Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2002, published 91st ILC session (2003)

Maximum Weight Convention, 1967 (No. 127) - Panama (Ratification: 1970)

The Committee takes note of the Government’s last report. It draws the Government’s attention to the following points:

1. Article 1(a) and (b), of the Convention. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the terms "manual transport of loads" and "regular manual transport of loads" are not defined in the national legislation. The Committee therefore requests the Government to indicate the meaning given in practice to the above terms. Moreover, the Committee, while noting Order No. 21 of 30 November 1981, as modified by Order No. 15 of 30 June 1982, issuing standards applying the Maximum Weight Convention, 1967 (No. 127), of the International Labour Organization, invites the Government to consider the possibility to insert the legal definitions of the above terms therein.

2. Article 5. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that workers do not receive training or instructions prior to their assignment to manual transport of loads, but once they have commenced their work. In this respect, the Committee notes section 2 of the Order No. 21 of 30 November 1981, as modified, requiring the employer to provide to all workers assigned to the manual transport of loads other than light loads a satisfactory training in working techniques. The Committee recalls that Article 5 of the Convention calls for such training or instruction prior to the worker’s assignment. It accordingly requests the Government to take the necessary steps to ensure that the workers concerned receive adequate training or instructions in working techniques before they start their work involving the manual transport of loads.

3. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that it does not dispose of any information on the practical application of the Convention, as requested in Part V of the report form. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee observes that it appealed to the Government for a number of years to communicate the pertinent information in order to enable the Committee to assess the extent to which effect is given to the Convention in practice. The Committee therefore once again requests the Government to supply, with its next report, information on the practical application of the Convention in the country, giving, for example, extracts from reports of the inspection services and, as far as such statistics are available, information concerning the number and nature of contraventions reported and the action taken on them, etc., in accordance with Part V of the report form.