Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2003, published 92nd ILC session (2004)

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Panama (Ratification: 1958)

The Committee notes the Government’s report and the attached documentation.

Child labour. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee notes with interest the creation of a department responsible for child labour and the protection of young workers in the national directorate of inspection, and the inclusion in the annual inspection report for 2001-02 of information on the activities of this department.

Articles 3, 10 and 16 of the Convention. Noting with concern the substantial reduction both in the staff of the labour inspectorate and, accordingly, in the inspections carried out between 1996 and 2002, the Committee hopes that the Government will take measures rapidly to strengthen the human resources of the labour inspection services so as to ensure that workplaces are inspected as often and as thoroughly as is necessary, and that it will keep the Office informed of any progress made in this respect or any difficulties encountered. It requests the Government to provide a copy of Act No. 38 of 31 July 2000 to which the activity report of 2001-02 refers concerning the types of inspections carried out by inspectors.

Articles 6 and 8. Noting the information on the revision of the titularization procedures for public servants, the Committee notes that the titularization of over one-quarter of public servants has been cancelled and, noting that procedures are under way to establish an administrative career system for public servants based on merit and effectiveness, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the situation with regard to the status of women and men labour inspectors and any relevant text.

Article 14. The Committee once again requests the Government to take measures to ensure the application of this provision of the Convention, which provides that the labour inspectorate shall be notified of industrial accidents and cases of occupational disease in such cases and in such manner as may be prescribed by national laws or regulations.

Article 21. The Committee notes with interest that the annual inspection report for 2002 contains information on infringements of labour legislation. However, noting that, as in the case of the statistics on employment accidents and cases of occupational disease, these data only concern the central region of Panama, the Committee hopes that the Government will take measures to ensure that information on inspection activities throughout the country is supplied in the next inspection reports on each item set forth in points (c) to (g) of this Article.