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The Committee notes the Government’s report received in November 2008 including detailed contributions by the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TÜRK-İŞ) and the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TİSK).

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Implementation of an active employment policy. In its 2007 observation, the Committee asked the Government to provide information on the active employment policy measures implemented, in order to be able to examine the extent to which economic growth translated into better economic outcomes and poverty reduction. The Government reports that following Turkey’s economic crisis of 2001, which caused a decrease in employment, the overall employment rate has progressively increased over the period 2004–06 and the unemployment rate decreased. The Committee notes from statistical data available in the ILO that the unemployment rate, which was slightly below 10 per cent in 2006, is envisaged to reach 15 per cent in 2009 while the employment rate is envisaged to decrease below 40 per cent. The Government indicates that a significant step towards increasing employment was made with the entry into force in May 2008 of Law No. 5763 containing an “Employment package” as part of a labour market reform programme entailing amendments to the Labour Law and other legislative acts. The measures to be implemented under the employment package include, among others, a reduction of the administrative and financial burden on employment to promote job creation, especially for women, young workers and persons with disabilities, and an increase in unemployment benefits. New active labour market policies will be developed by the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR) and funded under the Unemployment Insurance Fund to help reduce the mismatch between skills on offer and in demand in the labour market. The Committee notes that the Government’s Medium-Term Programme covering the period 2008–10 envisages to create employment for approximately 1.4 million people. The TÜRK-İŞ stresses the importance of speeding up the process for redesigning the education and training system so as to reflect labour market needs. The Committee invites the Government to provide information in its next report on the results achieved and difficulties encountered in implementing the measures set out under the employment package to promote full employment and combat unemployment.

Women. The Committee notes that the female employment rate in Turkey is still low. In December 2008 the employment rate for women was around 21.3 per cent (as compared to 61.5 per cent for men). The Government indicates in its report that the new Employment Package places a special emphasis on the promotion of job opportunities for women through a reduction of the employers’ social security contributions. A national action plan is being prepared by the general directorate on the status of women, which is to address gender issues in employment. Women have been granted wider access to active employment measures whereas social services, especially childcare, have been further developed. Support is also given to female entrepreneurship and access to micro credit. The Committee notes that the improvement of female employment is referred to as one of the decent work country priorities in a Memorandum of Understanding signed in February 2009 with the ILO. It further notes that the ILO, in cooperation with the İŞKUR, has launched a project on active labour market measures for enhancing employment for women to be carried out in three pilot provinces where female labour participation rates are low (Ankara, Gaziantep and Konya). The Committee asks the Government to continue providing information in its next report on the efforts made to improve the employment situation of women and the results achieved in terms of job creation as a result of the measures adopted.

Youth employment. The Committee notes that the high level of youth unemployment (19.6 per cent in 2007) continues to be a matter of concern for Turkey. The Government indicates that the employment package envisages a reduction of employers’ social security contributions over a period of five years in order to increase employment opportunities for young workers. It further indicates that 71 per cent of the participants in the training courses regularly organized by the İŞKUR in 2006 and 2007 were young persons aged 15–29. In this regard, the TİSK observes that a national youth employment policy should be developed in collaboration with the social partners and other stakeholders. The Committee notes that the Memorandum of Understanding concluded with the ILO includes youth employment among the country’s priorities. The Committee asks the Government to continue providing information in its next report on the efforts made to improve the employment situation of young persons, and the results achieved in terms of job creation as a result of the measures adopted.

Small and medium-sized enterprises and the informal economy. The Government indicates in its report that one of the objectives of the employment package is decreasing informal employment. In this connection, the Committee notes that, based on funds provided by the Administration for the Development and Support for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (KOSGEB), interest-free credit is granted to small and medium-sized enterprises which is proportional to the number of qualified workers or newly graduated young people that they hire, with a view to encouraging employment formalization. The employment of 25,146 workers has been supported by the KOSGEB over the period 2006–08. In their comments the TÜRK-İŞ and the TİSK emphasize the high level of unregistered employment. Out of the total 21.6 million employed persons in the country, almost half (46 per cent in 2007) is not registered. The Committee asks the Government to supply further information in its next report on the results of the measures adopted with a view to increasing employment opportunities in the non-declared economy and facilitating the gradual integration of its workers into the labour market.

Article 3. Participation of social partners in the formulation and application of policies. In reply to previous comments, the Government states that the efficiency of the national Economic and Social Council (EKOSOK) will be increased. The Government also indicates that under the new employment package, the labour market monitoring functions of the provincial employment boards operating under the İŞKUR, where the social partners are represented, have been redefined so as to cover vocational education and that the number of the board’s members have been decreased to make them more efficient. The Committee notes with interest several projects jointly implemented by the social partners aimed at strengthening their involvement in the modernization of the vocational education and training system, developing the IŞKUR’s institutional capacity and services as well as improving the efficiency of labour market monitoring mechanisms at provincial level. In its comments on the report for the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144), the TİSK stresses the need to approve, without delay, the Bill on the new composition of the EKOSOK prepared in consultation with the social partners in order to ensure a participatory approach in the development of employment policies. In this connection, the TÜRK-İŞ observes that although under the existing legislation EKOSOK should meet every three months, it has held only one meeting over the period 2006–08. The TÜRK-İŞ also indicates that the composition of the provincial employment boards operating under the İŞKUR has been changed and that social partners have been excluded. The Committee asks the Government to provide in its next report further information on how social partners are involved in the formulation and implementation of active employment policies, particularly through such mechanisms as EKOSOK and other bodies operating at local level, so as to fully take into account their experiences and views.

Part V of the report form. ILO technical assistance. The Committee notes with interest the information included in the report on the programmes implemented by the ILO as part of its technical cooperation activities in Turkey. A pilot programme to strengthen social dialogue in order to combat unregistered employment is being implemented in the provinces of Çorum and Gaziantep. Under this programme the Government and the social partners have developed employment strategies targeted at specific local contexts and studies have been conducted to identify factors causing unregistered employment. A pilot project to improve employment services has been implemented in the province of Koçaeli to serve as a model for the entire country with the specific objective to increase the effectiveness of social dialogue through the İŞKUR’s local employment committees. Labour market analyses are being carried out with the aim of developing appropriate labour market policies and the İŞKUR officials have been trained in restructuring, redundancy management and job counselling. Under an ILO–EU textile training project, workers and managers in factories supplying multinational enterprises in the textile and clothing sector have been trained on issues related to quality, productivity and workplace conditions with a focus on worker–management relations in order to raise awareness on the importance of social dialogue. The Committee would appreciate continuing to receive information on the employment policy measures implemented as a result of the ILO technical cooperation activities.