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

Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Guatemala (Ratification: 1993)

The Committee notes the Government’s report. It asks the Government to provide further information on the following points.

Article 7 of the Convention.  The Committee notes that the latest data on employment (general level of employment derived from official estimates and paid employment by economic activities from insurance records) and registered unemployment available at the ILO refer to 1996 and 1995 respectively. It again draws the attention of the Government to the obligations under Article 5 and requests that consistent and updated data on employment and unemployment be sent to the ILO, including those classified by industries and/or occupations, if available. The Committee also notes that, according to the Government’s report, a module on employment was included in the 1998-99 Encuesta Nacional de Ingresos y Gastos Familiares. It asks the Government to send to the ILO these data together with the relative methodological information.

Article 9, paragraph 1.  The Committee notes that statistics of average earnings are compiled from two sources: (i) the annual reports which are submitted to the IGSS (Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social) and cover all economic activities. However, no information is available on the extent to which the statistics are representative of the proportion of employees covered by the social security schemes, or on the concepts, definitions and methodology used; and (ii) a quarterly industrial survey in manufacturing, about which no information is available. It notes that the data on earnings from the IGSS do not appear to be consistent with the data from the industrial survey. The Committee also notes that data on hours of work (actually worked or paid for) do not seem to be available any longer. The Committee asks the Government to indicate whether steps are envisaged: (i) to compile statistics of average earnings and hours of work (actually worked or paid for) by sex and, where relevant, according to other important characteristics, in accordance with such guidelines as contained in Paragraph 3(1) and (2) of Recommendation No. 170; (ii) to extend the scope of the quarterly industrial survey (Encuesta Industrial Trimestral) which, at present, appears to be limited to selected industry groups and is not representative of the economy as a whole; (iii) to publish detailed descriptions of the concepts, definitions and methodology used in the quarterly industrial survey and the IGSS reports, and to communicate them to the ILO (in accordance with Article 6).

Article 9, paragraph 2.  The Committee asks the Government to indicate whether steps are envisaged to compile statistics of time rates of wages and normal hours of work according to the guidelines contained in Paragraph 4(1) and (2) of Recommendation No. 170; and, if not, to indicate the reasons why such statistics do not appear to be relevant.

Article 10.  The Committee asks the Government to indicate whether steps are envisaged to compile statistics on the composition of earnings and hours of work, and on the distribution of employees according to level of earnings and hours of work in accordance with international guidelines such as Paragraph 5 of Recommendation No. 170.

Article 11.  The Committee notes that the scope of the statistics of "labour cost" is limited to the concept of "compensation of employees" used in industrial surveys and national accounts; it is also limited to selected manufacturing industry groups. The Committee asks the Government to indicate what steps, if any, are envisaged to compile and publish statistics on the level and composition of labour cost in accordance with the resolution on statistics of labour cost adopted by the Eleventh International Conference of Labour Statisticians (1966) and Paragraph 6 of Recommendation No. 170. These statistics should cover important branches of economic activity and, if possible, be consistent with data on employment and hours of work of the same scope. The Committee also asks the Government to publish a detailed description of the concepts, definitions and methodology used in the annual industrial survey (Encuesta Industrial Fabril) and to communicate it to the ILO (in accordance with Article 6).

Article 12.  The Committee asks the Government to continue communicating to the ILO the published statistics, including all items and food group indices (in accordance with Article 5).

Article 13.  The Committee asks the Government to: (i) indicate the particular standards and guidelines that have been taken into consideration in the development of statistics of household expenditure (in accordance with Article 2); (ii) communicate the results of the latest survey to the ILO (Article 5); (iii) communicate a detailed description of the sources, concepts, definition and methodology used in collecting and compiling household income and expenditure statistics (Article 6).

Article 14.  The Committee notes that, according to the information supplied to the ILO for publication in Sources and methods: Labour statistics, Volume 8 - Occupational injuries, the current international statistical standards and guidelines were not taken into account owing to a lack of knowledge. It draws the Government’s attention to these standards, and requests that they be taken into account when the statistical system is next revised, namely the resolution concerning statistics of occupational injuries (resulting from occupational accidents) adopted by the Sixteenth International Conference of Labour Statisticians in October 1998 (in accordance with Article 2). The Committee notes the indications concerning the publication containing the statistics that appear in the methodological description published in ILO Sources and methods: Labour statistics, Volume 8 (Article 5). It also notes with interest that statistics on the number of persons injured with lost work time up to 1998 have been supplied to the ILO, but that statistics relating to fatal injuries have not been supplied since 1992 (Article 5). The Committee asks the Government to communicate these data to the ILO. The Committee notes that the statistics currently compiled cover only about 27 per cent of all persons employed; and that, while they cover a majority of employees, the self-employed are not included. It requests information as to any plans the Government may have to extend the coverage of the statistics, so as to be more representative of the country as a whole.

Article 15.  The Committee notes the information provided to the ILO concerning the methodology used to compile statistics on the number of strikes and lockouts, and notes that these statistics are regularly communicated to the ILO. It again asks the Government to indicate the international guidelines followed when the statistical system was established (in accordance with Article 2). The Committee also asks the Government to keep it informed regarding the arrangements for the registration by labour tribunals of strikes and lockouts, mentioned in its previous report, as well as any steps it proposes to take to collect statistics on the number of workers involved and the amount of time not worked because of strikes and lockouts.