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

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Benin (Ratification: 1960)

The Committee notes the Government's report.

1. Article 1, paragraph 1, and Article 2, paragraph 2(a), of the Convention. Further to its earlier comments, the Committee notes that, according to the Government, Act No. 83-007 concerning civic and military service is no longer applied and no one has been liable to such service since 1985. The Government states that the Act in question is to be amended and will stipulate that, during miliary service, conscripts will only be required to do work of a purely military nature. The Committee recalls, however, that concern about this legislation has been the subject of its comments for more than ten years and again expresses the hope that the Government will do everything in its power as quickly as possible to ensure that legislation is either amended or repealed so as to conform with the provisions of the Convention.

2. Article 1, paragraph 1, and Article 2, paragraph 2(d). Further to its earlier comment, the Committee notes that a Bill No. 98-109 on the exercise of the right to strike has been submitted to the National Assembly on 20 March 1998. The Bill would limit the requisitioning of public servants and other workers on strike in semi-public or private enterprises. Given that this question has been the subject of the Committee's comments for more than 20 years, the Committee expresses the hope that the Bill will be adopted soon so as to bring legislation into conformity with the Convention. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on developments.

3. Article 1, paragraph 1, and Article 2, paragraph 1. The Committee notes the public service voluntary departure programme and information provided by the Government in reply to its previous comments. The Committee also notes the number of officers and non-commissioned officers in the armed forces who had, at their request, taken advantage of this programme and the number of such requests which had been refused. The Committee requests that the Government continue to provide such data.

4. The Committee recalls that the Government previously indicated its intention of including, in Order No. 207 of 6 July 1979 concerning the entry competition to agricultural polytechnic establishments, a repayment clause linked to the length of training received. In its last report, the Government states that the Order is no longer applied. The Committee recalls that repayment is only one of the options that should be available to public servants for leaving their employment and refers the Government again to the explanations given in the 1979 General Survey on the abolition of forced labour, paragraphs 55 to 62. It requests the Government to indicate what provisions and practices now apply as regards the freedom of labour of the persons concerned.