Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1991, published 78th ILC session (1991)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Angola (Ratification: 1976)

With reference to its previous observation and direct request, the Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in its report received in June 1990.

1. The Committee takes note of the fourth national meeting of women workers organised by the Organisation of Women of Angola (OMA) which took place from 14-16 August 1989 and which examined, amongst other things, the status of women and vocational training, the promotion of women, the situation of displaced women and the informal sector. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information on any developments regarding the situation of women in employment and occupation.

2. The Committee takes note of Decree No. 28 of 1 July 1989, approving the statute on vocational training and repealing Decree No. 110/83 of 1 December 1983 issuing the vocational training strategy and respecting initial and on-going training for women and adults. The Committee asks the Government to provide statistics on the number and percentage of the persons of each sex who have received vocational training.

3. The Committee once again asks the Government to provide:

(i) statistics of the number and percentage of women employed in the public administration or holding posts of responsibility; and

(ii) the list of activities prohibited for women by section 154(2) of the General Labour Act as soon as it is adopted.

4. The Committee again requests the Government to provide the text of the Economic and Financial Recovery Programme launched in 1988, to replace the National Employment System.

5. With regard to protection against discrimination on the ground of political opinion, the Committee takes note of Decree No. 16/89 issuing the Rules applicable to public administrators, and of Act No. 10/89 of 30 December 1989 issuing the Standards of Discipline applicable to public administrators. It again asks the Government to provide detailed information on the implementation of the policy of clemency in the areas covered by the Convention and to enclose with its next report the text of the Rules applicable in the public service which, according to the Government's previous indications, was in the process of being drafted.

6. The Committee takes note of Decree No. 17/89, of 13 May 1989, issuing the statutes of the Agostinho Neto University; Decree No. 31/89, of 22 July 1989, approving the regulations on higher education study courses and Decree No. 55/89, of 20 September 1989, approving the conditions of service of university teaching staff. The Committee notes that one of the attributions conferred by section 6(5)(c) of Decree No. 17/89 on the University Council of the Agostinho Neto University is that it shall aim to ensure the political and ideological training of university administrative staff and graduates. The Committee also notes that under section 18 of Decree No. 37/89, candidates for admission to higher education courses abroad must be nominated in particular by the Labour Party, the Labour Party Youth Section, the central organisations of the State apparatus and by the Organisation of the Social Masses. They must be selected by the Executives' Division of the Central Committee of the Labour Party. Lastly, the Committee notes that section 30 of Decree No. 55/89 provides that the duties of teachers shall include assisting students in their political and ideological training. The Committee again expresses the hope that, as part of the general education reform now under way in Angola, the Government will take the necessary measures to eliminate all discrimination on the grounds set out in Article 1, paragraph 1(a), of the Convention, particularly political opinion, with regard to access to education and vocational training, which are fundamental to the achievement of equal opportunity in employment and occupation. It asks the Government to continue to provide information on progress made in this area.

Furthermore, the Committee again asks the Government to clarify the meaning of the phrase "good social behaviour", which is mentioned as one of the criteria of priority in section 1 of Decree No. 18/86 of 15 September 1986 for access to levels 2 and 3 of the basic education.