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

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Bolivia (Plurinational State of) (Ratification: 1977)

Formulation and implementation of an active employment policy. Consultations with the social partners. The Committee notes the report received in September 2011 which includes replies and information relating to its previous comments. The Government provides a proposed employment policy submitted to the Economic Cabinet of the National Economic and Social Policy Council (CONAPES). The Government recognizes that no machinery yet exists to articulate employment generation plans and programmes in a specific and systematic manner. The proposal was opened up to social dialogue through three workshops with the social partners, which benefitted from ILO assistance. The Government is seeking to increase public investment, loan policies and to establish a mining financial fund. As a result of public investment, it is estimated that the investment programme in 2009 achieved the creation of approximately 72,000 direct jobs and 148,000 indirect jobs. The Committee understands that, according to the preliminary data published by ECLAC, the unemployment rate fell from 6 to 5.5 per cent between June 2010 and June 2011, due principally to the reduction in the unemployment rate of women, which fell from 6.9 to 6.1 per cent. The activity rate fell slightly from 53.7 to 52.8 per cent, as did the participation rate, which fell from 45.5 to 44.8 per cent. The Committee invites the Government to indicate in its next report whether the employment policy was adopted and the impact of the measures and programmes implemented to promote the objectives of the Convention (Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention). The Committee hopes that the report will include information on the views expressed by the social partners on the employment policy and the manner in which they participated in the consultations required for the formulation and implementation of an employment policy, as required by Article 3 of the Convention. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the manner in which the representatives of the most vulnerable categories of the population, and particularly representatives of rural workers and workers in the informal economy, have participated in the formulation of employment policies and programmes.

Youth employment. In reply to its previous comments, the Government has provided information on the “My First Decent Job” project, which is intended for young persons in extreme or moderate poverty and with little formal academic education. The project consists of two types of activities: training for integration into the labour market; and training for entrepreneurship (at the municipal level). The project received financing from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and benefitted 2,562 young persons between 18 and 25 years of age in the departments of La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. The Committee invites the Government to provide information in its next report indicating whether the young beneficiaries of these programmes have succeeded in entering and remaining in the labour market. The Committee invites the Government to indicate any new measures adopted to promote youth employment.

Informal economy and productive employment. In its previous comment, the Committee observed that, in urban areas, 1.6 million people are engaged in informal economic activities, mostly in the trade and services sector. Jobs in the informal economy are low wage, low productivity and practically without access to social benefits. The Committee once again invites the Government to describe in its report the employment policy measures adopted and their contribution to the progressive integration of informal economy workers into the formal labour market.

Micro-enterprises. In its previous comment, the Committee observed that, according to the National Development Plan 2006–10, eight out of every ten jobs were created in highly precarious micro-enterprise units in which labour rights do not appear to be respected. The Committee once again invites the Government to provide information on the measures adopted to improve the productivity and competitiveness of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Cooperatives. In reply to the previous comments, the Government indicates that, according to the latest survey of the mining sector, there are 562 cooperative organizations, grouped into ten federations, and 516 basic cooperatives in the country. The smallest cooperatives have 12 members and the largest membership is 4,000. The sector makes a significant contribution, as sales by mining cooperatives in the first half of 2008 totalled US$367 million. The Committee refers to the Promotion of Cooperatives Recommendation, 2002 (No. 193), and asks the Government to continue providing information on the contribution made by cooperatives to the promotion of productive employment.

Coordination of education and vocational training policy with employment policy. In reply to its previous comments, the Government has provided the technical report of the National Skills Certification Service submitted in December 2009. This technical report proposes an administrative reorganization of the National Service. The Committee invites the Government to provide information in its next report on the coordination of education and vocational training policies with employment policies, and particularly on how the training opportunities provided by Training Institutes (ICAPS) are coordinated with the demand for knowledge, skills requirements and labour market needs.