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

Minimum Wage-Fixing Machinery Convention, 1928 (No. 26) - Guinea-Bissau (Ratification: 1977)

The Committee notes the reports provided by the Government, as well as the documents attached. It requests further information concerning the following points.

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. The Committee notes the indications in the Government’s reports, in particular the forthcoming adoption of a draft Legislative Decree on the guaranteed minimum wage, as well as a draft Legislative Decree updating Legislative Decree No. 17/88. While hoping that the Government will supply copies of these texts as soon as they have been adopted, the Committee takes this opportunity to recall that a minimum wage system loses its value if minimum wage rates are not periodically revised in line with socio-economic developments. Noting that the minimum wage rates have not been adjusted for 17 years and that, consequently, they may no longer guarantee a satisfactory standard of living for workers and their families, the Committee requests the Government to review the level of minimum wages and to do everything possible to guarantee that any possible increase duly takes account of the needs of workers and their families, for example, by maintaining their purchasing power with regard to a basket of essential consumer goods.

Article 3, paragraph 2(3). The Committee notes the Government’s information concerning Decree No. 1/2001 which, as amended, guarantees the nomination of five representatives from the trade union confederations and five representatives from the Chamber of Industry, Trade and Agriculture, thus ensuring equal representation on the Social Dialogue Council.

Article 4, paragraphs 1 and 2. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its last report concerning the procedures applicable in cases of non-compliance with the statutory minimum wage rate.

Article 5 and Part V of the report form. The Committee notes that the Government is still not in a position to provide information on the number of workers effectively covered by the minimum wage regulations, due to the lack of statistics on this subject. It hopes that the Government will make every effort to compile and transmit this information with its next report. The Committee also requests the Government to provide any other information that would enable it to assess more fully the effect given to the Convention in practice.