Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012)

Equality of Treatment (Accident Compensation) Convention, 1925 (No. 19) - Djibouti (Ratification: 1978)

The Committee notes with regret that the Government’s report has not been received. It must therefore repeat its previous observation which read as follows:

Repetition

Ever since the Convention was ratified in 1978, the Committee has been drawing the Government’s attention to the need to amend section 29 of Decree No. 57-245 of 1957 on the compensation of occupational accidents and diseases in order to bring the national regulations into conformity with Article 1(2) of the Convention. According to this provision, the nationals of States that have ratified the Convention and their dependants must receive the same treatment as Djibouti grants to its own nationals in respect of workers’ compensation. Under the terms of this section of the Decree, unlike nationals, foreign workers injured in industrial accidents who transfer their residence abroad no longer receive a periodical payment but a lump-sum payment equal to three times the periodical payment they received previously. The Government previously referred to a draft reform of the labour legislation aimed at the full application of the principle of equal treatment and the formal repeal of the residence requirement laid down by the Decree of 1957. The Government also stated that this residence requirement has only been applied occasionally to foreigners. In its last report, the Government indicates that the Committee’s observations will be studied by the National Council for Labour, Employment and Vocational Training with a view to bringing the national legislation into conformity with the Convention. It hopes that the conditions allowing for this process to resume will be met as soon as possible. Nevertheless, the Government points out that the Djiboutian system does not apply any reduction to the amount of the periodical payment transferred abroad. The Committee trusts that, in view of the situation which prevails in practice, the Government will seize the opportunity represented by the reform of the system of social protection currently under way and will formally repeal section 29 of Decree No. 57-245 so as to bring both the letter and spirit of the national legislation into full conformity with Article 1(2) of the Convention.

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.