Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2010, published 100th ILC session (2011)

Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Guatemala (Ratification: 1993)

Also referring to its observation, the Committee draws the Government’s attention to the following points.

Article 7 of the Convention. The Committee notes the methodological information and summary statistics on the estimates and projections of economically active population, employment and unemployment for the period 2005–08 provided by the Government in its report received in August 2009. It notes that the methodological information of the latest labour force survey has not been supplied yet (Article 6) to assess whether the concepts and measurement methodology used are in line with ILO statistical standards (Article 2). The Committee asks the Government to supply methodological information concerning the 2006 Labour Force Survey and to keep the ILO informed of any developments concerning the labour force survey.

Article 8. While noting the information based on the latest population census 2002 (projection and estimations data), as well as the relevant methodological information data, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would send to the ILO the final data from the 2002 population census and encourages it to continue to supply data as soon as practicable. The Committee informs the Government that projection data and estimates cannot be taken into consideration by the ILO for the purpose of publication and dissemination.

Article 9. The Committee notes that statistics of average monthly earnings continue to be compiled on the basis of the annual reports which are submitted to the Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social (IGSS) and cover all economic activities, as well as on the basis of another source of information on earnings and hours of work, the “Informe del Empleador”. The Committee asks the Government to keep the ILO informed of any future developments in this field (Articles 9(1) and (2)), and continue to communicate the statistics of average earnings disaggregated by sex, economic activity and other characteristics, as soon as practicable.

The Committee would also draw the attention of the Government to the new international standards concerning the measurement of working time (see Resolution I adopted by the 18th International Conference of Labour Statisticians, whose larger number of concepts and measures are defined in depth. This instrument is available at www.ilo.org/global/What_we_do/Statistics/standards/
resolutions/lang--en/docName--WCMS_112455/index.htm).

Article 10. In reply to the previous direct request, the Government indicates that the annual “Informe del Empleador” continues to be exploited. However, among the tables annexed to the report, no statistics appear on the structure and distribution of wages and hours of work. The Committee asks the Government to communicate to the ILO the relevant statistics as soon as practicable regarding the distribution of wages and hours of work and the distribution of employees, if compiled, by levels of earnings and hours of work.

Article 11. The report indicates that work is undertaken to improve the existing databases so that the guidelines on labour cost statistics are taken into account in the compilation of data. It also underlines that the data relating to 2007 and 2008 are not available. The Committee asks the Government to keep the ILO informed of any future developments in this field and to communicate the new relevant statistics for 2007–08 as described in its report, as soon as feasible, together with the methodological information (Articles 5 and 6).

Article 12. The Committee reminds the Government to supply methodological information on the new national CPIs (consumer price indices) series (base: December 2000=100) or to provide the ILO with the title and reference of the publication which contains the detailed methodological description referred to in this article, if any (Article 6).

Article 13. According to the Government: (i) there are no new information regarding the application of this article; (ii) the National Statistics Institute (INE) is planning to carry out a household income and expenditure survey (HIES) (Encuesta nacional de ingresos y gastos familiares); and (iii) the results will be communicated to the ILO, as soon as they become available. According to the information available at the ILO, the last survey (Encuesta nacional de ingresos y gastos familiares) was conducted in March 1998–February 1999. The results and description of the concepts, definitions and methodology used in the survey have not been communicated to the ILO. Noting that this Article does not seem to be applied and that no statistics on household expenditure have been produced for more than ten years, contrary to the provision of the ILO resolution on household income expenditure survey (HIES) according to which these statistics should be compiled at least once every five years, the Committee asks the Government to communicate to the ILO the relevant information on its 1998–99 survey as stated in Articles 5 and 6.

Referring to the indication that a new HIES is being planned, the Committee encourages the Government: (i) to keep the ILO informed of any developments in this regard; and (ii) to consider the latest international standards on the subject adopted by the 17th International Conference on Labour Statistics when designing the new survey.

Article 14. The Committee notes the statistics relating to industrial accidents extracted from the database of the IGSS. It notes, however, that these data do not correspond to the series previously supplied for publication in the Yearbook of Labour Statistics, or to the series provided in annex to the previous report. It notes the data on the total number of consultations by workers following work-related accidents, the total number of hospital admissions and the total number of days spent in hospital due to occupational accidents for 2006–07. The statistics provided are not broken down by fatal and non-fatal accidents, sex, or branch of economic activity.

Moreover, the Government does not provide information relating to the concepts, definitions and methodology currently used (Article 6), the international standards and guidelines that have been taken into consideration (Article 2), consultation with organizations of employers and workers (Article 3), nor about reference information or dates of release for publication and dissemination of the statistics (Article 5). Referring to its previous request, the Committee notes with concern that Article 14(1) continues to be only partially applied and that little, if any, progress has been made.

The Committee therefore requests the Government to keep the ILO informed of any further steps planned with respect to the statistics on occupational injuries, regarding: expansion of their coverage so that they are representative of the country as a whole; the international standards and guidelines taken into consideration (Article 2); consultation with organizations of employers and workers (Article 3); the publication of statistics on fatal occupational injuries (Article 5); the concepts, definitions and methodology currently used (Article 6). It also requests the Government to transmit the statistics on occupational injuries regularly to the ILO (Article 5).

Regarding statistics on occupational diseases (Article 14(2)), the Committee requests the Government to keep the ILO informed of any plans it may have to compile and publish these statistics.

Article 15. The Government indicates that no information concerning a statistical system of recording by labour courts of industrial disputes is available because there is no institution that can keep track of industrial disputes. Noting with regret the lack of institutionalization for data collection and dissemination required under this Article, the Committee reminds the Government of its obligations in this regard. It asks the Government to indicate the international guidelines followed when establishing the statistical system (Article 2) and to inform the ILO of all actions taken to substantiate the implementation of the necessary legal and administrative procedures, as well as of the steps proposed to arrange for the registration by labour courts of industrial disputes, and the collection and dissemination of statistics on the total number of events, number of workers involved and amount of time not worked.