Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2001, published 90th ILC session (2002)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Netherlands (Ratification: 1967)

The Committee notes the information contained in the Government’s report for the period 1 June 1998 to 1 June 2000, and the detailed National Action Plan for Employment 2000.

1. Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. The documents attached to the Government’s report indicate that unemployment is at the lowest level since the start of the 1980s. The number of people in paid work has been increasing, the number of people on welfare has been decreasing and the dependency ratio is below the EU average. The number of vacancies is increasing, and there is a shortage of skilled labour in several sectors. Furthermore, the participation rate is up to about 70 per cent. The Government indicates that vacancy rates have increased, and wage pressure is increasing due to the tight labour market. However, the employment rate remains low, especially for older workers.

2. The Government explains that a Coalition Agreement exists to improve operation of the labour market, to reduce inflows into welfare, and to promote reintegration into mainstream work of benefit claimants. The WIW (Jobseekers Employment Act) employment contracts provide approximately 33,000 jobs plus 5,600 job experiences. The WIW is to be evaluated in 2000. The WVA (Act on reduction of wage tax and social contributions) is aimed at workers with wages up to 130 per cent of the minimum wage. In 1998, 839,000 workers qualified for the WVA programme, and the Government estimates that between 4,000 and 17,000 jobs have been created due to reduced wage taxes. The Government has also set up an "Additional jobs for long-term unemployed" programme, and adopted a "comprehensive approach" which aims to prevent long-term unemployment by guaranteeing to each new jobseeker an offer of either employment or training within 12 months.

3. Unemployment for ethnic minorities has decreased from 25 per cent in 1990 to 16 per cent in 1998. The Government has asked the Social and Economic Council to issue recommendations on labour market policy for ethnic minorities. Specific programmes to promote employment of ethnic minorities include language training and parenting support. The Dutch Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises signed an agreement with the employment services to hire 20,000 people from ethnic minority groups before May 2001.

4. The Committee notes these various efforts, aimed in particular at preventing long-term unemployment, and helping the long-term unemployed back into the mainstream labour market. It would appreciate continuing to receive information on the impact of these policies and programmes on employment promotion. The Committee would also appreciate receiving information on any measures taken to counteract discrimination against older jobseekers.

5. Article 3, in conjunction with Article 2. The Committee notes with interest the Government’s assessment of the contribution of the social partners contained in the National Action Plan for Employment, 2000, which concluded that:

There is therefore every reason to include employers’ associations and trade unions at national and European level in the preparatory policy-making phase. Henceforth, the government will not only consult the social partners when drafting the NAP and formulating its position on the draft employment guidelines (the Luxembourg process), it will also give the social partners the opportunity to put forward their views on relevant aspects of the Commission’s proposal for broad economic policy guidelines, and will inform them about the documents that serve as input in this respect. In this way, the Government hopes that policy coordination will take place within full view of the social partners. (p. 27)

The Committee would appreciate receiving further information on the progress made in including the social partners in deciding on, and keeping under review, within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy, policies and programmes for promoting employment.