Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2016, published 106th ILC session (2017)

Bolivia (Plurinational State of)

Medical Examination of Young Persons (Industry) Convention, 1946 (No. 77) (Ratification: 1973)
Medical Examination of Young Persons (Non-Industrial Occupations) Convention, 1946 (No. 78) (Ratification: 1973)

In order to provide an overview of the issues concerning the application of the core Conventions on the medical examination of young persons, the Committee considers it appropriate to examine Conventions Nos 77 and 78 in a single comment.

Article 2(1) of Conventions Nos 77 and 78. Medical examination for fitness for employment. The Committee previously noted Decision No. 001 of 11 May 2004, issued by the Ministers of Labour and of Health and Sports (SEDES), section 1 of which provides that the Ministry of Health and Sports, through its ministries and municipal authorities, shall allocate the necessary and adequate medical personnel so that, in coordination with the Ministry of Labour, free medical examinations are carried out for boys, girls and young persons who are working in the industrial and agricultural sectors and who work on their own account in urban or rural areas, under the terms of section 137(1)(b) of the Code on Boys, Girls and Young Persons of 1999. In this respect, the Committee noted section 137(1)(b) of the Code, under the terms of which young persons engaged in work shall periodically undergo medical examination. It observed that the expression “medical examinations” contained in section 1 of Decision No. 001 of 11 May 2004 only appears to refer to the periodical medical examinations that young persons have to undergo during employment, but not the thorough medical examination of their fitness for work. The Government indicated, however, that the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Welfare was preparing a new Bill on occupational safety and health.

While noting that section 131(4) of the new Code on Children and Young Persons provides that the issuance of work permits is subject to prior medical examination for persons under 18 years, the Committee observes that this work permit can be granted to children from the age of ten. The Committee recalls that this issue was raised by this Committee as well as the Committee on the Application of Standards in 2015. In this regard, the Committee refers to its detailed comments of 2015 concerning the application of the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138).

Periodical medical examinations (Article 3(2) and (3) of Conventions Nos 77 and 78). Medical examinations required until the age of 21 years in occupations which involve high health risks (Article 4 of Conventions Nos 77 and 78). Appropriate measures for the vocational guidance and physical and vocational rehabilitation of young persons found by medical examination to be unsuited to certain types of work or to have physical handicaps or limitations (Article 6 of Conventions Nos 77 and 78). Further to its previous comments, the Committee notes once again that the Bill on occupational safety and health has still not been adopted and that the Government does not appear to have taken any measures to give legal effect to these provisions of the Conventions. The Committee requests the Government to take the necessary measures to adopt the Bill without delay to ensure observance of these provisions of the Conventions. It requests the Government to provide information on any progress made in this regard.

Article 7(2) of Convention No. 78. Supervision of the application of the system of medical examination for fitness for employment to children and young persons engaged either on their own account or on account of their parents. The Committee previously noted that no measure has been taken by the Government to ensure the supervision of the application of the system of medical examination for fitness for employment to children and young persons engaged either on their own account or on account of their parents, or in the informal economy. The Committee expresses the firm hope that the Bill on occupational safety and health will be adopted in the near future and that it will contain provisions determining the measures of identification to ensure the application of the system of medical examination for fitness for employment to children and young persons engaged either on their own account or on account of their parents in itinerant trading or in any other occupation carried out in the streets or in places to which the public have access, as well as the other methods of supervision to be adopted for ensuring the strict enforcement of the Convention, in accordance with Article 7(2) of the Convention.

Application of the Conventions in practice. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that due to economic constraints, there are certain shortcomings in the application of this Convention, particularly in the capitals of remote departments, such as Cobija and Trinidad, and in rural areas. Nevertheless, it noted that the Government had adopted measures, in accordance with the possibilities available to it, so that all young persons who work in the country will progressively be covered by the protection afforded by the Convention. Noting the absence of information in the Government’s report, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on progress achieved in relation to the application of the Convention in practice, by providing in particular, in accordance with available capacities, information concerning the number of children and young persons who are engaged in work and have undergone the periodical medical examinations envisaged in the Convention and extracts from the reports of the inspection services relating to any infringements reported and the penalties imposed.