Categoria: Convenzioni OIL
Visite: 5765

R51 Recommendation concerning the National Planning of Public Works




Geneva, 22 giugno 1937


The General Conference of the International Labour Organisation,

Having been convened at Geneva by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, and having met in its Twenty-third Session on 3 June 1937, and
Having decided upon the adoption of certain proposals with regard to the national planning of public works, which is included in the third item on the agenda of the Session, and
Having determined that these proposals shall take the form of a Recommendation,
adopts this twenty-second day of June of the year one thousand nine hundred thirty-seven, the following Recommendation, which may be cited as the Public Works (National Planning) Recommendation, 1937:
Whereas in the absence of advance planning expenditure on public works tends to increase in years of prosperity and to diminish in years of depression;
Whereas fluctuations in the volume of employment of workers engaged on public works are thereby superimposed on the fluctuations in the volume of employment arising out of commercial demand, thus aggravating successively the shortage of certain classes of workers in periods of prosperity and the extent of unemployment in periods of depression;
Whereas it is desirable to time public works in such a way as to reduce industrial fluctuations as far as possible;
Whereas the uniform application of such a policy of timing to all public works involves the co-ordination of the administrative and financial methods applied by the various authorities; and
Whereas it is also desirable, if public works are to be fully effective as a remedy for unemployment, that measures should be adopted relating to the conditions of recruitment and employment of the workers engaged on the works;
The Conference recommends that each Member should apply the following principles:

Part I. Timing of Public Works

1.
(1) Appropriate measures should be adopted for the purpose of achieving a suitable timing of all works undertaken or financed by public authorities.
(2) This timing should involve an increase in the volume of such works in periods of depression and for this purpose it is desirable to provide for the preparation in advance, during periods of prosperity, of works capable of being held in reserve or exceeding ordinary requirements and which should be ready for execution as soon as the need is felt.
(3) Special attention should be paid to public works which stimulate heavy industries or public works which create a more direct demand for consumers' goods, as changing economic conditions may require.
2. The policy of timing public works should apply to all such works (including works in colonies) undertaken by central authorities, regional or local authorities, public utility undertakings, or any body or individual in receipt of subsidies or loans from a public authority.
3. There should be established a national co-ordinating body the duties of which should be, more particularly--
(a) to centralise information relating to the various kinds of public works;
(b) to ensure or encourage the preparation of works in advance; and
(c) to give instructions or advice as to when works should be held in reserve and when works held in reserve should be undertaken, account being taken of fluctuations in the volume of unemployment, changes in the index of wholesale prices, changes in the rate of interest and any changes in other indices which indicate an alteration in the economic situation.

Part II. Financing of Public Works

4. Among the financial measures necessitated by the policy embodied in the present Recommendation the following should receive special consideration:
(a) the placing to reserve in periods of prosperity of the resources necessary for carrying out works prepared for periods of depression;
(b) the carrying forward of unexpended balances from one year to another;
(c) restricted borrowing by public authorities in periods of prosperity and accelerated repayment of loans previously contracted;
(d) the financing by loan in periods of depression of public works likely to stimulate economic recovery, and, generally speaking, the application of a monetary policy which will make possible the expansion of credit required at such a time for the speeding up of the public works and which will ensure the lowest possible rate of interest on the loans.
5. The co-ordinating body provided for in Paragraph 3 or a special body acting in co-operation with it should be entrusted with all or some of the following duties in connection with the financing of public works:
(a) to advise the central authority on financial policy and, if necessary, taxation policy relating to public works;
(b) to assist in achieving proper co-ordination between the credit policy and market operations of the central bank, or corresponding institution, and the public works policy of the Government;
(c) to co-ordinate the borrowing policy of the different public bodies referred to in Paragraph 2; and
(d) to take such measures as may be necessary to ensure that the policy of the central authority in respect of loans and subsidies is made effective.

Part III. Employment of Certain Classes of Workers

6. In applying the policy of timing provided for in this Recommendation, consideration should be given to the possibility of including works which will give employment to special classes of workers such as young workers, women and non-manual workers.

Part IV. Conditions of Recruitment and Employment

7. The recruitment of workers for employment on public works should be effected for preference through the public employment exchanges.
8. Foreign workers authorised to reside in the country concerned should be accepted for employment on public works in the same conditions as nationals, subject to reciprocal treatment.
9. The rates of wages of workers on public works should be not less favourable than those commonly recognised by workers' organisations and employers for work of the same character in the district where the work is carried out; where there are no such rates recognised or prevailing in the district, those recognised or prevailing in the nearest district in which the general industrial circumstances are similar should be adopted, subject to the condition that the rates should in any case be such as to ensure to the workers a reasonable standard of life as this is understood in their time and country.


The General Conference of the International Labour Organization, Having been convened in Geneva by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, and having met in its 90th Session on 3 June 2002, and Following consideration of the proposal for the withdrawal of several international labour Recommendations, which is the seventh item on the agenda of this session, decides this day of June of the year two thousand and two to withdraw the Public Works (National Planning) Recommendation, 1937 (No. 51). The Director-General of the International Labour Office shall notify all Members of the International Labour Organization, as well as the Secretary-General of the United Nations, of this decision to withdraw the instrument. The English and French versions of the text of this decision are equally authoritative.


La Raccomandazione รจ stata ritirata il 3 giugno 2002

Fonte: ILO