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

Convention concerning Statistics of Wages and Hours of Work, 1938 (No. 63) - Uruguay (Ratification: 1954)

The Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government in reply to its previous direct request.

According to the Government, the monthly Average Wage Index (Indice Medio de Salarios – IMS), which is the main wage indicator, appears to continue to be compiled in both nominal and real terms. It is derived from an establishment survey (Encuesta Nacional de Remuneraciones) which covers establishments with ten or more employees in the non-agricultural, private and public sectors (mining and quarrying in the private sector are excluded due to the small proportion of employment in this sector). Its methodology was redesigned for the fourth time in 2008. The Committee notes in particular with interest that the IMS index was rebased on July 2008 = 100 (previously December 2002 = 100).

The Committee also notes the indication by the Government that, since the change in the base index (December 1995 = 100), no disaggregation by occupation or by categories of workers has been estimated, and the relevant explanations were provided. According to the Government, at the next change of the base year for the IMS, planned to take place for 2012, it will be possible to collect information on the remuneration and hours of work by specific category of workers defined by type of activity.

The Committee notes with interest that “the methodology of the annual establishment survey Encuesta Anual de Actividad Económica (EAAE), was revised and updated for the year 2006”.

The Committee notes, however, the indication by the Government in reply to its previous request that for the time being it is not envisaged to extend the coverage of wage statistics to the agricultural sector, due to the current conditions of development of the country and of the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE). Accordingly, these statistics remain limited to: (a) minimum wage rates in agriculture; (b) earnings and other income from work; as well as (c) hours of work of workers whose main occupation is in the primary sector (that is, agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing), which are derived from the urban household survey. The Committee asks the Government to keep the ILO informed of any further developments in the field of industrial relations and statistical surveys. Finally, the Committee invites once again the Government to envisage the ratification of the Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160), and asks it to indicate any steps taken to this end.