Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2019, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) - Equatorial Guinea (Ratification: 2001)

The Committee notes with deep concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments. The Committee informs the Government that, if it has not supplied replies to the points raised by 1 September 2020, then it may proceed with the examination of the application of the Convention on the basis of the information at its disposal at its next session.

Repetition

Article 4 of the Convention. Collective bargaining. The Committee noted the previous comments by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), on the repeated refusal to recognize a number of trade unions, namely the Workers’ Union of Equatorial Guinea (UST), the Independent Service Union (SIS), the Teachers’ Trade Union Association (ASD) and the Rural Workers’ Organization (OTC), and the lack of a legal framework for the development of collective bargaining. The Committee again stresses that the existence of trade unions established freely by workers is a prerequisite for the application of the Convention. The Committee urges the Government once again to adopt the necessary measures without delay to create appropriate conditions for the establishment of trade unions that are able to engage in collective bargaining with a view to regulating conditions of employment.

Article 6. Right of public servants not engaged in the administration of the State to engage in collective bargaining. The Committee notes that, according to ITUC’s comments, the right of workers in the public administration to establish trade unions has still not been recognized in law, despite the fact that section 6 of the Act on trade unions and collective labour relations, No. 12/1992, provides that the right to organize of employees in the public administration shall be regulated by a special law. The Committee notes that the ITUC also indicates that the legal framework for collective bargaining is deficient and ambiguous. The Committee urges the Government to indicate whether a special law has been adopted and whether it establishes the right to organize and to collective bargaining of workers in the public administration, and asks it to send detailed information on the application of the Convention to public servants not engaged in the administration of the State. The Committee reminds the Government that it may seek technical assistance on this matter from the Office, and expresses the firm hope that it will take without delay all measures within its reach to resume constructive dialogue with the ILO.

Application of the Convention in practice. The Committee asks the Government to send statistics of the number of employers’ and workers’ organizations, the number of collective agreements concluded with these organizations and the number of workers and the sectors covered.

The Committee expects that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.