Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012)

Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Nicaragua (Ratification: 1981)

Collaboration with the social partners. In the report received in September 2011, the Government provides details of a strategy for approaching the social partners with a view to compiling job offers and making them available to users of the Public Employment Service (SEPEM). The Committee notes that SEPEM holds meetings with representatives of the business sector and that cooperation agreements have been signed with organizations involved in foreign investment in the country. Since 2010, diagnoses of training requirements have been conducted so as to take into account the needs of enterprises and the productive capacity of municipalities in order to improve the placement of workers. The Government also mentions the National Youth Employment Committee and the National Labour Council as essential bodies in social dialogue. The Committee notes that specific steps are being taken for cooperation between SEPEM and the social partners. It points out that Articles 4 and 5 of the Convention provide for arrangements to be made through advisory committees to obtain the cooperation of representatives of employers and workers in the organization and operation of the employment service and in the development of employment service policy. It asks the Government in its next report to indicate the arrangements made by the National Labour Council for consultations to be conducted and tripartite committees to be established as required by Articles 4 and 5 of the Convention. The Committee reiterates its interest in receiving detailed information on the cooperation of the social partners in the functioning of the Public Employment Service.

Cooperation with private employment agencies. In response to the previous direct request, the Government states that a handbook has been produced for use by private employment agencies. The Committee points out that in its General Survey of 2010 concerning employment instruments (paragraphs 785–790), it observed that Conventions Nos 88, 122, 142 and 181 (Nicaragua has already ratified Conventions Nos 88, 122 and 142) form a necessary building block for employment growth. The Committee refers the Government in this connection to Convention No. 181, which contains provisions regulating the operation of such agencies. The Committee invites the Government to examine, together with the social partners, the possibility of ratifying Convention No. 181, the implementation of which would strengthen labour market institutions. It asks the Government to include in its next report on Convention No. 88 information on effective cooperation between the public employment service and private employment agencies.

Practical information on the application of the Convention. The Committee welcomes the statistics provided by the Government on labour market integration for the period 2007–11. It asks the Government to continue to provide statistical information on the number of public employment offices established, the number of applications for employment received, the number of vacancies notified, and the number of persons placed in employment by such offices (Part IV of the report form).