Labour Administration Convention, 1978 (No. 150) - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (RATIFICATION: 1980)

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The Committee takes note of the supplementary information provided by the Government in light of the decision adopted by the Governing Body at its 338th Session (June 2020). The Committee appreciates the efforts of the Government to provide information in its report regarding various measures taken in 2020 in the COVID-19 context, such as legislation in Northern Ireland to protect workers’ rights in response to COVID-19, the launch of a skills and jobs fund by the Welsh Government to support its COVID Commitment, and the sub-group of the Scottish Government’s Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board, recommending actions to mitigate the labour market impact of the pandemic.

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The Committee notes the information provided by the Government, which answers the points raised in its previous direct request and has no further matters to raise in this regard.

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Article 6(2)(a). National employment policy. The Committee notes the Government’s information in reply to its previous request concerning the impact of the labour market policies and reforms that were introduced in response to the recession which followed the financial crisis. It also notes the observations made by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) received on 1 September 2015, concerning the effectiveness of these policies and reforms. The Committee refers to its comment under the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122).

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The Committee takes due note of the Government’s detailed report on the labour market policies introduced in response to the recession which followed the financial crisis as well as the measures introduced after the elections of June 2010 in order to rebalance the economy and ensure that public finances are restored to a sustainable path by 2015–16. The Committee requests the Government to indicate in its next report the impact of the measures introduced after June 2010 on the functioning of the labour administration system and the application of the Convention.

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Article 5 of the Convention. The Committee notes from the Government's detailed report and its annexes that there have been significant organizational changes within the British training bodies and public employment service. It also notes that the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in its observations transmitted by the Government on 1 February 1995 refers to the provisions of this Article of the Convention and states that the former tripartite training system which was in operation since the 1980s, where there was consultation and negotiation at the national level (the Manpower Services Commission), regional level (Area Manpower Boards) and in sectoral Industry Boards, has been replaced by an employer-led, market-driven voluntary system in which there is no obligation to involve trade union representatives. It further notes that according to the TUC only 60 of the 82 Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs), which comprise two-thirds employers, include one trade union representative. The TUC states that Industry Training Organizations (ITOs) which replaced the tripartite Industry Training Boards (ITBs) are also employer-led and are not required to include trade union representatives and that union representation on the national bodies concerned with training is in general low. The TUC further states that the National Council for Vocational Qualifications which has a total of 14 members, Investors in People UK which has 13 members, and the National Advisory Council for Education and Training Targets which has 12 members, each has only one trade union representative. The Committee notes that the Government's reply to the TUC's comments dated 6 February 1995 does not address the questions of tripartism in the various bodies concerned with training. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would address the observations made by the TUC and indicate how consultations, cooperation and negotiations appropriate to national conditions, including consultation with the most representative organizations of workers, called for by this Article of the Convention are effectively applied under the new training arrangements.