Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2012, published 102nd ILC session (2013)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Italy (Ratification: 1971)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Employment trends. The Committee notes the replies provided by the Government in December 2011 to the matters raised in its 2010 observation. The Government recalls that its strategy to tackle the effects of the global crisis on the labour market consisted of a mix of initiatives aimed at extending social safety nets and promoting active labour market measures for the re-employment of workers. Measures adopted between 2009 and 2011 focused on further broadening the coverage and extending the duration of income support schemes, providing income support to categories of workers not covered by existing schemes, providing employment subsidies to employers hiring workers benefiting from income support mechanisms and to unemployed workers setting up their own businesses, and enhancing the education and training system. In April 2011, an Agreement was signed between the State and regions which envisaged active labour market measures for the retraining and re employment of workers. It targeted improving labour market information databases (Excelsior and Cliclavoro websites), expanding the role of inter professional joint funds and bilateral bodies managed by the social partners in providing training, and narrowing the use of income support schemes. The data of the National Institute for Statistics (ISTAT) showed that economic growth was stagnating (GDP growth was 0.1 per cent and 0.3 per cent, respectively in the first and second semester of 2011), due to weak internal demand and a decrease in export volumes. The unemployment rate reached 8.9 per cent (2,243,000 unemployed persons) in December 2011, more than half being long-term unemployment. The Employment Outlook 2011 of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicates that the Italian labour market is becoming more segmented, with more mature workers in stable, protected jobs and many young workers in more precarious jobs. In this regard, the Committee recalls that new legislation was adopted regulating the limitation of temporary employment contracts. The Government also reports that, according to trade unions, in many cases derogations allowed by collective agreements pursuant to the new legislation were exceeded, resulting in many workers not benefiting from a stable employment relationship. In 2011, about 67,000 persons employed in the education sector working on a temporary basis were employed under permanent contracts. In October 2011, the Government expressed its intention to review structural fund programmes by focusing on education and employment with the aim of improving the conditions to enhance growth and tackle the regional divide. The Committee refers to its 2011 observation on the application of the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181), in which it noted that temporary work agencies were used for replacing workers with permanent employment thus contributing to labour market segmentation; temporary workers, including those employed by temporary work agencies, were the most affected by the crisis. The Committee invites the Government to provide in its next report information on the measures adopted to address labour market segmentation and their impact on achieving the objectives of the Convention. It also requests the Government to specify how it keeps under review the policies and measures adopted to achieve the objectives of full, productive and freely chosen employment (Article 2 of the Convention). Please also provide information on the effects of the measures adopted on closing the gap of employment levels between the various regions of the country.

Youth employment. The Government indicates that the Italia 2020 – Action Plan for Youth Employability through Training and Employment (€1.1 billion earmarked), was presented to the social partners in August 2011. The Government also reports on the initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Youth to promote employment and training for youth through job placement services and a fund for financing training initiatives. The Committee notes that the youth unemployment rate rose from 24 per cent in the second trimester of 2009 to 31 per cent in December 2011, with rates in southern regions double those in northern regions. The Committee also notes that the gap between the youth and adult long-term unemployment rates is extremely large, with young people three times more likely to be unemployed for at least one year compared to adults. The Committee invites the Government to provide detailed information in its next report on the efforts made to improve the employment situation for young persons and the results achieved in terms of job creation and sustainable employment as a result of the programmes adopted.

Women and other specific categories of workers. The Government indicates that the increase in occupation levels registered in the second trimester of 2011 compared to the same trimester of the previous year mainly concerned women, whose employment rate increased by 2.5 percentage points, reaching 46.7 per cent (compared to 67.8 for men). The Government reports on the legislative measures taken in 2010 to strengthen the regulatory framework on non-discrimination between men and women in respect of employment, as well as to encourage work/life balance for women through flexible working time, the strengthening of public childcare services and support to entrepreneurship. The Government indicates that the Welfare to Work Plan, 2009–11 was launched in order to assist vulnerable workers. Targeting 230,000 workers benefiting from income support mechanisms and 25,000 workers not covered by unemployment benefits, this plan relies on individual training plans and economic incentives for enterprises willing to re-employ workers as well as for workers setting-up their own businesses. The Committee invites the Government to provide in its next report information on the impact of the Welfare to Work Plan, 2009–11, and other measures designed to encourage and support the employment of women and other specific categories of workers, such as the long-term unemployed.

Education and training policies. The Government recalls that in February 2010 the Government, regions, autonomous provinces and social partners signed an agreement to define guidelines for training. The agreement, which was renewed for the period 2011–12, enhances the role of social partners and their bilateral bodies in offering education and training matching with labour market needs. The Government indicates that, following the adoption of Legislative Decree No. 167/2011, the apprenticeship system was reformed. This reform enhances the collaboration between the State, regions and the social partners with respect to training, as well as the role of enterprises in providing training. Moreover, training possibilities under the third-level apprenticeship (high-level training) are broadened. The Committee invites the Government to provide information on the impact of education and training measures, including the reform of apprenticeship, on the employability of young persons and other categories of vulnerable workers.

Cooperatives. The Government indicates that anti-crisis measures regarding the temporary broadening of income support mechanisms also apply to workers in cooperatives. It further refers to data showing that since 2000 employment levels in cooperatives increased by 37 per cent and continued to grow during the crisis. Women accounted for 59 per cent of the workers in cooperatives and foreign workers for 22 per cent. 90 per cent of workers in cooperatives were hired under regular employment contracts. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide in its next report information on the measures taken to promote productive employment through cooperatives in line with the Promotion of Cooperatives Recommendation, 2002 (No. 193).