Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2022, published 111st ILC session (2023)

Convention concerning Statistics of Wages and Hours of Work, 1938 (No. 63) - Chile (Ratification: 1957)

The Committee notes with interest the statistical and methodological information provided by the Government to the ILO, notably in relation to the results of the ninth Labour Survey (Encuesta Laboral-ENCLA 2019). The complete report of the 2019 Labour Survey is published on the Government’s website. In addition, the Committee notes the methodological information provided by the Government concerning the 2019 Survey, which added three new chapters on the following thematic points: fundamental labour rights; the presence of foreign workers in enterprises; and labour inclusion. In this respect, the Committee notes that the statistics on wages and working time compiled in Chile largely meet the needs of data users and are compatible with the requirements of the Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160). The Committee further notes that the Government is currently preparing the tenth Labour Survey, which is scheduled to be carried out in 2023. In this context, the Government refers to the establishment, pursuant to Order No. 747 of 6 May 2022, of a Working group for the coordination of labour statistics, with the support of the regional labour statistics specialist of the ILO. The Government also provides information on the implementation of the first version of the national labour market information system (Sistema de Información del Mercado Laboral – SIMEL), as well as information on efforts made during the reporting period to improve the quality of labour surveys such as the National Employment Survey (ENE). The Committee nevertheless notes that the Government has provided no information concerning whether it has considered the possibility of ratifying Convention No. 160, or whether the social stakeholders have been consulted in this regard. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information regarding progress made in the application of the Convention, as well as on developments relating to the new process of conceptual and methodological updating.

The Committee recalls that the ILO Governing Body, at its 334th Session, (October–November 2018), on the recommendation of the Standards Review Mechanism Tripartite Working Group, confirmed the classification of the Convention concerning Statistics of Wages and Hours of Work, 1938 (No. 63) as an outdated instrument. The Governing Body therefore placed an item on the agenda of the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference (2024) for the consideration of its abrogation or withdrawal; however, the Committee notes that the postponement of the 2020 Conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic may impact on the session numbers or dates of the Conferences at which these Conventions will be considered for abrogation or withdrawal. The Governing Body requested the Office to undertake follow-up action to actively encourage the ratification of up-to-date instruments concerning labour statistics. The Committee therefore encourages the Government to follow-up the Governing Body’s decision at its 334th Session (October–November 2018) approving the recommendations of the Standards Review Mechanism Tripartite Working Group, and to consider ratifying the Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160), as the most up-to-date instrument in this subject area.