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

Republic of Moldova

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) (Ratification: 1996)
Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) (Ratification: 1997)

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of ratified Conventions on labour inspection, the Committee considers it appropriate to examine Conventions Nos 81 (labour inspection) and 129 (labour inspection in agriculture) together.

The Committee notes the observations of the National Confederation of Trade Unions of Moldova (CNSM), received on 21 August 2024 and those transmitted with the Government’s reports.

Articles 5(a), 17 and 18 of Convention No. 81 and Articles 12(1), 23 and 24 of Convention No. 129. Cooperation with the justice system and adequate penalties for violations of the legal provisions enforceable by labour inspectors. The Committee takes note of the detailed information provided by the Government in its report with regard to the number and type of infringements detected through labour inspections in the field of labour relations and occupational safety and health (OSH). In this respect, the Government indicates that according to the 2023 labour inspection report, as a result of employers’ failure to comply with legal requirements, 46 infringement reports were submitted to the Court for consideration, which imposed sanctions in 28 cases for a total of 282,000 Moldovan lei (approximately US$15,910). In its observations, the CNSM indicates that the 2023 labour inspection report does not contain information on the type of violations that the 28 infringement reports referred to and does not specify how many of the reports submitted to the Court are still pending or how many have been dismissed, and if so, the reason for their annulment by the Court. The CNSM also indicates that the number of infringement reports submitted to the Court decreased from 74 in 2022 to 46 in 2023. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the infringements recorded in the field of labour relations and OSH as well as the number of infringement reports submitted to the Court. It requests the Government to indicate their specific outcome, including information on the number of cases that have been dismissed or are pending, the penalties applied, and the amounts collected. It also requests the Government to provide its comments with respect to the observations of the CNSM.

Article 5(b) of Convention No. 81 and Article 13 of Convention No. 129. Collaboration of the labour inspection services with employers and workers or their representatives. The Committee notes the collaboration agreements signed between the State Labour Inspectorate (SLI) and the Confederation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Moldova in 2004, as well as with the CNSM in 2021. The Government indicates that in 2022, labour inspectors carried out joint control actions with other public authorities in combating undeclared work, including 7 inspection visits with the representatives of the territorial subdivisions of the education trade unions for the examination of 6 petitions. The Committee takes note of this information which addresses its previous request.

Article 10 of Convention No. 81 and Articles 14 of Convention No. 129. Human resources for labour inspection. In reply to the Committee’s previous request, the Government indicates that in 2021 when the SLI took over the budget for personnel with responsibilities on OSH from national agencies that were previously given supervisory competence in this field, 36 labour inspectors were transferred to the SLI. However, the Committee notes that the number of employees working for the SLI decreased from 109 in March 2021 (after the transfer of the OSH competences to the SLI) to 84 as of November 2022. With regard to the number of labour inspectors in agriculture, the Government indicates that labour inspectors do not specialize in specific branches of the economy. Noting the decrease in the number of labour inspectors from 2021 to 2022, the Committee requests the Government to provide updated relevant statistics and indicate the measures taken to ensure that the labour inspectorate has a sufficient number of inspectors to ensure the effective discharge of labour inspection duties. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the number of inspectors under the SLI performing OSH inspections, and those performing inspections in the field of labour relations.

Article 11 of Convention No. 81 and Article 15 of Convention No. 129. Material means for labour inspection. The Committee notes that the budget allocated for the activity of the SLI significantly increased form 12,522 thousand lei (approximately US$2.8 million) in 2021 to 22,039 thousand lei in 2023 (approx. US$5 million). The Government indicates that the financial means covered staff costs, purchase of good and services, fixed assets and circulating materials and social benefits. It also indicates that at the end of 2023, the SLI managed 36 company cars. The Committee takes note of this information which addresses its previous request.

Article 21 of Convention No. 81 and Article 27 of Convention No. 129. Content of the annual report on the work of labour inspection services. The Committee notes that the labour inspection reports for 2021, 2022 and 2023 as well as the Government’s report contain information on most of the matters enumerated in Article 21 of Convention No. 81 with the exception of statistics of workplaces liable to inspection and the number of workers employed therein (Article 21(c) of Convention No. 81) and statistics of occupational diseases (Article 21(g) of Convention No. 81). At the same time, the Committee notes that the labour inspection reports do not contain breakdown statistics for the agricultural sector as required under Article 27 of Convention No. 129. The only information relevant to agriculture pertains to the number of inspections and recorded infringements. The Committee requests the Government to continue to publish and communicate the annual reports of the labour inspectorate to the ILO, and ensure that they contain information on all the subjects listed in Article 21 of Convention No. 81 and Article 27 of Convention No. 129, including information on statistics of workplaces liable to inspection and the number of workers employed therein (Article 21(c) of Convention No. 81 and Article 27(c) of Convention No. 129) and statistics of occupational diseases (Article 21(g) of Convention No. 81 and Article 27(g) of Convention No. 129). It requests the Government to provide disaggregated data for agriculture in particular.

In addition, the Committee recalls the pending comment regarding the Labour Administration Convention, 1978 (No. 150), adopted by the Committee in 2021, for which the Government will be requested to reply in its next report.