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

Albania

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) (Ratification: 2004)
Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) (Ratification: 2007)

The Committee notes with concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments.

Repetition

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of the ratified Conventions on labour inspection, the Committee considers it appropriate to examine Convention No. 81 and Convention No. 129 together.

Articles 3(1)(a) and (b) and (2), and 14 of Convention No. 81 and Articles 6(1)(a) and (b) and (3), and 19 of Convention No. 129. Labour inspection activities in the area of occupational safety and health (OSH) in agriculture. The Committee notes the Government’s indication, in reply to its previous request, that the number of inspections in the agricultural sector has remained at 0.8 per cent of total inspections. The Committee notes in this regard that, as indicated in the Government’s Occupational Safety and Health Policy Document and Action Plan (2016–20), nearly half of the workforce in Albania is employed in the agricultural sector. The Committee also notes the Government’s indication that no training has yet taken place for inspectors on agriculture-related subjects. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to secure the enforcement of laws and regulations in agriculture, including with respect to OSH, and to continue to provide information on the number of inspections carried out in that sector. The Committee requests the Government to report on training for labour inspectors on agriculture-related subjects, specifying the subjects, duration, participation and outcomes.

Article 6 of Convention No. 81 and Article 8 of Convention No. 129. Conditions of service. The Committee previously noted the information in the 2009 ILO audit report on labour inspection services that the remuneration for labour inspectors was not attractive and that there was no real human resources strategy for recruitment and career development. The Committee notes the copy of Decision No. 726 of 21 December 2000 on salaries of employees of budgetary institutions provided with the Government’s report, which breaks down the monthly salaries of civil servants. The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether any measures have been adopted since the 2009 ILO audit report to improve the remuneration scale and career prospects of labour inspectors in relation to other comparable categories of public officials, and requests the Government for clarification regarding the actual remuneration scale and career prospects of labour inspectors in relation to other comparable categories of government employees exercising similar functions, such as tax inspectors or police officers.

Articles 10, 11 and 16 of Convention No. 81 and Articles 14, 15 and 21 of Convention No. 129. Staffing and material means of the labour inspection services; scope of inspections carried out. The Committee previously noted the Government’s indication that 167 labour inspectors were not sufficient to fully perform the inspection tasks required by law. The Committee notes the Government’s indication in its report that the number of labour inspectors employed by the State Labour Inspectorate and Social Services (SLISS) is currently 155 employees, with 37 at the central level and 118 employees at the regional level. The Committee further notes that the Government reports that the regional offices still do not have sufficient office equipment, that the SLISS has only eight vehicles (for 12 regions) and that funds are insufficient for the reimbursement of labour inspectors performing their duties. It notes in this respect the Government’s indication in its report submitted under the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187), that the main problem for labour inspection is the lack of financial resources, which limits the ability of inspectors to travel to entities that should be inspected. The Committee requests the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that the budget allocated to labour inspection is sufficient to secure the effective discharge of the duties of the inspectorate, given the decrease in the number of labour inspection staff and the continuing inadequacy of equipment and vehicles. The Committee also requests the Government to continue to provide information on the staffing and material means of the SLISS in performing inspections in agriculture, including transportation and local offices.

Article 12(1) of Convention No. 81 and Article 16(1) of Convention No. 129. Right of inspectors to free entry of workplaces. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that 90 per cent of inspections are conducted pursuant to a predetermined plan that is developed in cooperation with labour inspectors using the e-inspection portal, with the approval of the regional directorate of inspection. While the remaining 10 per cent of inspections are unscheduled and/or emergency inspections, which can be undertaken without authorization or notification, the Government reports that an authorizing officer shall issue an authorization within 24 hours. The Government indicates that labour inspectors are provided with cards so that they can identify themselves when entering workplaces and conducting inspection operations. The Committee observes that where only 10 per cent of all inspections are unscheduled and/or responding to emergency circumstances, this may undermine the effectiveness of predetermined scheduled inspections because problems may be concealed and thus remain undetected. The Committee requests the Government to indicate the procedure by which the authorizing officer must issue an authorization, and the consequences for the inspection if the authorization is not issued within the 24-hour time frame provided. In addition, the Committee requests the Government to indicate how often the 10 per cent of unscheduled and/or emergency inspections actually take place within 24 hours, how often they take place without advance notification, and how often they result in findings of violations or unsafe conditions.

Articles 5(a), 17 and 18 of Convention No. 81 and Articles 12(1), 22 and 24 of Convention No. 129. Prosecutions and penalties. The Committee noted, in its previous comments, that the number of fines imposed was relatively low (in 2011, 381 imposed in relation to over 14,000 inspections). In this respect, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that Law No. 10279 of 2010 “on Administrative Offences” is used in conjunction with section 48 of Law No. 10433 “on Inspection” to provide appropriate administrative penalties where an infringement is detected during the inspection process. The Government indicates that the law aims to provide fair and equal treatment and non discriminatory rules to be applied by inspectors. The Government emphasizes that the main purpose of the policy pursued by the SLISS is to reduce the number of fines in a rational way, by focusing on prevention and awareness raising concerning safety and health at work rather than penalties. In addition, while the Committee noted in 2013 that it was not required for the labour inspectorate to pay an advance for the enforcement of fines issued, the Committee notes that the Government indicates that the SLISS repaid penalties in the amount of 11,487,713 Albanian lek (ALL) (approximately US$101,780) in 2014 and ALL4,070,255 (approximately US$46,060) from January to May 2015. Noting that the policy pursued by the SLISS intends to reduce the number of fines in a rational way, the Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the number and nature of fines imposed by virtue of labour inspections, the number of judicial executions launched for the enforcement of orders, as well as the number of accidents reported and violations detected during the reporting period. In addition, the Committee further requests information regarding the repayment of penalties by the SLISS, indicating the conditions for such repayment and the total amount of advance payments not reimbursed to the labour inspectorate.

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

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