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1. The Committee takes note of the useful information supplied by the Government in reply to its earlier comments. It notes that, in accordance with the Fundamental Principles of the USSR and Republics Legislation on Employment of Population, as well as with the Declaration respecting the State Sovereignty of the Ukraine of 16 July 1990 and with the Act respecting the economic autonomy of the Ukrainian SSR, a Bill on the Employment of Population of the Ukrainian SSR has been drafted. The Government indicates that the purpose of the Bill is to provide, in the context of a pluralistic regulated market economy and the equality of different forms of ownership, for organisational, legal and economic guarantees of the employment of population, as well as the state guarantees of the right to work for all the citizens resident in the territory of the Ukraine, including the right to a free choice of employment. The Committee notes that, for the purposes of the implementation of the employment policy, it is proposed in the Bill to establish a public employment service which will operate under the direction of the Ministry of Labour of the Ukrainian SSR and the executive committees of the local Soviets of People's Deputies. Among the main responsibilities of the employment service, according to the Government, there will be analysis and forecast of manpower supply and demand, supply of information on the labour market, on the number of vacancies and the number of applications for jobs, assistance to workers in finding suitable employment and assistance to employers in finding suitable workers, organisation of the vocational training and retraining, of the vocational guidance, etc. The Government further states that the employment service will take part in the preparation of long-term and continuing republic and regional employment programmes, and that organisationally it will be created on the basis of the placement, retraining and vocational guidance centres already in operation. The Committee has noted that the Bill on the Employment of Population of the Ukrainian SSR was sent, in October 1990, to the International Labour Office for expert examination.

2. The Committee also notes that a State Programme for the Employment and the Amelioration of Utilisation of the Labour Resources of the Ukrainian SSR for 1991-1995 is in the process of being drafted. The Government indicates that this Programme is regarded as one of the basic instruments of the implementation of the state employment policy and will serve as a mechanism of application of the above-mentioned Bill which has been submitted to the Ukrainian SSR Supreme Soviet. According to the Government, the purpose of this Programme is to prevent mass unemployment and to provide the citizens of the Ukraine with social guarantees of employment in the context of the transition to market economy and the formation of a labour market.

3. The Committee takes note of the statistical information illustrating the creation of the new employment opportunities due to development of the co-operation and the individual labour activity.

4. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply, in its next report, information on the situation, level and trends of employment, as well as the information on the new orientation of the employment policy, in connection with the elaboration of the State Programme for Employment, and in particular, information on the organisation and operation of the employment system, including the organisation and activities of the employment service. With reference to its previous direct request the Committee also asks the Government to continue to describe placement activities in relation of the occupations, branches and specific categories of jobseekers for which special measures have been taken or are contemplated. It requests the Government to provide information on any progress made in the adoption of the Bill on the Employment of Population and to forward a copy to the Office when adopted.

5. The Committee would also be grateful if the Government would describe in more detail the manner in which representatives of the persons affected by the measures to be taken are consulted concerning employment policies, in accordance with Article 3 of the Convention, with reference to consultations with representatives of employers' and workers' organisations, in connection with the elaboration of the State Programme for Employment during the period of transition to a market economy. Please also indicate whether formal consultative procedures have been established or are going to be established for this purpose under this Programme.