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1. The Committee notes the Government’s report for the period ending May 2004, including observations made by the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TÜRK-IŞ), the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DISK), the Turkish Confederation of Employers’ Associations (TISK) and the Confederation of Public Employees’ Unions of Turkey (TÜRKIYE KAMU-SEN). The Committee also notes the information provided in reports on the application of Convention No. 88 on employment services, Convention No. 142 on human resources development, Convention No. 158 on termination of employment, as well as of Convention No. 159 concerning vocational development of persons with disabilities, and refers to its comments on the application of the Conventions.

2. Article 1 of the Convention. The Committee notes the continued progressive increase in the unemployment rates which, in the first quarter of 2004, had reached 12.4 per cent on average, including 11.2 per cent for women and 25 per cent among young educated people. According to TÜRK-IŞ, DISK and TÜRKIYE KAMU-SEN a central cause for these deteriorating conditions in the labour market continues to be an insufficiently active labour market policy and the implementation of the economic policies prescribed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, including efforts to reduce inflation and to keep social transfers low. These policies are said to exacerbate the ongoing structural changes in the labour market, including the privatization process in the agricultural and public sectors.

3. The Committee notes, however, that the recent decision to harmonize Turkey’s employment policy with that of the European Union represents a major policy shift towards a more effective implementation of the objectives of Convention No. 122. The Committee also notes that both the Government and TISK provide information on a series of new laws, institutions, projects and policies initiated, adopted or under way as part of the implementation of this policy shift. The Committee notes this information and would appreciate being kept informed of progress made in its implementation. The Committee also requests the Government to provide detailed information on measures addressing in particular the increasing difficulties experienced by women and young persons in accessing the labour market, and the results of these measures.

4. Article 2. The Committee notes the concerns raised by TÜRKIYE KAMU-SEN concerning the lack of an effective social policy, and that the Government has announced that the economic programme it will be implementing in 2005 will contain more social elements. The Committee would appreciate receiving further and more detailed information from the Government on the planned social dimension of its future economic policy and how it plans to coordinate this policy with the newly adopted employment policy.

5. Article 3. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government regarding tripartite consultation in the formulation and application of its current labour market policy, including its application at the local and regional level activities initiated by the Turkish Employment Agency (IŞKUR) and through the reorganized tripartite Economic and Social Council (EKOSOK). As regards EKOSOK the Committee notes the detailed information the Government has provided concerning meetings held until 7 November 2003. TÜRKIYE KAMU-SEN stresses that EKOSOK has not been convened since November 2003 - in spite of legislation requiring meetings every three months - and states that the Government has taken a number of important decisions since then. It further contends that, to the extent consultations have been held, they have involved only the employers’ organizations but not the workers’ organizations and their unions and have thus not been tripartite. The Committee would appreciate continuing to receive information on the manner in which consultations are held with representatives of employers’ and workers’ organizations in keeping with Article 3 of the Convention.