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

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Lebanon (Ratification: 1962)

The Committee notes the Government’s report and the attached documents received at the ILO on 28 October 2009.

Article 3(2) of the Convention. Additional duties entrusted to labour inspectors in connection with union matters. For many years the Committee has been asking the Government to take steps to limit intervention by labour inspectors in the internal affairs of trade unions and confederations solely to cases of complaints which might be addressed to them by a significant number of members. The issue was raised by the Committee with regard to section 2(c) of Decree No. 3273 of 26 June 2000, under the terms of which the labour inspectorate has the power to monitor vocational organizations and confederations at all levels in order to check whether the latter, in their operations, are exceeding the limits prescribed by law and by their rules of procedure and statutes. The Committee stated in a direct request of 2002 that such powers were tantamount to the right to interfere in the internal affairs of professional organizations. The Government then announced that an amendment to the Labour Code would settle the issue. However, Memorandum No. 35/2 of 12 April 2006 from the Director-General of the Ministry of Labour reproduced the criticized provision using identical wording.

Section 163(3) of the version of the draft Labour Code submitted to the ILO in 2007 for opinion stated that the Labour Inspection and Occupational Safety and Health Department of the Ministry of Labour would be responsible for monitoring the application of laws, decrees and regulations relating to terms and conditions of work and the protection of workers while engaged in their work, including the provisions of ratified international and Arab conventions and, more specifically … “(3) to conduct inquiries further to complaints relating to trade unions and confederations at all levels”.

In its 2009 report, the Government indicates that this provision is contained in section 161(3) of the current version of the draft Labour Code and will have the effect of removing any power from the labour inspectorate to monitor trade union affairs, as this power would be assigned to the trade union council. It explains that the powers of the labour inspectorate with regard to occupational organizations will therefore be limited to the examination of complaints submitted to it by the latter. Since the current wording of the text in no way lends itself to such an interpretation, it is essential, in order to avoid any ambiguity in this regard, for the drafting to be reviewed in the appropriate way. Noting that the draft amendments to the Labour Code have been under discussion for more than ten years, the Committee requests the Government, pending the definitive adoption of the Code, to contemplate cancelling, in the forms provided for by law in such matters, the provision of Memorandum No. 35/02 of 12 April 2006 of the Director-General of the Ministry of Labour under the terms of which labour inspectors retain the power to monitor trade union activities. The Committee requests the Government to provide information in its next report on the progress made in this respect.

The Committee is raising other points in a request addressed directly to the Government.