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

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Estonia (Ratification: 2003)

1. Articles 1 and 2. Labour market trends and an active employment policy. The Committee notes the Government’s report received in April 2008 in reply to its previous comments. It notes in particular the positive results of the Action Plan for Growth and Jobs (2005–07). The employment rate of the population as a whole was approximately 69.7 per cent in 2007. The unemployment rate, which was already below the European average, has continued to decrease from 5.9 per cent to 4.7 per cent in 2007. The Government indicated that the results of the Action Plan for Growth and Jobs had been evaluated by an Inter-Ministerial Working Group with the participation of representatives of the social partners. This working group will also prepare the action plan for 2008–11. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information in its next report on the strategic trends of the employment policies targeted by the Action Plan for Growth and Jobs (2008–11) and indicate the results achieved.

2. The Committee notes the entry into force on 1 January 2006 of the Act respecting services and benefits of the employment market which introduces a new series of measures benefiting unemployed workers. In addition to internships for young jobseekers with no professional experience and coaching for long-term unemployed workers, the Act provides measures benefiting workers with disabilities. These new measures are implemented on a case by case basis and require the active participation of the beneficiaries. In accordance with this Act, the at-risk groups requiring special attention with regard to the application of labour market-related measures include persons with disabilities, young persons, ex-convicts, persons over 55 years of age, long-term unemployed workers and persons with insufficient Estonian language skills. The Committee asks the Government to provide information in its next report on the results obtained through the application of the Act respecting services and benefits of the employment market in terms of the introduction of vulnerable groups into lasting employment.

3. Sustainable regional development. The Committee notes that, despite the continuous improvement in the employment situation of Ida-Viru county, the unemployment rate, which was 9 per cent in 2007, is still nearly twice the national average. The development strategy of Ida-Viru for 2005–13, based on the previous development strategy, aims to increase the attractiveness of the county for entrepreneurs and tourists and to improve the living conditions so as to avoid an exodus of the inhabitants. The areas to be focused on include graphic design, education, business creation, infrastructure and cooperation among the local authorities. According to the Estonian Office of Statistics, differences among counties persist despite the general improvement in development indicators. The Regional Development Strategy of Estonia (2005–15) envisages four indicators to evaluate the progress of sustainable regional development: (i) the population of Harju county should not surpass 41 per cent of the entire population of Estonia; (ii) the contribution of northern Estonia to the GDP should not surpass 71 per cent of the national GDP; (iii) the employment rate of the active population should not go below 45 per cent in any of the counties; and (iv) the average living standard of any of the counties should not be lower than 61 per cent of the best-placed county. The Committee invites the Government to provide information in its next report on the progress made as a result of the measures taken to encourage sustainable regional development taking into account the evaluation indicators mentioned in the Regional Development Strategy (2005-2015), by indicating the impact of these measures in terms of unemployment reduction in the underprivileged regions and in Ida-Viru county in particular.

4. Employment of non-Estonians. The Committee notes that during the 2004–07 period, the unemployment rate of non-Estonians had decreased over twofold, from 15.6 to 6.9 per cent. The Government indicates that, in the framework of the National Integration Programme, efforts are continuously made to improve local language skills among non-Estonians and thereby increase their employment opportunities. Knowledge of the Estonian language is a precondition for obtaining citizenship and gaining employment in the civil service. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the impact of the measures taken to promote employment in terms of reducing the gap in employment opportunities between non-Estonians and the population as a whole.

5. Women’s employment. The Committee notes that the employment rate for women was around 65.7 per cent in 2007. Some 58.2 per cent of unemployed jobseekers are women. The Government indicates that in order to encourage greater participation of women in the labour market, the Employment Market Office was now in a position to provide women workers who are participating in training with compensation for the fees to organize care for dependents (children and family members with a disability). Furthermore, in the framework of the Estonian Confederation of Employers project on flexible forms of work, a training and guidance programme for parents of young children returning to active life is currently being implemented. The Government indicates that a Commissioner for equality between men and women, acting as an independent and impartial expert to ensure compliance with the law on equality of opportunities, was appointed in October 2005. Although the Government was not able to take stronger steps in matters of equality of opportunities with regard to training and the employment market given the current economic situation, it nevertheless states its desire to raise public awareness about the issue of gender bias by means of information materials and financial support for activities of NGOs working on the issue. The Committee requests the Government to indicate in its next report the results achieved by the legislative measures or programmes implemented to ensure employment opportunities for women as requested by the Convention.

6. Training policies. The Government indicates that in the framework of the National Strategy of Lifelong Training (2005–08) it is envisaged to broaden the opportunities for vocational training in the workplace with a view to adapting the labour force to the needs of the employment market and to make professional guidance more accessible. A model for financing adult training based on three pillars and under the competence of three different ministries has also been adopted. According to the Statistics Office, the rate of participation in lifelong training was 7 per cent in 2007; this level, however, is significantly lower for the vulnerable categories of workers. The Government indicates that in the period from 2000 to 2007, the vocational training network had been optimized and resources had been allocated to improve the content of the training. Furthermore, the Employment Market Office also provides training for registered unemployed workers on a case by case basis. The Committee asks for information on the impact of the measures adopted in the framework of the training policies in terms of adapting workers’ knowledge, qualifications and skills to the needs of the labour market. Please also indicate the measures taken or envisaged to promote the access of vulnerable categories of workers to lifelong training.

7. Article 3. Participation of the social partners. The Government indicates that, in accordance with the National Strategic Reference Framework relating to EU Structural Funds Programmes (2007–13), resources from the European Social Fund will be used to support activities intended to improve the capacities of the social partners. The goal of these activities is to raise awareness among the social partners about the principles of and opportunities for representing workers as well as health and safety issues in the workplace. The Committee invites the Government to provide information in its next report on the impact of the measures taken to improve the capacity of the social partners in terms of their contribution to the implementation of an active employment policy within the meaning of the Convention.