Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1995, published 83rd ILC session (1996)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Bolivia (Plurinational State of) (Ratification: 1977)

1. The Committee notes the Government's report for the period ending June 1994. In its previous comments, the Committee included a request for information on the situation, level and trends in employment, unemployment and underemployment, particularly with regard to the most vulnerable categories of the population such as women, young people seeking their first job, workers who have lost their jobs as a result of economic adjustment, indigenous peoples, etc. The Government states that it is not possible to satisfy such a request for the moment. Budgetary restrictions prevent the carrying out of regular censuses and/or surveys which would help to provide an overview of the labour market periodically and clearly. The Government states that it is the National Statistics Institute which prepares an annual integrated survey of households. In these circumstances, the Committee refers to the analysis and the statistical information transmitted by the ILO multidisciplinary technical team (MDT) in Lima. According to the data provided by the MDT, non-agricultural employment has increased rapidly during 1990-93, faster than demand, which resulted in the reduction of open urban unemployment (which fell by 7.3 per cent in 1990-91 to 5.8 per cent and 5.4 per cent in 1992 and 1993 respectively). Nevertheless, between 1990 and 1993, informal urban employment still continued to rise. Over 60 per cent of the urban economically active population is working in low productivity jobs or is unemployed. The Committee recalls that many aspects of an active employment policy lie beyond the competence of the minister responsible for labour so that preparation of a full report on this Convention requires consultations with other ministries or government agencies concerned such as those responsible for planning, the economy and statistics. In this respect, it would be appreciated if the Government's report could contain indications on the procedures adopted in order to take into account the objectives of an active employment policy in the light of the other economic and social objectives. The Committee trusts that the Government will do its utmost to ensure that, in its next report on the application of the Convention, statistical information can be supplied on the size and distribution of the labour force and the nature and extension of unemployment as an essential stage for the formulation and execution of an active employment policy, in the meaning of Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention.

2. The Government's report includes some indications on assistance given to persons affected by administrative restructuring who can receive allowances and grants from the Social Relief Fund. The Committee hopes that in its next report the Government will be able to supply detailed indications on the results achieved by the measures designed to satisfy the needs of the least privileged categories of persons who have difficulty in retaining their employment or in obtaining lasting employment such as workers affected by administrative restructuring or industrial rationalization, women, young people, the disabled, or the long-term unemployed. Please indicate the results obtained by the measures envisaged in the context of decentralization and popular participation for the execution of regional and local programmes for strengthening small business and other employment programmes.

3. The Committee recalls that in its previous comments it was able to welcome the information supplied by the Government on the activities of the National Institute of Vocational Education and Training (INFOCAL). It requests the Government to refer again in its next report to matters pertaining to the coordination of education and vocational training policies with employment policy which is essential so that all workers have the fullest possible opportunity to qualify for a job for which they are well suited and to use in this job their skills and endowments.

4. Finally, the Committee notes that the Government's report does not contain the information requested on several occasions, by the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards among others, on the consultations which should be held on employment policy. These consultations should discuss the measures which have to be adopted in relation to employment policy with the aim of taking fully into account the experience and views of the persons affected and, furthermore, obtaining their full cooperation in the task of formulating the policy concerned and enlisting the necessary support for its execution. The consultations with representatives of the persons affected might include representatives of employers and workers and also representatives of other sectors of the population such as those working in the rural sector and the informal sector. The Committee trusts that, bearing in mind the vital importance which it attributed in previous reports to agreement between the main social and economic agents, the Government will not fail to provide in its next report the details required by the report form under Article 3 of the Convention.