Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1993, published 80th ILC session (1993)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Zambia (Ratification: 1979)

1. Further to its previous observation, the Committee took note of the Government's report, which contains brief indications in reply to the request which had been addressed to it directly.

2. The Government has stated that the Fourth National Development Plan 1989-93 has been revised. The Committee notes however that the report does not include the required information on the employment objectives set at this time. It also notes that the report mentions measures to reduce the number of personnel employed in the public sector. The report also indicates that privatization measures should, in the end, favour the creation of jobs which continue for the moment to be impeded by such factors as the weight of external debt, the lack of foreign currency and the devaluation of the national currency. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate in its next report how account is taken, when adopting global development policy measures and in particular adjustment measures, of the effect of these measures on employment (Article 1, paragraph 3, of the Convention). It recalls that under Article 2 the measures to be taken in order to attain employment objectives should be placed "within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy".

3. The Committee notes with concern that the Government has reported the negative impact of the unfavourable economic situation on youth training programmes, and the reduction of public spending on education in a context in which the rapid growth of the economically active population results in the growth of unemployment for urban youth. It hopes that the Government will soon report that measures have been taken to coordinate policies for education and training with prospective employment opportunities, in order to ensure that young persons have access to an appropriate job after they have completed school and been trained, and to build a workforce with the necessary qualifications for the implementation of the economic policy. Some suggestions concerning education and training related to youth employment, which the Government may consider to be appropriate, may be found in Part III of the Employment Policy (Supplementary Provisions) Recommendation, 1984 (No. 169).

4. The Committee notes that the report does not contain the information requested on the effect given to Article 3. It trusts that the Government will indicate in its next report how the representatives of the persons affected by the measures to be taken, in particular representatives of employers and workers, but also representatives of other sectors of the economically active population such as persons working in the rural and informal sectors, are consulted on employment policy and take part in its implementation.