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

Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Cyprus (Ratification: 1987)

The Committee takes note of the Government’s report received on 28 July 2009, with the documents attached.

Article 9 of the Convention. The Committee notes that current statistics of average earnings and hours paid for (Article 9.1), average wage rates and normal hours of work (Article 9.2) by occupation, economic activity and sex, continue to be compiled from the Annual Survey of Wages, Salaries and Hours of Work, with reference to the month of October of each year. However, statistics of average weekly hours paid for and average monthly earnings of employees by economic activity and by sex were last transmitted in 2007 and that the latest data still refer to 2006. Most recent data concerning statistics of average wage rates, normal hours of work, earnings and hours actually worked, by occupation, are published each year in Statistics on occupational wages and hours of work and on food prices – October Inquiry results. The most recent data still refer to 2006. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide the statistics of hours of work, wage rates and earnings as soon as practicable. The Committee draws to the attention of the Government in this regard 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 would seem to be better aligned to national practice, accessible via (http://ilo.org/global/What_we_do/Statistics/standards/resolutions/
lang--en/docName--WCMS_112455/index.htm).

Article 11. In its previous report, the Government indicated that the Statistical Service of Cyprus has conducted a labour cost survey with reference to 2000 within the context of harmonization with the European Union. This survey will be repeated every four years. Yet the ILO has not received any statistics derived from this survey. The Committee draws the Government’s attention to the fact that in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention “Each member which ratifies this Convention undertakes to communicate to the ILO, as soon as practicable, the published statistics compiled in pursuance with the Convention”. As a consequence, the Statistical Service of Cyprus is kindly requested to ensure that statistics of average labour cost, derived from the Labour Cost survey (data in manufacturing as a whole and by division for 2000, 2004 and 2008) are sent to the ILO as soon as practicable.

Article 13. According to the information available on the Cyprus statistical website (http://mof.gov.cy/), a new family budget survey was conducted in the period between November 2008 and September 2009. The main objective of the survey was to collect information on the consumption expenditure of households. The main uses of the survey are: (i) revision of the weights of the consumer price index; (ii) compilation of socio-economic indices; and (iii) analyzing the household income and expenditure pattern by household category, as well as the structure of private final consumption expenditure. The survey is conducted on a sample basis and covered 4,200 households, both from urban and rural areas. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide the ILO with the results of the 2008–09 Survey.

Article 14. In reply to the Direct Request 2005, the report notes with regard to statistics on occupational injuries that, according to regulations on safety and health at work introduced in 2007, all commuting and work related accidents which occur to employed and self-employed persons must be reported to the Department of Labour Inspection if they lead to an absence from work for more than three calendar days. The report further notes that accidents leading to an absence from work for a period of one to four days are not covered by these regulations, are not reportable and that, therefore, no statistics are kept for them.

This reporting process allows reporting according to the framework for European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) but means that the statistics do not comply fully with the resolution concerning statistics of occupational injuries (resulting from occupational accidents) adopted by the Sixteenth International Conference of Labour Statisticians (1998). Data up to 2008 have been transmitted to the ILO for publication in the Yearbook of Labour Statistics, but it would appear that statistics from 2002 onwards do not include occupational injuries resulting in absences from work from one to four days.

The ILO is aware that an ad hoc module of questions on Health and Safety at Work has been included periodically in the Labour Force Survey (LFS) conducted by all EU member states, as a complementary data source to European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW), most recently in 2007. The results of this survey allow the production of statistics, based on the self perception of workers, on all occupational injuries resulting in absence from work of more than one day. These statistics can provide a basis to assess the extent to which reportable accidents are not reported to the Department of Labour Inspection (DLI). The Committee notes however that no information is provided in the Government’s report about statistics from this data source.

Also in reply to the Direct Request 2005, the Government indicates that a further set of regulations on safety and health at work, introduced in 2007, require mandatory notification of all suspected cases of occupational diseases. The report summarizes the procedures to be adopted according to these regulations. According to the Government, 16 new cases of occupational disease were registered in 2007, and statistics are reported within the framework of the European Occupational Disease Statistics (EODS). The report summarizes the involvement of organizations of workers and employers, through membership of the Pancyprian Safety and Health Council, in advising the Government on matters of occupational safety and health, and through the Statistical Council, in advising on the activities of the statistical service. In addition, the Government annexed to its report a range of detailed statistics. The Committee notes with interest the progress made in improving the reporting of statistics on occupational injuries and diseases, in particular the introduction of regulations requiring mandatory reporting of occupational injuries and diseases for all workers. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information about any plans for the compilation of statistics for cases with between one and four days of absence from work, as well as statistics which might provide a basis to assess the extent to which occupational injuries are unreported.

Article 15. The Committee notes with concern the indication by the Government that no progress was achieved regarding the establishment of the planned, fully computerized information management system including the industrial disputes database for reasons of new priorities and the requirement to divert resources to design and develop data collection procedures regarding employee complaints and labour inspection statistics. It observes that the most recent data concerning statistics on industrial disputes relate to 2006. Despite its expectations of computerization, the Government explains that the Department of Labour Relations was required to promote other priorities, including the opening of new District Labour Offices in all major towns. Taking due note of the Government’s hope that this would help enhance collection of statistics of labour disputes in future, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would keep the ILO informed of any progress in this regard.

The Committee also requests the Government to publish and communicate to the ILO, in accordance with Articles 5 and 6, updated methodological information on the statistics of industrial disputes.