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

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Antigua and Barbuda (Ratification: 2002)

Article 1 of the Convention. Employment trends and active labour market measures. The Committee notes the Government’s brief report received in August 2011 containing succinct replies to the points raised in the 2009 direct request. The Government indicates that there is no active employment policy and that the global economic crisis has diminished economic growth and activity in all sectors of the economy. As a result of this, employment growth has been slow, retrenchments and redundancies have increased considerably in all industry sectors. The Government further reports that the introduction of the unemployment fund has been negatively affected. The Committee highlights in its 2010 General Survey on employment instruments that ratification of the Convention creates a basic obligation on States to make an explicit formal pronouncement of their employment policy. The Committee requests the Government to include in its next report information on any measures taken to ensure an active employment policy designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment. It also requests the Government to include information on how the measures adopted have succeeded in mitigating the impact of the global economic crisis on the labour market and have translated into the generation of productive and lasting employment opportunities for the unemployed.

Education and vocational training. The Government indicates that the National Training Agency (NTA) aims to facilitate the training of Instructors for the Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Continuing Education (ABICE) which provides vocational training to young adults. The NTA also coordinates the Certificate in Vocational Qualification (CVQ) in conjunction with the ABICE and aims for closer cooperation with organizations, such as the Contractors’ Association and the Antigua Plumbers’ Association, on issues relating to the assessment of job practices and protective employment opportunities. The Committee invites the Government to provide further information on the measures taken in the area of education and training policies and on their relation to prospective employment opportunities. It also invites the Government to include detailed information in its next report on the results achieved and difficulties encountered by the National Training Agency in its operations.

Article 2. Collection and use of employment data. The Government indicates that it is contemplating receiving technical assistance from the ILO in order to set up a Labour Market Information System (LMIS) statistical database. The database is expected to be in place at the end of 2011. The Committee invites the Government to provide detailed information in its next report on the results achieved in the implementation of the LMIS statistical database and how the information collected has been used to design and implement an active employment policy.

Article 3. Participation of the social partners. The Committee reiterates its previous request and invites the Government to address this essential issue in its next report by demonstrating how representatives of employers and workers are consulted at the policy designing and implementation stages so that their experience and views are taken into account with regard to the design and implementation of active labour market measures.

[The Government is asked to reply in detail to the present comments in 2013.]