Observation (CEACR) - adoptée 2002, publiée 91ème session CIT (2003)

Convention (n° 127) sur le poids maximum, 1967 - Tunisie (Ratification: 1970)

The Committee notes the Government’s report and the information sent in reply to its previous comments. It draws the Government’s attention to the following points.

1. Article 3 of the Convention. Ever since the adoption of the Ministerial Order of 5 May 1988 determining the maximum permissible weight to be carried by a single worker, the Committee has been pointing out that 100 kg, the weight which may regularly be carried by a single worker, considerably exceeds the maximum of 55 kg advocated by Article 14 of the Maximum Weight Recommendation, 1967 (No. 128). The Committee has observed several times that consistent handling of such weights is liable to endanger the health and safety of workers. The Committee took note of the statement made by the Government in its report of 1997 that it would inform the Office of the results of the work done by the committee set up to revise the abovementioned Order in the light of the Committee’s comments as soon as it was completed. Moreover, in its report of 1999, the Government referred to a meeting held on 26 May 1999 by the committee in charge of revising the above Order which had examined ways and means of harmonizing the provisions of the Order with those of the Convention. The Government stated its intention of sending the results to the Office in its next report. In its last report, the Government states that a draft order to amend the Order of 5 May 1988, determining the maximum weight that may be handled by a single worker, has been drafted and that it reflects the comments the Committee has been making over the years. Furthermore, there has been consultation on the draft between the ministerial departments concerned and workers’ and employers’ organizations. The results of the consultations will be submitted to the committee in charge of revising the Order. Since it has been raising this matter for many years, the Committee cannot but reiterate the hope that the draft order amending the Order of 5 May 1988 will be adopted promptly and that the Government will be in a position to state in its next report that the amendments to the Order of 5 May 1988 have brought the legislation into line with the Convention.

2. Article 7, paragraphs 1 and 2. For a certain number of years, the Committee has been pointing out that under section 2 of the Order of 5 May 1988, the maximum permissible weight of loads to be transported manually by women aged 18 years or older was 25 kg. It drew the Government’s attention to a publication by the ILO: Maximum weights in load lifting and carrying (Occupational Safety and Health Series, No. 59, Geneva, 1988), in which it is indicated that 15 kg is the limit recommended from an ergonomic point of view of the admissible load for occasional lifting and carrying by women aged between 19 and 45 years. The Committee again notes that for several years the Government has been stating its intention to revise the Order of 5 May 1988 determining the maximum load that may be handled by a single worker, and hopes that the revised order will comprise an amendment to that effect so as to ensure that the manual transport by women of light loads is limited in so far as possible to loads not exceeding 15 kg. The Committee hopes that the Government’s next report will contain information on measures giving full effect to the Convention.