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

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Bolivia (Plurinational State of) (Ratification: 1973)

Multilateral technical cooperation project (FORSAT/ILO). The Committee takes note of the information provided by the Government on the FORSAT/ILO project to strengthen labour administration services which lasted until April 2007. It notes that, the most noteworthy contributions of this project as far as labour inspection is concerned, are the proposals relating to: the update of the Labour Inspection Regulations; the separation of labour inspection functions and conciliation and mediation functions; model forms, reports on inspection activities, periodic inspection summaries, summonses, inspection records and inspection orders; model work stoppage orders and notifications of violations and proposed penalties; and an analysis of the situation concerning penalties. The project also included proposals for improving the Ministry of Labour’s business register and information exchange and enhancing institutional collaboration. The Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures taken or envisaged to ensure the follow-up to the proposals that emerged during the development of the FORSAT/ILO project.

Articles 19, 20 and 21 of the Convention. Periodical reports and publication and communication of an annual report on the work of the inspection services. The Committee notes with interest that the Labour Statistics Bulletins appended to the Government’s report under Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) contain statistics on industrial accidents and cases of occupational diseases, disaggregated by department. The Government indicates that the regional and departmental authorities prepare monthly reports that are submitted to the General Directorate of Labour and Occupational Health and Safety, but that an annual report is not published as yet, owing to the fact that data collection and registration is done manually, which makes it difficult to process the information in a timely manner. The Committee requests the Government to communicate in its next report information on any progress made towards the publication and communication of an annual report within the time limits and in the form prescribed by Articles 20 and 21 of the Convention.

The Committee takes note of the Government’s wish to avail itself of the technical assistance of the Office for designing and implementing an electronic system for labour inspection activities and invites it to make a formal request to the Office in that regard.

Part V of the report form and article 23(2) of the ILO Constitution. The Committee once again observes that for years the Government has not been indicating in its reports the representative organizations of employers and workers to which copies of the reports have been communicated. The Committee draws the Government’s attention to the fact that this obligation to communicate is enshrined in article 23 of the ILO Constitution. It requests the Government to ensure that this information is included in future reports on the application of Convention No. 81.

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