Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Peru (Ratification: 1967)

Formulation of an active employment policy. Participation of the social partners. With regard to the adoption of a national employment plan, referred to in previous comments, the Government indicates in the report for the period ending August 2012 that, in June 2011, through Supreme Decree No. 052 2011 PCM new orientations were approved for the national employment policy intended to promote the creation of decent employment with the characteristics and needs being differentiated of men and women, and particularly of vulnerable categories of the population. The Committee notes with interest that Supreme Decree No. 052-2011 refers to Article 1(1) of the Convention and to the Millennium Development Goals, in accordance with the provisions of the Political Constitution and the State Policy of the National Agreement on “Access to full, decent and productive employment”. The Government indicates that the national employment policies were submitted for review and analysis to the Plenary of the National Council for Labour and Employment Promotion (CNTPE) and received tripartite approval and consensus. The Government adds that, when formulating the national employment policies, it requested comments and suggestions from the various organizations of workers and employers concerning the proposal and that the contributions of the social partners were included in the final version. Three information sessions were held in the Technical Commission on Employment of the CNTPE. The Autonomous Workers’ Confederation of Peru (CATP) considers that the Government’s positions were pushed vertically through the CNTPE without social dialogue. The CATP adds that neither the necessary budget, nor qualified personnel have been envisaged for the implementation of the policies approved, and that it is difficult for the beneficiaries of the policies adopted to participate at the regional level. According to the CATP, it is very difficult to achieve the active participation of informal economy workers in the preparation of employment policies. The Committee invites the Government to continue providing information on the participation of the social partners in the review and evaluation of national employment policies and their effectiveness in achieving full employment (Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention). The Committee hopes that the information contained in the report will make it possible to identify the manner in which it is ensured that the views of the representatives of the social partners (including the representatives of workers in the rural sector and the informal economy) are taken fully into account when formulating employment policies and in securing the necessary support for their implementation (Article 3).

Labour market trends. Active measures to promote employment. The Committee notes the statistical data on the labour market provided by the Government in its report. According to the data published in Panorama Laboral 2012, it is expected that the Peruvian economy would grow by 6.2 per cent in 2012, achieving one of the most vigorous growth rates in the region. Unemployment rates fell for both men and women. Between January and September 2012, the average annual unemployment rate was 7.2 per cent in Metropolitan Lima (7.7 per cent in 2011). The Committee also notes the active labour market measures implemented by the National Employment Service. The One-Stop Shop for Employment Promotion, established by Supreme Decree No. 001-2012-TR in February 2012, is intended to articulate the various employment services at the national, regional and local levels. The Government also refers to the national programme for the generation of inclusive social employment Trabaja Peru, which provided temporary jobs to 227,372 persons between 2010 and 2012. The national programme for the promotion of employment opportunities Vamos Peru, benefited around 45,000 people during the same period. Furthermore, the Committee takes note of the comments in which the General Confederation of Workers of Peru (CGTP) voices the concern of the Single Trade Union of Workers of the National Food Aid Programme (PRONAA) at the termination of the programme on 31 December 2012 and the consequent dismissal of workers. The CGTP maintains that, when the PRONAA programme was closed down, the State should have guaranteed the workers continued employment in other programmes. The Committee takes note of the Government’s reply detailing the background to the decision to close the PRONAA programme down and stating that the workers concerned were paid all their entitlements. The Committee invites the Government to indicate in its next report the impact that the national programmes and other measures to create productive and sustainable employment have had, particularly for workers affected by administrative restructuring. The Committee also asks the Government to include data broken-down at the national, regional and local level on the situation, level and trend of employment, unemployment and underemployment in both urban and rural areas in Peru (Article 1).

The Committee is raising other points, including precarious employment and the informal sector, the employment situation of persons with disabilities and of other vulnerable categories of workers, youth unemployment, the coordination of training and employment policies and cooperatives, in a request addressed directly to the Government.