Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2005, published 95th ILC session (2006)

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Dominica (Ratification: 1983)

The Committee notes the brief indications provided by the Government in response to its previous request. It notes that, in the main, the Government indicates that no new measures have been taken with a view to improving the application of the Convention. The Committee hopes that the Government will soon be in a position to report that progress has been made in this respect and that its next report will contain detailed information with regard to the following points.

1. Functions of labour inspectors. Please indicate whether measures have been taken or envisaged in order to entrust labour inspectors with the function of supplying technical information and advice to employers and workers concerning the most effective means of complying with legal provisions (Article 3, paragraph 1(b), of the Convention) and to bring to the notice of the competent authority defects or abuses not specifically covered by existing legal provisions (Article 3, paragraph 1(c)).

2. Duties of inspectors. Please indicate whether measures have been taken or are envisaged to guarantee that labour inspectors have no direct or indirect interest in the establishments under their supervision, that they do not reveal any manufacturing or commercial secrets which may come into their knowledge in the course of their duties, and that they shall treat as absolutely confidential the source of any complaint, in accordance with Article 15(a), (b) and (c), respectively.

3. Adequate penalties. Please indicate whether measures have been taken or are envisaged to ensure that the amount of fines established to penalize violations of the legal provisions enforceable by labour inspectors and for obstructing labour inspectors in the performance of their duties is sufficiently dissuasive in nature, for example by periodically revising the amount (Article 18).

4. Publication of an annual report. The Committee notes that the implementation of an information system on the labour market which should assist in the preparation of the annual labour inspection report has been delayed. It hopes, however, that an annual report on all of the issues mentioned under Article 21 will be published in the near future and communicated to the ILO within the deadlines prescribed by Article 20 of the Convention.