Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2014, published 104th ILC session (2015)

Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) - Montenegro (Ratification: 2006)

The Committee also refers the Government to its comments under the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81), in so far as they are also concerned with the application of the present Convention.

Articles 9 and 21 of the Convention. Special training of labour inspectors in agriculture and inspection visits. The Committee notes that the Government has stated that there are no labour inspectors specializing only in agriculture, and that no training of inspectors was conducted for the acquisition of specific technical knowledge for the performance of inspections in this sector. The Committee notes the information in the chapter on labour inspection in the Annual Report of the Administration for Inspection Affairs of 2013, submitted with the Government’s report, in particular that 13,717 labour inspections took place in 2013, out of which only 13 were conducted in agriculture and fisheries, and 16 in forestry. These inspections concerned only labour relations and employment. Although a total of 3,264 inspections were carried out related to safety at work, none of these took place in the agriculture or forestry sectors. The Committee notes that, according to the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Agro-Industry Development Country Brief on Montenegro published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the agriculture sector employs approximately 6.5 per cent of the total labour force of Montenegro. With reference to Article 21 of the Convention, the Committee requests that the Government take measures to ensure that inspections take place in the agricultural sector as often and as thoroughly as is necessary to ensure the effective application of the relevant legislation. The Committee also requests that the Government take the necessary measures to provide adequate training for labour inspectors for the performance of their duties in the agricultural sector, and to provide information on the impact of the measures taken.

Articles 26 and 27. Annual inspection report. The Committee observes that, while the abovementioned report identifies the number of inspections carried out in the agricultural sector, it does not contain information on a number of subjects required under Article 27. Therefore, the Committee requests that the Government take the necessary measures to ensure that future reports contain additional information on the activities of the labour inspection services in agriculture, including statistics on: agricultural undertakings liable to inspection and the number of persons working therein (Article 27(c)); the violations detected and penalties imposed (Article 27(e)); and occupational accidents (Article 27(f)) and occupational diseases (Article 27(g)).