The representation by employers’ or workers’ organizations is made
A representation can be made about ineffective observance of any ratified Convention.
The representation is received and brought before the Governing Body for decision on receivability
A representation is received by the Office to be conveyed on to the Governing Body to determine receivability.
The Governing Body refers to an ad hoc tripartite committee or the CFA
If found to be receivable, the Governing Body refers the matter for examination.
The ad hoc tripartite committee examines, considering voluntary conciliation
The ad hoc tripartite committee examines the substance of the representation, with the possibility to suspend the procedure if the parties agree to optional voluntary conciliation, and reports back to the Governing Body.
The CFA examines the representation
The CFA examines the representation relating to a ratified Convention concerning freedom of association or collective bargaining.
Follow-up of the representation through regular supervision
The CEACR normally follows up on recommendations made by the ad hoc tripartite committee, as adopted by the Governing Body.
The duration of a representation procedure depends on the timing of its start, the periodicity of Governing Body meetings, decisions taken by the Governing Body, and cooperation of the complainant organization and the government concerned.
The Governing Body takes decisions only during its meetings in March, June and November on the receivability of a representation, its possible referral to a committee for examination, and the report on its substance. Any committee to which a representation is referred meets only during Governing Body meetings. Expeditious treatment of a representation thus depends on whether there is sufficient time to prepare matters for these meetings, notifications and transmissions of parties’ information and observations. In practice, most often the procedure involves two or three meetings of the ad hoc tripartite committee over two, not necessarily consecutive, sessions of the Governing Body.
The average duration of representation procedures between 1990 and 2016 has been approximately 20 months.
