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

Convention concerning Statistics of Wages and Hours of Work, 1938 (No. 63) - Nicaragua (Ratification: 1981)

Articles 1 and 5 of the Convention. Compilation, publication and communication of statistics relating to wages and hours of work. The Committee notes that, according to the information provided by the Government, there have been no changes during the reporting period affecting the application of Part I of the Convention. In addition, the Committee notes that, from the information available to the ILO Department of Statistics (ILOSTAT), the main sources of statistics on wages and hours of work are the Monthly Survey on Employment and Wages in Formal Sector Establishments (Encuesta Mensual de Empleo y Salario en Establecimientos del Sector Formal) and the Continuous Household Survey (Encuesta Continua de Hogares), both of which are carried out by the National Institute of Development Information (Instituto Nacional de Información de Desarrollo – INIDE). Statistics and methodological information derived from these surveys are available on the INIDE website. The Committee further notes that statistics on working time and earnings of employees are submitted to ILOSTAT via its annual questionnaire on labour statistics, albeit not with steady regularity. The latest statistics on working time received by these means refer to 2014, while those on earnings refer to 2013. The Committee notes that statistics of average earnings and hours actually worked are compiled through the abovementioned surveys; however, only highly summarized statistical information on wages by economic activity is available on the INIDE Website. Statistics on average earnings disaggregated by sex and economic activity (including separately for mining, manufacturing and construction) are submitted to ILOSTAT via its annual questionnaire, for dissemination on its website. However, the latest such statistics refer to 2014. The Committee notes that statistics on hours actually worked by employees by economic activity (including separately for mining, manufacturing and construction) are not widely disseminated online, and the latest such statistics received by ILOSTAT refer to 2012. Similarly, statistics on average wages disaggregated by sex and economic activity (including separately for the agricultural sector) are submitted to ILOSTAT, but the latest such statistics refer to 2012, as is the case for the latest statistics provided to ILOSTAT on hours actually worked by employees in the agriculture sector. In addition, only highly summarized statistical information on these points is provided through the INIDE website. The Committee requests the Government to make efforts to ensure the updated and then regular provision of current statistics disaggregated by economic activity and sex on both average earnings and hours of work, as well as on working time and earnings of employees, to ILOSTAT through its annual questionnaire on labour statistics.

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.