Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2005, published 95th ILC session (2006)

1. Integration of an active employment policy with economic and social policy. The Committee notes the detailed information on the labour market situation, on the activities of the employment service in 2003 and 2004, and on the legislative amendments to the law concerning employment provided by the Government’s report received in October 2004. The Government indicates that the number of people employed was around 66 million. The unemployment rate as of mid-2004 was 8.5 per cent, with a total of 6,133,000 workers unemployed, of which 1,628,000 were registered with the employment services. The number of workers dismissed because of redundancies and closure of firms grew by 20 per cent in the first quarter of 2004 and totalled some 162,000 workers. With regard to regional disparities, the situation of the labour market was favourable in major cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg, but high levels of unemployment were noted in some territories such as the Republic of Ingushetia and Dagestan. The Committee notes that there has been a decline in the economically active population at a time when the working age population is growing. The Committee notes that success in employment creation is linked to the successful coordination of macroeconomic policies as well as structural policies. It therefore asks the Government to report on how employment policy measures are reviewed regularly within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information in its next report on the difficulties encountered and the results obtained for the implementation of an integrated employment policy, in the sense of the Convention. Please also include in the report information on the employment situation of socially vulnerable groups such as young persons, women jobseekers, and dismissed workers. The Committee would appreciate continuing to receive disaggregated data on the level and trends of employment, unemployment and underemployment. Please also indicate the measures taken to reduce labour market differentials in the country and how the unemployment benefit has been expanded in order to cover a large rate of the unemployed and promote the re-entry into employment of the beneficiaries (Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention).

2. The Committee further notes the measures taken to establish a system of quotas to promote the employment of workers with disabilities. It asks the Government to include information in its next report on the outcomes of the schemes implemented with a view to integrate workers with disabilities in the open labour market. It hopes that the Government will also report on the pending issues with regard to the application of the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention, 1983 (No. 159).

3. Participation of the social partners in the formulation and application of policies. The Committee notes that the amendments introduced to the Law on Employment increased the responsibilities of the federal state authorities in relation with employment policies and that the level of the unemployment benefit will also be decided by the federal Government. In this regard, the Committee recalls that Article 3 of the Convention provides that the measures to be taken in relation to employment policy should take fully into account the experience and views of the representatives of employers’ and workers’ organizations with a view to securing their full cooperation in formulating and implementing employment policies. It further recalls its interest to examine information on the efforts made to hold the consultations required by this important provision, and requests the Government to include in its next report indications on the manner in which the views of the representatives of persons affected by employment policy measures, including the opinions of representatives of those working in the informal economy, are taken into account so as to ensure that the objectives of the Convention are being achieved.

4. ILO technical assistance. The Committee also recalls its interest in examining information on the action taken as a result of ILO technical and advisory cooperation activities in the field of employment in the framework of the programmes of cooperation between the Russian Federation and the ILO (Part V of the report form).