Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1999, published 88th ILC session (2000)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Tunisia (Ratification: 1966)

Article 1 of the Convention. The Government states in its report for 1998 that unemployment remained at about 15.5 per cent due to restructuring and drought. However, the eighth development plan resulted in the creation of 280,000 new posts, mainly in industry and services, and the Government had over 80,000 participants in its programmes. For the ninth plan, the Government has revised its employment programme and education and training system in light of labour demands. The Government states that employment remains its top priority and it aims to decrease the gap between labour supply and labour demand. Measures to promote employment include encouraging investment, increasing exports, increasing productivity, and bringing about social peace. The Government intends to improve the adaptation of education and training to labour demand, increase the capacity of training institutes and revise education and training curricula with input from the business community. The Government has also identified self-employment and small enterprise development as key components of its new development plan. Specific measures to promote entrepreneurism include reducing the cost of labour through decreased social taxes and health insurance contributions, encouraging banks to finance small enterprises, establishing a special bank to provide credit, and creating three pilot zones for entrepreneurship. The Committee notes this information and requests further details on progress made in preparing jobseekers for the labour market, particularly women and youth, and in promoting small enterprises and stimulating labour demand. It also asks the Government to include in its next report more detailed information on how the budgetary and monetary policies contribute to employment promotion, and on the Government's sectoral development policies.

The Committee also notes that the Government intends to develop a database on trends in the labour market and to undertake biannual studies. The Committee hopes that this project will be completed in the near future and looks forward to receiving more detailed information on the trends in employment, unemployment and underemployment, both in the aggregate and as they affect particular categories of workers such as women, youth, older workers, and workers with disabilities. It also would appreciate receiving extracts or copies of the studies produced, as requested in Part VI of the report form.

Article 3, in conjunction with Article 2. Further to its previous comments, the Committee notes that the report does not contain any further information on the Economic and Social Council, although the Government does state that it aims to solidify the consultation process. The Government also states that it is making efforts to improve social dialogue in general. The Committee recalls the obligation to ensure that the employment policy is decided on and kept under review within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy, in consultation with representatives of employers' and workers' organizations, as well as representatives of rural and informal sector workers. It would appreciate being kept informed of progress made in this respect.