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

Medical Examination of Young Persons (Industry) Convention, 1946 (No. 77) - Cameroon (Ratification: 1970)

Part V of the report form. Application of the Convention in practice. In its previous comments the Committee noted that Order No. 15 of 15 October 1979 on the organization and running of the occupational medical services, which gives effect to some provisions of the Convention, has remained in force following the adoption of Act No. 92/007 of 14 August 1992, issuing the Labour Code. In addition to the abovementioned Order and the Labour Code, the Committee noted that Order No. 17 of 27 May 1969 on child labour continues to give effect to the provisions of the Convention. It further noted the information supplied by the Government to the effect that the commission responsible for evaluating and following up implementation of ILO Conventions had met and examined this Convention among others, and that its report would be sent to the Office. The Government also indicated that neither statistical data nor labour inspection reports were available but that measures had been taken to set up a database on child labour.

The Committee notes that the Government’s report contains no new information. It observes, however, that the Government has sent the Office the annual inspection report for 2008 with its report submitted under the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81). According to the inspection report, labour inspectors are responsible for monitoring, inter alia, the implementation of the Labour Code and Order No. 15 of 15 October 1979 on the organization and running of occupational medical services. The Committee notes that in the area of occupational health and medicine, 79 infringements were reported, and that 64 observations and ten warnings were issued in this connection. As regards children’s working conditions, five infringements were reported, giving rise to five observations and one warning. The Committee notes that only 20 children and young persons working in the hotel and catering sector were monitored, whereas 13,132 men and 4,054 women in 1,125 establishments were inspected. However, in its comments under the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), the Committee observed that, according to statistics communicated by the Government and compiled by the National Report on Child Labour in Cameroon published in December 2008, 41 per cent of children aged from 5–17 years, i.e. 2,441,181, worked in Cameroon in 2007. The Committee must therefore express its concern at the weak application of the provisions giving effect to the Convention. It urges the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that the provisions of the Labour Code, Order No. 15 of 15 October 1979 on the organization and running of the occupational medical services and Order No. 17 of 27 May 1969 on child labour that gave effect to the Convention, are applied in practice, in particular by strengthening the capacity of labour inspectors. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to this end and on the results achieved. It again requests the Government to send as soon as possible the report of the commission responsible for the evaluation and follow-up of the implementation of ILO Conventions.