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

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Ecuador (Ratification: 1972)

1. Coordination of employment policy with economic and social policy. The Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government, received in September 2009, in reply to its 2008 observation. The Government indicates that the financial crisis has hindered the country’s economic and social activities. The Committee notes the National Anti-crisis Employment Strategy (ENEC), adopted in April 2009, which includes public policy measures as well as programmes and projects designed to minimize the impact of the economic crisis on the labour market. The measures proposed complement the job-creation policies developed under the National Development Plan 2007–10 and should deliver quick results. The ENEC is based on the following components: (1) economic inclusion of micro and small producers; (2) promotion of a popular economy based on solidarity; (3) promotion of productivity in employment‑intensive sectors; (4) public investment in employment-intensive activities; and (5) protection of family income. The ENEC aims to generate 86,219 new jobs. The Government also mentions programmes to provide a temporary income for the population groups most affected by the crisis in exchange for labour services for emergency projects and productive and social infrastructure projects. Furthermore, the Committee duly notes the Government’s intention to ensure that economic growth strategies are adopted by means of national agreements with the social actors and that the measures adopted generate employment. In this regard, the Committee refers to its General Survey of 2010 on employment instruments, in which it emphasizes that social dialogue is essential in normal times and becomes even more so in times of crisis. The employment instruments require member States to promote and engage in genuine tripartite consultations (see General Survey, op. cit., paragraph 794). The Committee requests the Government to indicate in its next report the manner in which the social partners participated in the development, implementation and evaluation of the employment policies to overcome the negative effects of the crisis. The Committee requests the Government to include information on the impact of the ENEC in generating productive and sustainable employment.

2. Participation of the social partners. The Government confirms in its report that tripartite consultations are held within the National Labour Council before final decisions are taken. With regard to the groups not included in the tripartite body, the Government indicates that citizens participate by means of meetings, events and forums which allow them to express their opinions on various economic and social issues directly to the Government. The Committee reiterates its request for information that will allow it to assess whether the employment policy measures adopted have fully taken into account the experience and views of the representatives of organizations of employers and workers, including the representatives of those working in the rural sector and the informal economy (Article 3 of the Convention).

3. Articles 1 and 2. Labour market analysis. The Government indicates in its report that it intends to carry out an analysis of labour market trends and gather the necessary information concerning employment, unemployment, underemployment, occupations, jobs and other variables with a view to taking the appropriate measures. According to data from the National Institute for Statistics and Censuses (INDEC), in September 2009, urban unemployment stood at 9.1 per cent (1.8 percentage points above the average rate in 2008); urban underemployment stood at 51.7 per cent and the poverty rate was 36.3 per cent. According to data published in the 2009 Labour Overview, more jobs were created by self-employment (4.5 per cent) than wage and salaried employment (0.5 per cent) and construction was the sector that created the most jobs (4.3 per cent), whereas manufacturing remained unchanged and job creation in the trade sector decreased by 1.4 per cent, according to data from the first half of 2009, compared with the same period in 2008. The Committee requests the Government to include up-to-date information in its next report on the employment, unemployment and underemployment situation, levels and trends, including information on the employment situation of the most vulnerable categories of workers, such as women, young persons and rural workers.

4. Youth employment. In its previous comments, the Committee requested information on the measures adopted to implement the National Youth Employment Plan and the results achieved. The Committee notes that youth unemployment has risen more than adult unemployment and that in the urban sector, the unemployment rate among young persons aged between 15 and 24 years rose from 14.4 per cent in 2008 to 17.5 per cent during the first half of 2009. The Committee requests the Government to include information in its next report on the measures adopted to ensure sustainable employment for young persons.

5. Regional integration and rural development. The Government indicates in its report that the challenge of regional development is to achieve balanced and sustainable progress in all regions of the country, in order to improve the living conditions of the entire population, redistribute wealth and encourage the development of citizenship. The Government indicates that it intends to recover local planning processes to reduce regional disparities in the implementation of public policies. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the regional development policies aimed at ensuring the balanced distribution of the country’s economic activities.

6. Small and medium-sized enterprises. The Government indicates that the Industry and Competitiveness Ministry’s Undersecretariat for Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Handicrafts coordinates support programmes for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to strengthen their productivity and competitiveness and establish productive networks. Furthermore, business initiatives are strengthened through the provision of training for their staff, technical support and credit assistance. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the manner in which job creation is promoted by means of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises. The Committee also requests the Government to identify the programmes that have been most effective in helping precarious workers and those in the informal economy to find productive and lasting employment.

7. Vocational training. The Committee notes that a new National Vocational Training System was approved by means of Presidential Decree No. 1509 of 29 December 2008. The Presidential Decree states that vocational training is key to achieving decent work and employment. The National Vocational Training Council has been created as a tripartite regulatory body responsible for defining and approving vocational training policies. Furthermore, the Vocational Training Programme for Social Inclusion should contribute to improving the accessibility of the labour market and creating new employment opportunities for vulnerable social groups affected by unemployment and underemployment in both urban and rural areas. The Committee requests the Government to include information in its next report to allow an assessment of the impact of the creation of the National Vocational Training Council in coordinating vocational training and education policies with employment prospects.