrangement of working conditions, the confidentiality of test results, recognition that the cause of infection was occupational, etc.

Point V of the report form. The Committee notes the statistics on the distribution of nursing personnel. It requests the Government to continue supplying information on this subject and to provide data on the number of persons who are leaving the profession.