Observation (CEACR) - adoptée 1999, publiée 88ème session CIT (2000)

1. The Committee notes the detailed information contained in the Government's report, as well as the ILO Country Employment Policy Review for the Netherlands, 1999. General unemployment has dropped to around 3.3 per cent as of April 1999, according to Eurostat, while long-term unemployment as a proportion of total unemployment has remained around 47 per cent as of 1998, according to the OECD, indicating a decline in the number of long-term unemployed. According to the Government, the Manpower Services has been reorganized, in accordance with the Jobseekers Employment Act (WIG) which came into force in January 1998, and will give priority to the "difficult to place" workers within the new structure. The Committee would appreciate receiving further details in the Government's next report on the success of the various programmes in tackling long-term unemployment. In particular, it requests further details on the effect of programmes targeted at the least skilled long-term unemployed.

2. The Committee notes the continued increase in part-time employment, and that around 65 per cent of part-time workers are female. According to the OECD Employment Outlook 1999, the trend towards an increase in part-time work appears to have levelled off with just over half (54 per cent) of all working women in part-time employment. The Committee would appreciate receiving more information on any research undertaken to ascertain whether structural impediments to full-time work exist, as requested in the report form under Article 1 of the Convention.

3. The Committee also notes from the Government's report and the OECD Employment Outlook that there is a clear upward trend in public expenditure on subsidized employment. According to the Government, there are two types of subsidized employment: employment contracts and regulation cleaning services. The employment contracts involve local communities hiring long-term unemployed persons or youth and seconding them to regular employment in either the collective or private sector. Employment contracts last for a maximum of two years, but may be extended indefinitely. Regulation cleaning services seeks to increase employment by expanding the private sector demand for cleaning services by offering wage subsidies to employers. The Committee would appreciate further information on the success rates of these programmes in transferring the long-term unemployed and youth to lasting employment.