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

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Cameroon (Ratification: 1970)

Declaring and pursuing a national employment policy. Consultation with the social partners. The Committee notes the Government’s report, received in September 2011, replying to the direct request of 2009. The Government states that since 2008 it has formulated its own vision for long-term development entitled “Vision 2035”, the aim of which is to make Cameroon “an emerging and democratic country united in its diversity”. In order to increase job offers, the strategy document for growth and employment (DSCE) sought to give priority to wage jobs through the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, promotion of the HIMO (labour-intensive technologies) approach and the development of targeted self-employment through specific programmes. In its report, the Government refers to difficulties it has experienced that stem from the structural adjustment programme and the 2008 financial crisis. It states that it has overcome some of these difficulties, having reached a completion point in the process embarked on under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. According to information available in the context of consultations held with the secretariat of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in June 2011, real GDP growth rose from 2 per cent in 2009 to 3.2 per cent in 2010 (thanks to growth in the agriculture and forestry sectors), the poverty rate has stagnated at around 40 per cent of the population, with marked regional disparities as poverty affects 87 per cent of rural dwellers, and the youth unemployment rate is still high. The Committee requests the Government to send a report providing information on the measures actually adopted and implemented under the National Policy on Employment and Vocational Training and under “Vision 2035” to create lasting employment and reduce underemployment (Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention). It invites the Government also to give an account of the social partners’ participation in the preparation of measures for the implementation of an active employment policy in the context of the current structural adjustment process (Article 3). The Committee furthermore hopes that the Government will be able to provide statistics on the situation and trends in employment, unemployment and underemployment, particularly as regards women and young people.

Coordination of employment policy and poverty reduction. The Government indicates that under the strategy document on growth and employment, growth was to increase to 5.5 per cent and underemployment was to fall from 75.8 per cent to below 50 per cent. The Government also indicates that the computerization of the economy has risen and that to attain full and productive employment a process has been launched to improve the business climate in order to attract investors and monitor prices, wages and income policies. The Committee again asks the Government to provide information disaggragated by group on the results obtained in terms of employment, particularly for women, young people, elderly workers and persons with disabilities, following the adoption of these measures.

Informal economy. In its previous report, the Government mentioned the implementation of a comprehensive project of support to the informal sector (PIAASI). PIAASI had identified more than 10,000 cases of need of assistance in organization, training and support for financing and that in the first half of 2007, some 1,400 production units in the informal economy received financial support. The Government indicates that the effectiveness of the PIAASI is reflected in the grant of loans to the informal sector thanks to the creation of micro-enterprises. The Committee requests the Government to include information in its next report on the measures in which the PIAASI has been shown to be effective in terms of creating productive employment for workers in the informal economy.

Youth employment. The Government indicates that its employment policy seeks to satisfy the needs of specific categories of workers such as women, young people, elderly workers and workers with disabilities. The work under way to build a deep-water port at Kribi and the Mbalam iron ore project are a major source of jobs. The National Employment Fund and the Rural and Urban Youth Support Programme (PAJER U) continue to provide decent jobs for young people. There is to be special recruitment for young people in the public service along with other competitions enabling them to find employment in the course of 2011. The Committee requests the Government in its next report to provide detailed information on the manner in which the National Employment Fund and the PAJER-U have in practical terms encouraged access for young people to productive employment.

Employment of women. The Government indicates that the National Plan for the Employment of Women has improved women’s living conditions, promoting equality and equity in all sectors of national life and increasing the number of women in political posts. The Committee requests the Government in its next report to provide up-to-date information on the results obtained by the programmes implemented to integrate women into the labour market.

Promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises. The Government states that an improved business climate, fiscal incentives and the setting up of an SME bank, now completed, will facilitate the creation of enterprises. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the measures taken to reduce the obstacles encountered by small and medium-sized enterprises in starting up activities.

Coordination of education and training policy with employment policy. The Government indicates that the statistics pertaining to the beneficiaries of the guidance and training programmes will be communicated shortly. The Committee again asks the Government to provide up-to-date information, disaggregated by sex and age of beneficiaries, on the results of the guidance and training programmes, specifying the skills and qualifications acquired by the beneficiaries, and the impact of the various training programmes in terms of placing the trainees in lasting employment.

Collection and use of employment data. The Government indicates that the National Employment and Vocational Training Observatory (ONEFOP) continues to collect information on the employment situation. The Committee invites the Government in its next report to indicate the progress made by ONEFOP and to specify the employment policy measures adopted thanks to the establishment of the various bodies responsible for collecting employment data.

Participation of the social partners in preparing and formulating policies. In reply to the comments of the General Union of Workers of Cameroon (UGTC) and the General Confederation of Labour-Liberty of Cameroon (CGT-Liberté), the Government indicates that two tripartite committees are working on the preparation of the national employment policy and the strategy of the Ministry of Employment. The Government indicates that the two committees are operational. The Committee again refers the Government to Article 3 of the Convention and hopes that the next report will contain information on the manner in which the social partners participate in the preparation and implementation of the national employment policy. The Committee also asks the Government to send information on the manner in which representatives of the most vulnerable categories of the population – particularly representatives of rural workers and workers in the informal economy – participate in the preparation of employment policies and programmes.