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

Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) - Colombia (Ratification: 1976)

The Committee notes the Government’s report, the partial replies to its previous comments and the attached documents.

Article 17 of the Convention. The Committee once again requests the Government to indicate whether, and if so in which manner the labour inspection services in agriculture are associated in the preventive control of new plant, new materials or substances and new methods of handling or processing products which appear likely to constitute a threat to the health or safety of workers. If they are not so associated, the Government is asked to take the necessary measures to implement this provision and to keep the ILO informed on any progress in this regard.

Article 19. Further to its previous comments, the Committee reminds the Government that, not only shall labour inspectors in agriculture be notified of occupational accidents and cases of occupational disease occurring in the agricultural sector (paragraph 1), but they shall be associated, in so far as possible, with any inquiry on the spot into the causes of the most serious occupational accidents or occupational diseases, particularly of those which affect a number of workers or have fatal consequences (paragraph 2). However, in accordance with Decree No. 1530 of 1996, to which the Government continues to refer, and the information provided on its application, labour inspectors intervene on the occasion of the above events to impose sanctions where appropriate. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would specify, on the one hand, whether a procedure exists for notifying occupational accidents and cases of occupational diseases to labour inspectors and, on the other hand, whether measures have been taken to ensure the association of labour inspectors in inquiries on the spot into the causes of the most serious occupational accidents or occupational diseases with a view to prevention.

Articles 26 and 27. While noting the statistics on occupational accidents for the period 1997-2000 attached to the Government’s report, the Committee once again notes the failure to provide an annual report on the activities of the labour inspection services containing information on each of the items specified under Article 27. Emphasizing the importance of also including in such a report up-to-date information on the issues specified in Paragraph 13 of the Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Recommendation, 1969 (No. 133), the Committee would be grateful if the Government would take the necessary measures to ensure that the central labour inspection authority fulfils its obligation to publish and transmit to the ILO the annual report required by the above Articles. In this respect, the Government may find it useful to refer to paragraph 272 et seq. of the General Survey of the Committee of Experts of 1985 on labour inspection.

Security and the particular conditions of service of labour inspections.  Referring to its previous comments on this matter and being aware of the problems of public security that the country has been facing for decades, the Committee notes that the labour inspectors who operate in agricultural enterprises located in vulnerable areas are not among the categories of officials covered by specific protection. It therefore once again hopes that the Government will endeavour to examine the possibility of guaranteeing them an appropriate level of protection and that the relevant information will be provided to the Office in the near future.