Observation (CEACR) - adoptée 1998, publiée 87ème session CIT (1999)

Convention (n° 1) sur la durée du travail (industrie), 1919 - Argentine (Ratification: 1933)

The Committee notes the Government's report for the period ending June 1998 and the information provided in reply to its previous observation. With reference to the 1993 communication from the Congress of Argentine Workers (CAT) alleging that draft legislation provided for daily working hours which could reach a maximum of ten hours, the Government states that no draft legislation provides for changes in the current legal provisions concerning working hours contained in Act No. 11.544 and Decree No. 13.943/44.

Furthermore, the Government states that the National Directorate of Occupation Safety and Health, which forms part of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, ceased its activities at the end of 1995 and that certain of its functions have been taken over by the Superintendency of Work-related Risks. This body has not registered the complaint which the Single Trade Union of Argentine Dock Workers (SUPA) submitted to the above National Directorate and which covered, among other matters, the fact that daily working hours in the port sector could sometimes exceed 12 continuous hours. The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether the Superintendency of Work-related Risks is competent to deal with complaints of the nature of the one submitted in August 1995 by the SUPA to the General Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health and to supply any texts governing its activities and competence.

The Committee notes the information to the effect that the current working hours arrangements in the port sector are established by the Decree governing hours of work for loading operations in the Port of Buenos Aires (No. 6284 of 3 June 1960), which was extended to all national ports under the terms of Decree No. 3457 of 18 November 1966. It requests the Government to indicate the consequences on the above arrangements of the adoption of the Act respecting port activities (No. 24093 of 24 June 1992). Finally, it requests the Government to indicate whether effect is given to sections 17 and 18 of the Decree respecting the deregulation of the economy (No. 2364 of 31 October 1991) and, where appropriate, to indicate the impact of the implementation of the above provisions on working hours arrangements in the above sectors.