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

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Bosnia and Herzegovina (Ratification: 1993)

Article 9(1) of the Convention. Penalties, labour inspection and application of the Convention in practice. Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Republika Srpska. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that, in the FBiH, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Policy conducted a review of the number of labour and occupational safety inspectors at both cantonal and federal levels. It also notes the Government’s acknowledgement that inspection bodies in the country face staffing shortages, with more vacant than filled positions, and that recruitment efforts are ongoing in accordance with applicable legislation.

The Committee further notes the Government’s statement that no individuals under 18 were found to be engaged in hazardous work during labour inspections in the FBiH, and that, according to the Statistical Annual Bulletin of the Office of Statistics, 510 persons under 18 were employed in 2022. It notes the Government’s indication that no data is available on penalties imposed by the labour inspectors of the Federal Administration for Inspection Issues for violations of section 20 of the Labour Law of the FBiH during the reporting period.

The Committee notes that in regard to the Republika Srpska, no individuals under the age of 15 were found during inspections and that no individuals under 18 were detected in hazardous work activities. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on measures taken to strengthen the capacity of the labour inspectorate in the FBiH and Republika Srpska to detect all cases of child labour, including in the informal economy. It once again requests the Government to provide information on any measures taken to obtain data on the number of children working in the informal economy in the FBiH and Republika Srpska. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide statistical information on the number of children below the minimum age engaged in economic activities, and on the number of young persons engaged in hazardous work in the FBiH and the Republika Sprska.

Brčko District. The Committee notes the absence of information in the Government’s report regarding the application in practice of section 173(1)(j) and (hhh) of the Labour Code of the Brčko District No. 34/19 of 2019. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the application of section 173(1)(j) and (hhh) of the Labour Code of the Brčko District No. 34/19 of 2019 in practice, in particular the number and nature of violations detected, and the penalties imposed.