Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1996, published 85th ILC session (1997)

Minimum Age (Underground Work) Convention, 1965 (No. 123) - Gabon (Ratification: 1968)

For many years, the Committee has been drawing the Government's attention to the need to bring the national legislation into line with the Convention on the following points.

Article 2, paragraph 1, of the Convention. The Committee asks the Government to indicate the measures taken to amend section 2(5) of Decree No. 275 of 5 December 1962, so as to prohibit the employment of young people under the age of 18 not only in extraction and earthwork, but in all underground employment or work in mines and quarries.

Article 4, paragraphs 4(b) and 5. The Committee asks the Government to indicate the measures that have been taken to require employers to keep records indicating the date at which young people between 18 and 20 years of age were employed or worked underground in the undertaking for the first time and to make these records available to labour inspectors and to workers' representatives who request them.

The Committee notes that the new Labour Code was promulgated by Act No. 3/94 of 21 November 1994. It also notes the Government's statement in its report that the Committee's comments on these points will be taken into account in the revision of the implementing texts of the new Code, currently under way. The Committee hopes that the necessary measures will be taken in the very near future to give effect to these provisions of the Convention. It asks the Government to provide information on all progress made in this respect.

In addition, the Committee notes the information supplied on the application of the Convention in the only underground mine and asks the Government to continue to include this type of information in its report.