Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2015, published 105th ILC session (2016)

Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Costa Rica (Ratification: 2001)

The Committee notes the Government’s report, the observations of the Costa Rican Federation of Chambers and Associations of Private Enterprise (UCCAEP) and of the Confederation of Workers Rerum Novarum (CTRN), received on 7 August and 3 September 2014. The Committee also notes the Government’s reply to the observations of the CTRN, received on 18 May 2015.

The Committee notes with interest the detailed information provided by the Government in reply to its direct request concerning the compilation of statistics of time rates of wages and normal hours of work (Article 9(2) of the Convention) and statistics of wage structure and distribution (Article 10). With regard to the compilation of statistics of labour cost (Article 11), the Committee notes that the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) regularly completes the chapter on labour cost in the annual statistical questionnaire of the ILO Department of Statistics. With regard to statistics of household expenditure (Article 13), the Committee notes the information provided by the Government and the UCCEAP indicating that the findings of the latest National Survey of Household Income and Expenditure (ENIGH 2013) have been published. The Government also includes relevant statistics on strikes (Article 15). The Committee requests the Government to continue collaborating with the ILO by providing the labour statistics required by the Convention.

Article 3. Consultation of the social partners. The CTRN indicates that when the National Survey of Household Income and Expenditure 2004–05 was conducted, the representative organizations of employers and workers were not consulted. In its reply, the Government indicates that the 2004 and 2005 surveys were part of the Programme of Multipurpose Household Surveys (EHPM), and acknowledges that it has not been able to find the documentation on the consultations held with the social partners. The Government adds that, in the framework of the process of the methodological adjustment of the programme of the National Household Survey (ENAHO), the first survey of which was conducted in 2010, a communication and information strategy was followed which included workshops with representatives of employers’ chambers and workers’ organizations to inform them of the thematic scope of the ENAHO and the approach adopted to labour information needs. The INEC also took steps for the establishment and operation of the National Statistical Advisory Council, composed of representatives of the public sector, employers and unions. The Committee notes that the INEC’s advisory body was formally established in 2011. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the activities of the National Statistical Advisory Council and the consultations held in practice on the subjects covered by the Convention.

Articles 7 and 8. Scope of the basic labour statistics compiled. The CTRN indicates that statistics of underemployment (both visible and invisible), which were previously available in INEC publications, are no longer disseminated. In its reply the Government explains that the term “visible underemployment” has been replaced by “underemployment resulting from insufficient hours”. This indicator is one of the basic indicators of the Continuous Employment Survey (ECE) available on the website of the INEC, disaggregated by geographical area and gender. With regard to invisible underemployment, the Government indicates that, in the form that it was calculated previously, this indicator did not demonstrate an underuse of the capacities of persons offering their labour, but expressed the inadequate earnings received by persons working the full day, because they did not receive the minimum wage. The Government explains that, with a view to achieving coherence between the measurement and the indicator, an indicator is calculated and disseminated that takes into account remuneration in relation to the hours worked, for which reason employed persons are classified on the basis of the earnings that they receive in comparison with the minimum wage. This indicator is also contained in the basic tables of the ECE, disaggregated by geographical area and gender, and can be consulted on the website of the INEC. The Committee notes that the ENAHO also compiles statistics on visible underemployment, which are communicated to the ILO through the annual questionnaire of the Department of Statistics. The Committee requests that the Government continue to provide statistics relating to underemployment. The Committee also invites the Government to provide information on the effect given to the Resolution concerning statistics of work, employment and labour underutilization (Resolution I), adopted by the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (October 2013).

Article 14. Occupational injuries and diseases. The Committee notes that the most recent data on occupational injuries received by the Office through the annual questionnaire of the Department of Statistics are for 2008. The Government indicates that the reports of the National Insurance Institute (INS) only cover cases of occupational injuries and diseases which have been submitted to it, without statistics being provided on the cases reported to the Costa Rica Social Security Fund (CCSS) or dealt with by the various private health services. The Committee notes that the statistics provided on the fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries reported each year from 2009 to 2014 are of limited coverage. The Committee recalls that Article 14 requires statistics of occupational injuries to be compiled in such a way as to be representative of the country as a whole. The Committee requests the Government to take the necessary measures to compile statistics of occupational injuries and occupational diseases. The Committee hopes that the Government will be in a position to provide the Office with updated information on the concepts and procedures used for the compilation of these statistics.