Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2007, published 97th ILC session (2008)

Workmen's Compensation (Agriculture) Convention, 1921 (No. 12) - Colombia (Ratification: 1933)

1. Part V of the report form. Application of the Convention in practice. Gradual extension of the number of persons covered. In its previous comments, the Committee invited the Government to keep it informed of measures taken to continue the geographical extension of coverage of the workers’ compensation system, in order to enable all agricultural wage earners covered by the Convention to be entitled to the benefits provided by the general system for employment injury compensation (Sistema General de Riesgos Profesionales (SGRP)). It therefore asked the Government to continue supplying information on the number of wage earners affiliated to the SGRP and, in particular, statistics on the number of insured wage earners in the agricultural sector in relation to the total number of wage earners working in this sector.

In its last report, the Government states that between 2005 and 2006 the total number of workers affiliated to the SGRP increased from 5,104,050 in 2005 to 5,796,531 in 2007, i.e. a total of 692,481 newly affiliated workers. However, the Government states that it does not have disaggregated statistics concerning the proportion of workers employed in the agricultural sector in this total. The Committee can therefore only emphasize that, in the absence of detailed statistics on this subject, it is unable to evaluate whether progress has been made in the extension of coverage of agricultural wage earners by the SGRP. In this respect, it notes that even though the total number of persons affiliated to the SGRP (agricultural and non-agricultural workers) actually increased between 2005 and 2006, it remains slightly below the number communicated by the Government in its previous report, and this does not appear to demonstrate real progress in this area. The Committee therefore trusts that the Government will supply information in its next report on tangible results achieved in the gradual extension to all agricultural wage earners of the protection guaranteed to them by the Convention, and that it will take all necessary steps to be able to supply statistical information on the number of wage earners affiliated to the SGRP in relation to the total number of wage earners, and also on the number of insured wage earners in the agricultural sector in relation to the total number of wage earners working in this sector.

2. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that specific measures have been taken to promote health protection and prevent occupational accidents involving women working on an informal basis in the rural sector. These measures have included training, consciousness-raising and action, and have sought to improve the conditions of health and the quality of life of this section of the population. Accordingly, 2,000 women from 20 departments benefited from this programme between 2005 and 2006 and the objective is to cover 12 new departments and some 1,200 women in 2007. The Committee notes this information and would be grateful if the Government would keep it informed in subsequent reports of the progress made with regard to the prevention of occupational accidents and the improvement of the conditions of health of informal workers in the agricultural sector.