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

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - El Salvador (Ratification: 1995)

The Committee notes the full information received from the Government in September 2011 in relation to the 2010 direct request.

Active policy intended to promote full employment. The Government indicates in its report that the efforts of the public and private sectors to intervene and contribute to the generation of decent employment, including the micro enterprise sector, are articulated around the establishment of the National Employment Network (RENACEMPLEO) and employment grants. The Government includes information on the activities undertaken by the RENACEMPLEO and the employment fairs in 2009, 2010 and January–July 2011. The Government adds that it received technical assistance from the Government of the United States (USAID) to make an assessment of the form in which employment fairs are held and from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to improve the labour mediation system. The Committee notes that a process of consultation was initiated for the formulation of a national employment policy. In June 2010, the Higher Labour Council decided to work on the development of a national employment policy based on the consensus points agreed to in a national employment pact. The Committee notes that, according to official projections, the working-age population will rise from 3,790,000 to 4,240,000 persons between 2010 and 2020, which will require the generation of approximately 455,000 new jobs by the end of the decade, that is an average of a little over 45,500 jobs annually during the period under consideration. According to the data published by ECLAC, 12,500 formal jobs were created in the first half of 2010. The Committee refers to paragraph 785 of its General Survey of 2010 concerning employment instruments, in which it indicated that there are three fundamental steps to achieving full, productive and freely chosen employment. The first is to make a political commitment to achieve full employment. The Committee recalls that Article 2 of the Convention sets out that member States shall implement a framework of a coordinated economic and social policy, which is to be clearly defined and declared. The Committee invites the Government to indicate whether a national employment plan has been established so as to implement an active policy intended to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment. The Committee hopes that updated information will be included in the next report on the activities carried out by the RENACEMPLEO with a view to identifying the size and distribution of the labour force, and the nature and extent of unemployment as an essential phase in implementing an active employment policy within the meaning of the Convention. The Committee requests the Government to include information on the efforts made to hold consultations with the social partners, as required by Article 3 of the Convention. In this respect, the Committee emphasizes the importance of taking into account the views and securing the support of the social partners in order to ensure that the programmes implemented generate quality employment. The Committee reiterates its request for information to be included on the consultations held with all the sectors affected, including representatives of the rural sector and the informal economy.

Impact of trade agreements. The Government indicates that the impact of trade agreements is seen through the development of programmes to generate employment in public works and the support that is provided to micro-enterprises and self-employment in rural areas of the country. The Committee invites the Government to include information in its next report on the impact on the labour market of the development of export-oriented productive sectors, both for manufactured products and for goods of the rural economy.

Vulnerable groups. The Government indicates that 51 per cent of the clients of the Public Employment Service are women. In addition, a government programme was established for women (Ciudad Mujer) intended to provide specialized services gathering together at the same location the state institutions offering specialized services for women. Self-employment fairs are held for older adult women. Using World Bank funding, temporary income support is provided in the 25 urban municipal areas identified as those most in need for women heads of household and young persons between 16 and 24 years of age without formal employment and belonging to poor households. The Committee also notes other initiatives to support employment and rural production. The Government recognizes that the promotion of youth employment is a challenge and is aiming to reduce the levels of youth unemployment and poverty by providing young persons with a process of support through vocational training and labour market integration initiatives. The Committee hopes that the next report will include more specific information on the measures adopted to strengthen programmes to facilitate the integration of youth and women into the labour market and on the results achieved through such measures. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the situation, level and trends of employment, unemployment and underemployment, with an indication of the extent to which the most vulnerable sectors are affected (women, youth, the poorest sectors of the rural population and workers in the informal economy). The Committee would be grateful to continue examining information that enables it to assess the impact achieved by the measures adopted to facilitate the entry into the open labour market of persons with disabilities.

Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises. The Committee notes the action taken between June 2009 and May 2010 in the context of the Support Strategy for Small and Micro-Enterprises 2010–14, including the data on the number of services provided and beneficiary entrepreneurs. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the impact of the measures adopted to promote entrepreneurial development and to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises.