Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2007, published 97th ILC session (2008)

The Committee takes note of the information provided in the Government’s report, received in September 2007, including such information provided in response to the Committee’s 2006 direct request.

1. Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Implementation of an active employment policy. The Committee notes that despite strong economic progress and GDP growth, poverty increased during 2004–05 as a result of increasing unemployment. This is attributed to public sector reforms which increased the number of jobseekers in the labour market. The effect of rising unemployment led to an increase in the incidence of overall poverty from 35.7 per cent in 2004 to 39.4 per cent in 2005. The Government attributes the reduction in the workforce experienced between 1999 and 2004 to increased emigration, reporting that, in the 1990s, between 800,000 to 1 million people left Georgia. The Government states that this trend is changing, and more persons are returning to Georgia.

2. Coordination of employment policy with poverty reduction. The Committee notes the information contained in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Country Report No. 06/361, on Georgia’s progress report on its Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Programme, provided by the Government in its report. The IMF report notes that despite strong GDP growth, poverty increased during 2004–05 as unemployment continued to rise, with unemployment rates reaching 13.8 per cent in 2005. The IMF report attributes this trend, in part, to the public sector reforms which resulted in the redundancy of a number of civil servants. This, coupled with the weakness in the social assistance system, contributed to an increase of overall poverty from 35.7 per cent in 2004 to 39.4 per cent in 2005. The IMF report notes that while poverty declined in the first quarter of 2006 to 33.6 per cent, a solid trend toward poverty reduction has yet to be established. The Committee welcomes receiving, in the Government’s next report, more information on the active employment measures pursued as part of the Government’s efforts to overcome poverty, and such steps taken to ensure that employment policy considerations, which are central to poverty reduction efforts, are placed at the heart of macroeconomic and social policies.

3. Employment services. The Government reports that the Social Assistance and Employment State Agency scaled down its employment-related activities in 2005 as it had sought to focus on its social assistance programme. The Agency did, however, reprise its employment-related activities in 2006 and thereafter. The Committee notes that reform is presently under way to combine the social service and other services responsible for implementing social policy as a single agency. The Committee welcomes receiving further information on the efforts to streamline the social service and social policy implementing services as a single agency, and requests that the Government also provide information on how its overall and sectoral development policies are pursued in a coherent manner which ensures that there is work for all available for and seeking work.

4. Vocational training and education. The Committee takes note that a new employment programme was implemented in 2006, which was allocated a budget of 24 million GEL (approximately US$14.5 million). The Government indicates that, on the basis of a labour market survey, it identified the need to address the overall low skill level of the workforce in the country, and the reduction in qualifications caused by long-term unemployment. To this end, the Social Assistance and Employment State Agency has sought to train jobseekers in light of the needs of employers. As compared to previous years, 2006 witnessed the implementation of a wide-scaled vocational training programme in workplaces. The Government reports that in 2006, the Agency registered more than 100,000 new jobseekers, 50,000 of whom were involved in the training programme. It is estimated that 15–20 per cent of the participants in the training programme were employed after the training.

5. The Government reports that in 2007, a Law on Vocational Training was passed. To this end, 11 new vocational training centres were opened, with the capacity to train 6–8,000 young persons and adults. The training curriculum is to be guided by the Ministry of Education and Science. Furthermore, a National Agency of Professions is to be established in 2007, the Governing Council of which will comprise representatives from the Government and social partners, to provide directions on vocational education. The Committee requests the Government to keep it informed of the steps taken to implement the new Law on Vocational Training, and corresponding results on the labour market. The Committee would also welcome receiving information as to how social partners contribute to the development and implementation of vocational education policies, and other employment-related policies, through such, and other, mechanisms as the Governing Council of the National Agency of Professions.

6. Particularly vulnerable categories of workers. The Committee notes that the Tbilisi Municipality implemented an employment programme for the young generation in 2006–07, which was attended by 5,000 young persons. The Committee requests that the Government provide more information, in its next report, on how employment policies are pursued to account for the particular circumstances of women, young persons, older workers and workers with disabilities, and the results of such policies.

7. Regional development. The Committee notes that, under the five-year agreement on the Millennium Challenge Programme concluded between the Governments of Georgia and the United States, efforts are being made to overcome poverty through economic development. The Government reports that the programme is made up of two components: the regional infrastructure rehabilitation project, and the enterprise development programme. To this end, the Government reports on the regional infrastructure development project which aims to improve regional and municipal service delivery by providing grants to eligible government entities for the development of the following sectors of infrastructure: water supply and sewerage; irrigation and drainage; gasification; local roads; and solid waste treatment. The Committee also notes the development of the Samtskhe-Javakheti road rehabilitation project which aims at improving transportation for trade and entrepreneurial activity in the region. The Committee asks the Government to continue to supply information on regional and local employment programmes implemented with a view to promoting full and productive employment, particularly in rural areas. In addition, the Committee reiterates its request for information on the legislative measures taken to encourage entrepreneurship and reintegration into the labour market of workers affected by privatization.

8. Collection and analysis of statistics. The Committee notes that the Statistics Department under the Ministry of Economic Development conducts quarterly household surveys, thus serving as the main source of statistical information. The Government reports that discussions are currently under way with the World Bank for the purpose of undertaking a wide research of the national labour market, in order to analyse its situation and to develop effective programmes. The Committee invites the Government to keep it informed of activities undertaken to gather statistics concerning the size and distribution of the labour force, the nature and extent of unemployment and underemployment and trends therein. The Committee would also welcome receiving information on how such data is used in the Government’s employment policy-making process.

9. Article 3. Participation of social partners in the formulation and application of policies. The Government refers to the consultations with social partners in relation to vocational education. It further indicates that no other tripartite commission currently exists. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Labour collaborates closely with the social partners on the questions of improving political and legislative reforms. In this respect, the Committee stresses the importance of the tripartite consultations required by the Convention to generate productive employment and improve security for jobseekers. It asks the Government to report in detail on the consultations held with the representatives of the social partners and the progress achieved regarding the requirement for consultation on the matters covered by the Convention, as established in Article 3.