Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2008, published 98th ILC session (2009)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Chile (Ratification: 1968)

The Committee notes the Government’s report for the period ending August 2007, which includes information on the employment situation in 2006 and summarizes the activities carried out by the National Training and Employment Service (SENCE).

1. Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Declaration and pursual of an active employment policy. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the good labour market indicators, however it also noted the lack of an integrated employment policy system. The Committee notes that the national unemployment rate reached 7.1 per cent in the first three quarters of 2007, representing a fall of 1.3 per cent in relation to the same period in 2006, due to a moderate increase in labour supply. For the same period, the employment rate also rose from 50.2 per cent to 50.8 per cent, while labour demand decreased slightly over the same period. These results reflect the GDP growth, which in the first and second quarters of 2007 was 5.8 and 6.1 per cent, respectively (data published by the ILO in Labour Overview 2007). The Committee recalls once again that the provisions of the Convention require the Government to declare and pursue, as a major goal, an active policy designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment, within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy, and in consultation with all the persons affected. Accordingly, so as to be able to fully examine the manner in which the Convention is applied, the Committee requests the Government to provide a report containing detailed information on the manner in which an active policy designed to promote full and productive employment has been declared in the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy. The Committee once again requests that the next report identifies those programmes which have been most effective, and have had the most positive results in terms of employment generation for the most vulnerable categories of the population, such as women, workers in precarious forms of employment and workers affected by restructuring measures.

2. Youth unemployment. The Committee notes that the unemployment rate amongst young persons (15 to 19 years) is 3.4 times higher than the average global unemployment rate, which it considers to be a cause for concern. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information in its next report on the measures adopted to ensure decent working conditions for young persons entering the labour market.

3. Coordination of vocational education and training measures with employment policy. In reply to the 2006 direct request, the Government refers to the success achieved by the Continuous Education and Training Programme, Chile Califica. It also provides information on the activities carried out in collaboration with the Chile Foundation in the context of the National System for the Certification of Labour Skills. The Government had proposed to train 1 million workers each year as from 2005. The Committee is grateful for the information provided on the activities of the SENCE and the results achieved by the labour skills certification programme. The Committee once again requests detailed information in the next report on the manner in which education, training and lifelong learning policies are coordinated with prospective employment opportunities.

4. Article 3. Participation of the social partners in the formulation and implementation of policies. The Committee notes once again that the report for the period ending August 2007 does not contain information on the consultations held, as required by this important provision of the Convention. In an ILO publication, referred to in the 2006 direct request, it was proposed that it might be of interest to promote a private or public–private body (foundation or corporation) to provide support for the management of labour market policies at the local level which could implement programmes, provide technical assistance and coordinate public and private actors under the guidance of the central public authority (Chile: Superando la crisis. Mejorando el empleo. Políticas de mercado de trabajo, 2000–05, Santiago, ILO, 2006, pages 30–31). The Committee refers to its previous comments in which it emphasized that the consultations required by this provision of the Convention should cover all aspects of economic and social policy which affect employment and that, in addition to representatives of employers and workers, they should include representatives of other sectors of the economically active population, such as those working in the rural sector and the informal economy. The Committee asks the Government to provide detailed information in its next report on the manner in which the experience and views of the social partners are fully taken into account, their full cooperation secured, and their support enlisted for the formulation and implementation of the employment policy. Please also indicate whether formal consultative procedures have been established for this purpose and the action taken as a result of the assistance or advice received from the ILO (Part V of the report form).