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

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Bahamas (Ratification: 1976)

With reference also to its observation on the Convention, the Committee requests the Government to provide additional information on the following points.

1.  Human, material and financial resources of the labour inspectorate.  The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide statistical data on the inspection staff, its geographical distribution, the workplaces liable to supervision, inspection activities by theme and their frequency (Article 10 of the Convention), as well as information on the transport facilities for the professional travel of labour inspectors or the reimbursement of the expenses incurred in this respect (Article 11).

2.  Unexpected nature of inspections and the effectiveness of inspections in workplaces liable to supervision.  The Committee notes that one out of two inspections of commercial establishments is announced. As it emphasized in its 1985 General Survey on labour inspection, the Committee considers that the unexpected nature of the inspection visit is the best guarantee of effective supervision. The right of inspectors to enter freely workplaces liable to inspection is set out in Article 12(1)(a) and (b), and inspectors are only obliged to notify the employer or his representatives of their presence in so far as such notification is not liable to be prejudicial to the effectiveness of the inspection. The Government is requested to provide information on the reasons why one out of two inspectors announced their inspection visits to employers in commercial establishments and, in any event, to take measures to re-establish the unexpected nature of inspection visits.

3.  Notification of industrial accidents and cases of occupational disease.  The Committee notes that employers are obliged to notify industrial accidents, but that cases of occupational disease are notified in the reports of the health officers of the Department of Environmental Health. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the manner in which it is ensured that labour inspectors are informed in both cases, in accordance with Article 14.

4.  Presence of women in the staff of the labour inspection services.  The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate the manner in which effect is given to Article 8, which provides that both women and men shall be eligible for appointment to the inspection staff and that, when necessary, special duties may be assigned to men and women inspectors. Please provide information, as appropriate, on the number of women concerned and on the special duties assigned to them.