Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2005, published 95th ILC session (2006)

Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Lebanon (Ratification: 1977)

The Committee notes the detailed information and statistical tables contained in the Government’s report received in November 2004.

1. Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. In its direct request of 1999, the Committee noted the Government’s decision to create five new employment offices in all the departments of the country. In this regard, the Government states in its latest report that, following a decision by the National Employment Agency in December 2002 determining the geographical areas to be covered by these offices, the Agency stated that the above offices were on the point of being established as the legal measures, staff and media coverage issues had all been addressed. The Committee requests the Government to keep it informed as to the operation of these regional offices in practice and to supply it with statistics concerning their respective activities (Article 3 of the Convention).

2. Participation of the social partners. With regard to cooperation with representatives of employers and workers in the organization and operation of the employment service, the Government states that this cooperation essentially takes the form of the presence of the social partners on the administrative council of the National Employment Agency and their participation in discussions, the exchange of information and decision-making with regard to the development of employment policy. The Committee requests the Government to continue to supply it with information on the active participation of representatives of employers and workers in the operation of the employment service (Articles 4 and 5).

Measures to protect migrant workers. With regard to cooperation between the public employment service and private employment agencies not conducted with a view to profit, the Government states that, in light of Legislative Decree No. 80/77, all cooperation with private employment agencies is forbidden, as the latter are profit-making organizations. Furthermore, following the establishment of the National Employment Agency, the creation of any private employment agency, or the renewal of licences granted to existing agencies, is forbidden (Article 11). While noting this information, the Committee draws the Government’s attention to the need for the employment service to take appropriate measures to facilitate the movement of migrant workers (Article 6(b)(iv)). It requests the Government to state, in its next report, whether measures have been envisaged in this regard in order to ensure the protection of migrant workers sent to Lebanon by recruitment agencies operating in other countries.