Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, 1970 (No. 131) - Syrian Arab Republic (Ratification: 1972)

The Committee notes the detailed information provided in the Government's report in reply to previous comments. It notes the Government's indication that, although the national legislation has excluded domestic workers from the scope of the Labour Code, the Government will examine the possibility of covering domestic workers by the Code until the legislation concerning the minimum wage for this category of workers is enacted. The Committee requests the Government to keep providing information on any development in this respect.

With reference to its previous comments, the Committee hopes that the Government will indicate in its next report any measures taken or envisaged to ensure application of the minimum wages fixed under the Labour Code to the homeworkers, and in particular to those who work under the employer's authority or supervision, and who are thus covered by the Code under section 2. In this respect, the Committee wishes to recall paragraph 87 of its 1992 General Survey on minimum wages, in which it recognized the practical difficulties involved in fixing minimum wages for some or all of homeworkers, but hoped, in view of the particular difficulties involved in implementation, that governments would make every effort to extend to these workers the protection afforded by a system of minimum wages.

Finally, the Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government concerning the application of the Convention in practice. It requests the Government to continue to provide such information, in accordance with Article 2, paragraph 1, of the Convention, in conjunction with Article 5 and point V of the report form, including: (i) the minimum wage rates in force; (ii) the available data on the number and different categories of workers covered by minimum wage provisions; and (iii) the results of inspections carried out (e.g. the number of violations of minimum-wage provisions, the penalties imposed, etc.).