Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

North Macedonia

Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155) (Ratification: 1991)
Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187) (Ratification: 2012)

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of the ratified Conventions on occupational safety and health (OSH), the Committee considers it appropriate to examine Conventions Nos 155 (OSH) and 187 (promotional framework for OSH) together.

Legislative developments and application in practice of Conventions Nos 155 and 187. In its previous comments the Committee noted the Government’s indication that consultations were held with government institutions, employers’ and workers’ organizations as well as OSH experts, for the drafting of a new law on OSH. The Committee notes that this is also envisaged in the Action Plan for Safety and Health at Work for the period 2024–2025. Furthermore, the Committee takes note of the statistics contained in the Government’s report as well as in the labour inspection reports for the second half of 2023 and the first half of 2024. This includes detailed information on inspections conducted on OSH, penalties imposed for OSH contraventions, as well as reported occupational accidents. In this respect, the Committee notes that the number of reported occupational injuries sharply increased from 798 in 2022 to 2,254 in 2023, and that in the first half of 2024 there were 1,130 occupational injuries reported. The sectors with the most frequent occurrence of workplace injuries are the manufacturing, followed by retail and wholesale trade. The Committee requests the Government to provide updated information on the progress made in the drafting of the new law on OSH. It also requests the Government to provide information on the reasons for the significant increase of occupational injuries reported.The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the application in practice of the ratified Conventions on OSH, including with regard to occupational accidents notified, as well as information on the inspection activities carried out, violations detected, and penalties imposed. It requests the Government to provide information on the number of occupational diseases reported.

Article 2(3) of Convention No. 187. Ratification of relevant OSH Conventions of the ILO. The Government indicates that with the support of the ILO Country Office in North Macedonia, comparative gap analyses were conducted for the Safety and Health in Construction Convention, 1988 (No. 167), the Safety and Health at Work in Mines Convention, 1955 (No. 176), and the Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention, 2001 (No. 184), serving as a basis for consultations among social partners on the national readiness for ratification. As a result, in June 2023, the Government adopted a decision to ratify Conventions Nos 167 and 176. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on progress made with regard to the ratification of Conventions Nos 167 and 176, and on the consideration given to the ratification of Convention No. 184.

National policy

Articles 4, 6, 7 and 15 of Convention No. 155 and Article 3 of Convention No. 187. National policy on OSH. In its previous comments the Committee noted that the OSH Strategy for 2021–25 focuses on risk prevention, awareness-raising and the participation and cooperation of relevant OSH actors, including government institutions, employers’ and workers’ organizations, occupational medicine and educational institutions. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government according to which the strategic and operational documents in the field of OSH are being prepared in the context of a wide participative and inclusive process of consultations, involving all relevant national stakeholders in the field of OSH. The Government indicates that the process is being implemented under the guidance and coordination of the National OSH Council, and all relevant documents are discussed and adopted by the Council, before submitted to the Government for adoption. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the implementation of the OSH Strategy for 2021–2025, and on the evaluation of its results, as well as on the main challenges identified during the evaluation, and the consultations with the social partners carried out in this respect. The Committee also requests the Government to indicate how this evaluation contributes to the formulation of the national OSH Policy for the subsequent period.

National system

Article 11(c) and (e) of Convention No. 155 and Article 4(3)(f) of Convention No.187. Establishment and application of procedures for the notification of occupational accidents and diseases and production and publication of annual statistics. The Government indicates that a major challenge is the lack of relevant, reliable, and comprehensive statistical data on OSH generated through a unified national information system. It indicates that existing data are either scarce, fragmented, or inconsistent, with the most reliable figures coming from the State Labour Inspectorate and limited to serious work-related accidents. The Committee notes once again that the Government did not provide information on the cases of occupational diseases notified to the labour inspectorate. In this respect, it notes the Government’s indication that data on occupational diseases remain insufficient and unreliable due to poor communication and data exchange among health institutions, inadequate implementation of legislation, and flawed reporting and registration practices. The Government indicates that in order to address this issue the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, with the support of the European Union, plans to launch a three-year project in 2025 focused on strengthening OSH at the national level, with a key priority being the upgrade of the national system for recording and analysing work-related accidents and diseases. The Committee notes that the development of an electronic system for recording, data collection and reporting in the field of OSH is also envisaged in the new Action Plan for Safety and Health at Work for the period 2024–2025. Noting the persistent challenges faced by the Government specifically with regard to statistics on occupational diseases, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to address this issue, and to reinforce the application of procedures for the notification of occupational diseases and accidents by employers, insurance institutions and others directly concerned. It also requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken for the production and publication of annual statistics on occupational accidents and diseases, including through the envisaged electronic system for information on OSH.

Article 12 of Convention No. 155. Obligations for those who design, manufacture, import, provide or transfer machinery, equipment or substances for occupational use. In reply to the Committee’s previous request, the Government refers to a series of provisions of the Law on Safety and Health at Work and a series of regulations that pertain to the use of work equipment. The Committee notes that these provisions focus on employers’ obligations but do not address the responsibilities of designers, manufacturers, importers, or suppliers as required under Article 12. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken, in law and in practice, to ensure the responsibilities of those who design, manufacture, import, provide or transfer machinery and equipment for occupational use with regard to the safety and security of concerned persons, as required by Article 12 of the Convention.

National programme

Article 5 of Convention No. 187. National programme on OSH. Regarding the evaluation of the Action Plan for Health and Safety at Work 2021–2023, the Government indicates that a Report on the Implementation and the Achieved Results in accordance with the Action Plan for Health and Safety at Work 2021–2023 was adopted by the OSH Council on 7 March 2024 and was made publicly available at the web page of the Ministry of Labour and Social policy. This Report, that served as the basis for drafting the new Action Plan for OSH 2024–2025, concluded that all activities were either completed or ongoing. The Government indicates that relevant incomplete activities were carried forward into the new Action Plan for Safety and Health at Work for the period 2024–2025 which was adopted by the OSH Council in May 2024, following tripartite consultations. The Committee further notes that the new Action Plan identifies a series of strategic priorities: strengthening the legal framework through new legislation and alignment with EU directives; enhancing institutional and human capacities of the Labour Inspectorate and OSH Council; expanding education and training for professionals and the public; promoting a preventive OSH culture across all education levels; and improving system responsiveness to emerging risks such as climate change, digitalization, and psychosocial hazards. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the implementation of the Action Plan for Safety and Health at Work for the period 2024–2025, including the activities carried out and the results achieved within its framework. It requests the Government to provide information on any evaluation carried out of the Plan, in consultation with the social partners, and on how this evaluation contributes to the formulation of the Action Plan for the subsequent period.

In addition, the Committee recalls the pending comments regarding the technical OSH Conventions ratified: the White Lead (Painting) Convention, 1921 (No. 13), the Underground Work (Women) Convention, 1935 (No. 45), the Guarding of Machinery Convention, 1963 (No. 119), the Benzene Convention, 1971 (No. 136), the Occupational Cancer Convention, 1974 (No. 139), the Working Environment (Air Pollution, Noise and Vibration) Convention, 1977 (No. 148), Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985 (No. 161), Asbestos Convention, 1986 (No. 162) adopted in 2023. The Government will be requested to reply to those comments in accordance with the reporting cycle.