Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2010, published 100th ILC session (2011)

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention, 1983 (No. 159) - Zimbabwe (Ratification: 1998)

The Committee notes the Government’s report received in September 2008, which includes brief replies to the matters raised in the previous direct requests, as well as a communication from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) forwarded to the Government in November 2009.

Article 2 of the Convention. National policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities. The Committee notes that the Government intends to carry out a survey in 2010 to identify the number of persons with disabilities and their needs and that a new national policy will be based on the survey. The Committee invites the Government to provide a general description of the existing national policy on the vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities, as well as any available information on the new policy based on the national survey.

Article 3. Promotion of employment opportunities in the open labour market. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that there are no available statistics on the number of participants benefiting from vocational training or on the number of persons placed in employment. The ZCTU expressed its concerns about the lack of legislation mandating a quota system for persons with disabilities linked to a penalty regime that funds rehabilitative education and training. The ZCTU also communicates that rehabilitation services suffer from lack of funding and that access to medical assistance remains difficult. The Committee asks the Government to provide in its next report updated information on the measures and services established to promote employment for persons with disabilities, as well as any available information regarding the number of participants in the vocational rehabilitation programmes.

Article 4. Equal opportunity and treatment. The Government indicates that while the Disabled Persons Act prohibits discrimination, there is no legislation aimed at effective equality of opportunity and treatment for persons with disabilities. The ZCTU communicates that anti-discrimination legislative protections are indeed in place through section 9 of the Disabled Persons Act and section 5 of the Labour Act, which prohibits discrimination in the advertisement, recruitment, creation, and classification of jobs. The Committee reiterates its request for some examples of court cases, or other relevant administrative decisions, which apply the abovementioned provisions against discrimination.

Article 7. Vocational rehabilitation and employment services. The Committee notes that the National Employment Services Department under the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, continues to offer a general employment service without any special adaptation for persons with disabilities. The Committee asks the Government to indicate whether any consideration has been given to adapting the existing employment services to suit the needs of workers with disabilities. The Committee further invites the Government to describe how the existing employment service provides vocational guidance, training and employment placement to workers with disabilities.

Article 8. Access to services in rural areas and remote communities. Emphasizing the requirement under this Convention to promote vocational rehabilitation and employment services in rural areas and remote communities, the Committee once again asks the Government to describe what steps have been taken to implement this provision.

Article 9. Suitably qualified staff. The Committee awaits the Government’s information regarding the various training programmes for rehabilitation counsellors and other suitably qualified staff, as well as the number of such instructors in each of the three national rehabilitation centres.

[The Government is asked to reply in detail to the present comments in 2012.]