Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2000, published 89th ILC session (2001)

Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Isle of Man

The Committee notes the Government’s report and, in particular, the Statistics Bill which will make the employers’ cooperation in the Earnings Survey compulsory. The Committee also notes the comments of the Trades Council on the Earnings Survey attached to the Government’s report, which includes criticism as to the accuracy and reliability of the survey results. It asks the Government to keep it informed of developments concerning the promulgation of the Statistics Bill, and encourages it to make efforts (i) to improve the response rate of the annual survey in the private sector and (ii) to compile, periodically, in-depth and more extensive surveys, which would provide more detailed data on earnings and hours of work.

The Committee asks the Government to provide further information on the following points.

Article 8 of the Convention.  The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the experimental questions included in the 1996 Census, in an attempt to implement the ILO definition of unemployment, met with mixed results and that difficulties were encountered. At this point, the Committee recalls that the Government indicated in the previous report that "any comments from the ILO would be welcomed". It asks the Government to address this question directly to the ILO Bureau of Statistics, and to ask the Bureau to provide to the Government any necessary assistance on this point.

Article 9, paragraph 2.  The Committee notes the Government’s indication in its report that the possibility of compiling statistics for time rates of wages and normal hours of work remains under consideration. It asks the Government to keep the ILO informed of any future developments in this respect.

Article 13.  The Committee notes that analysis and publication of the 1995-96 Family Expenditure Survey has been delayed. It asks the Government to forward to the ILO the publication of both the results and the full methodological description of the 1995-96 survey as soon as they become available.

Article 16.  The Committee notes the Government’s indication that if the Government were to accept the obligations of Article 11, this would require an extension of the Statistics Bill to cover data collection on labour cost and, at present, this appears to be highly unlikely. The Committee asks the Government to keep the Office informed of any future developments in this area.