Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2003, published 92nd ILC session (2004)

The Committee notes the Government’s detailed report for the period ending June 2002 and its reply to its previous comments.

1. Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. The Government indicates that during 2001 and the first half of 2002 there was an acceleration in economic growth and employment. During this period, the growth in employment estimated by the Survey of the Active Population concentrated in non-agricultural sectors of the economy, where 303,300 more jobs were created, 171,200 of which were in services and the others principally in construction. Unemployment was estimated to be 11.3 per cent in 2002, the lowest rate since 1980. Full-time employment rose by 2.3 per cent and part-time employment increased by 3.2 per cent. The number of self-employed grew slightly. Although the unemployment rate for men was 9.1 per cent of the active population in 2001, the rate for women was 18.8 per cent. The percentage of long-term unemployed fell by 3.4 per cent to reach 42.7 per cent of the total unemployed. Significant regional differences persist in employment and unemployment rates, with the lowest employment rates and high unemployment being generally found in the south and west due to the lower levels of economic development of these regions. The unemployment rate of young persons fell, although it remained disproportionately high at 24.7 per cent.

2. The Government indicates that by means of its employment policy measures it has continued to promote the creation of stable employment through incentives for categories such as women, those who have been unemployed for over six months, persons over 55 years of age and those suffering from social exclusion. The recruitment of part-time workers has also been promoted, with the extension of incentives from permanent full-time jobs to include permanent part-time contracts. In its Plan of Action for Employment for 2002, the Government emphasizes the following information concerning specific categories of workers.

Young persons. Action to combat youth unemployment has focused on employment, training, retraining, labour practices and vocational guidance with the objective of vocational integration. In 2001, the National Employment Institute carried out a total of 337,595 measures of this nature for young persons under 25 years of age before they had been unemployed for six months. Although the situation of young persons on the labour market has improved in terms of unemployment, there are also fewer young persons in employment as a result of the trend whereby young persons stay in school or university for longer periods.

Women. The objective has been to achieve the full integration of women into the labour market through measures such as the Act on the reconciliation of work and family life and the Royal Decree respecting cash benefits for maternity and risks during pregnancy. During the biennium 2000-01, women achieved the highest rate of integration into active life, with 311,800 more active women in 2001 than in 1999, and the creation of employment, with 528, 200 more women in employment in 2001 than in 1999.

The long-term unemployed. The measures taken to combat long-term unemployment have included preventive measures and vocational integration, combined with measures for the reintegration of the long-term unemployed intended to provide them with the opportunity of a new start through the provision of individual vocational guidance services. Some 42.7 per cent of the unemployed do not find a job for over one year. This figure is 47.1 per cent in the case of women and 46.7 per cent for adult workers. Of the 944,700 workers who have been unemployed for over one year, 355,207 have been unemployed for between one and two years and 589,493 for over two years.

The Committee trusts that the Government will continue to provide information on the results achieved by the measures taken to promote lasting and high-quality employment among those categories of persons who are in a vulnerable employment situation.

3. Article 3. The Government indicates that the urgent labour market reform measures, adopted under Act No. 12/2001 of 9 July 2001, were not agreed to by the social partners, with the result that the labour reform was undertaken unilaterally. The Government adds that social dialogue continues to play an important role in the development of measures to promote employment and the evaluation of employment policies and programmes. The Committee recalls that, in accordance with Article 3 of the Convention, the objective of such consultations is to take fully into account the experience and views of the representatives of the persons affected and to secure their full cooperation in formulating the employment policy and enlisting the support that is necessary for its implementation. In this respect, the Committee trusts that the Government will provide information in its next report on the manner in which the representatives of the persons affected are consulted concerning the employment policy and the way in which account is taken of their experience and views in both the formulation and implementation of employment policy.