Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Portugal (Ratification: 1993)

The Committee has noted the Government's report, and in particular information concerning the application of Article 10 of the Convention. It also notes the comments of the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP), attached to the Government's report, and requests the Government to supply further information on the following points.

Article 5. The Committee would again draw the Government's attention to the obligations under this Article to communicate to the ILO as soon as practicable the published statistics covered by the Convention, for instance, the employment data derived from establishment surveys (Article 7), and from the 1991 population census (Article 8).

Article 9(2). (i) The Committee recalls that current statistics of wage rates and normal hours of work are compiled as regards a number of pre-selected occupations within the sectors of civil engineering and public works. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate in its future reports any steps contemplated to extend this coverage to other branches of economic activity and other occupations. (ii) The Committee notes that the series of average occupational wage rates and indices which used to be compiled under the responsibility of INE (National Institute of Statistics) have been discontinued. However, information available in the ILO indicates that new series of occupational wages and hours of work are contemplated, based on administrative sources. The Government's report states that it is envisaged to compile two earnings indices covering the whole country and all economic activities, on the basis of available sources. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any development in the field of the statistics of occupational wages and hours of work, and in particular, to indicate whether the statistics referred to above are being compiled and whether they constitute one single or two distinct sources of data.

Articles 9, 10 and 11. The Committee notes the comment made by the CGTP, which points out that one of the main weaknesses of the national labour statistics programme is the exclusion of public administration from various sources, and in particular, from the earnings survey and the Quadros de Pessoal concerning the application of Articles 9, 10 and 11. In the CGTP's opinion, this lack of coverage means that there is limited information on earnings (trends, structure, etc.) and hours of work in this sector. The Committee requests the Government to indicate which steps, if any, are contemplated to extend the coverage of the statistics covered under Articles 9, 10 and 11 to the public administration sector.

Article 12. The Committee notes that, according to the Government's report, a new consumer price index is now calculated and published on base 1995=100. It notes however that, according to the publication "Indice de Preços no Consumidor" available at the ILO, the new base year published is 1997=100. The Committee would be grateful for a clarification on the actual base year.

Article 13. The Committee notes that the Government has submitted, in response to its previous request, some information on the 1994-95 survey of family income and expenditure, but has provided no description of the sources, concepts, definitions and methodology used in this survey. In this regard, it also notes the comments of CGTP concerning the difficulty in using administrative data on taxation. The Committee requests the Government to communicate to the ILO the results of the 1994-95 surveys as well as a detailed description of the methodology in accordance with Articles 5 and 6.

Article 14. The Committee noted in the previous direct request that, as a result of the recent methodological and procedural revisions, the Government would be able to collect, compile and publish data on workdays lost. It requests the Government to supply information on any further developments in this regard. It would also be grateful to have information regarding any steps that are planned to collect, compile and publish statistics of occupational injuries covering public administration, as commented by the CGTP, and the self-employed who are not insured.

Article 15. Referring to the CGTP's comment, the Committee requests the Government to supply information regarding any steps that are planned to collect, compile and publish statistics of strikes and lockouts in public administration.