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1. Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. In the comments that it has been making for many years, the Committee has requested the Government to provide detailed information on the application of the Convention. In two communications received in May and October 2006, the Government referred to the legislative provisions adopted in 2005 governing workbooks (carteiros profissionais) and the establishment of a training centre for trainers (CENFOR). The text of Act No. 1 of 2006, the purpose of which is to promote the vocational integration of young persons seeking their first job, was also attached. Act No. 1 of 2006 recognizes that, in order to combat unemployment, the State has to design and implement integrated employment promotion policy measures to train and develop the labour force. The Committee notes that the social indicators are indeed of great concern: 70 per cent of the population has less than 2 dollars a day to survive and primary school enrolment is increasing very slowly (from 50 per cent in 1990 to 53 per cent in 2000). The Committee therefore emphasizes the need to guarantee the essential function of the employment service in promoting employment in the country. In this respect, the Committee requests the Government to provide a report containing the available statistical information concerning the number of public employment offices established, the number of applications for employment received, the number of vacancies notified and the number of persons placed in employment by such offices (Part IV of the report form). Please also provide information on the following matters:

–           consultations held with representatives of employers and workers on the organization and operation of the employment service and on the development of employment policy (Articles 4 and 5);

–           the manner in which the employment service is organized and the activities which it performs to carry out effectively the functions set out in Article 6;

–           the activities of the public employment service in relation to socially vulnerable categories of jobseekers, with particular reference to workers with reduced mobility and disabilities (Article 7);

–           measures proposed by the employment service to give effect to Act No. 1 of 2006 and to provide assistance to young persons seeking suitable employment (Article 8);

–           measures proposed by CENFOR and other institutions to provide training or further training to employment service staff (Article 9, paragraph 4);

–           measures taken by the employment service in collaboration with the social partners to encourage the full use of employment service facilities (Article 10);

–           measures adopted or envisaged by the employment service to secure cooperation between the public employment service and private employment agencies (Article 11).

2. The Committee recalls that the Office is in a position to provide the Government technical advice and assistance for the establishment of a public employment service, in accordance with the Convention.

[The Government is asked to reply in detail to the present comments in 2008.]