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

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Panama (Ratification: 1970)

Expansion of the Panama Canal and employment creation. The Committee refers to its observation on the application of the Convention and notes that during the five-year period (2007–12) of the execution of the various projects for the expansion of the Canal, 27,000 direct jobs were generated. The Government considers that this number of jobs has a multiplier effect on the economy, as the workers have the opportunity to obtain qualifications and consume more, giving greater dynamism to commerce and improving the living standards of workers. The Government adds that the Panama Canal Authority and the National Vocational Training and Human Development Skills Institute (INADEH) collaborated closely in developing training initiatives for adequate technical staff to meet the labour needs of the project for the expansion of the Canal and other infrastructure projects implemented in the country. The Committee invites the Government to continue providing information in its next report on direct and indirect employment creation resulting from the expansion of the Canal, Line No. 1 of the Panama Metro and other infrastructure investments.

International trade and its impact on the labour market. With reference to the comments made in 2011, the Government indicates in its report that the country has concluded free trade agreements with a view to promoting growth and employment through the opportunities that such agreements generate. As a consequence of these agreements, direct foreign investment increased by 19 per cent and almost 70 multinational enterprises were established. It has also been found that the most dynamic economic sectors in terms of employment generation are those with the greatest international involvement. The Committee requests the Government to provide information in its next report on the impact of trade policy on the development of productive investment and to provide examples of the manner in which trade policy contributes to the promotion of full, productive and freely chosen employment in the country.

Employment promotion and vulnerable categories of workers. The Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government concerning the projects and programmes implemented by the Ministry of Labour (MITRADEL), INADEH and the Ministry of Social Development with a view to increasing the employability of vulnerable sectors and meeting the needs of persons in situations of poverty and extreme poverty. Among these projects and programmes, it notes in particular: the Support Programme for Labour Insertion (PAIL), which provides jobseekers with the opportunity to acquire suitable theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in enterprises to gain access to the labour market; the Project for the Improvement of the Employability of Persons with Disabilities; the Opportunities Network Programme, which seeks to help families in situations of extreme poverty to break out of the poverty cycle through conditional cash transfers, the provision of basic health and education services, family support to promote social inclusion and the development of skills to encourage income generation; and the Territorial Networks Programme, which is intended to identify and support existing community organizations and their resources, articulate social investment at the local level and promote the planning of participatory collective projects. The Committee refers to the comment that it is making on the Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) and hopes that the Government will provide detailed information in its next report on Convention No. 122 concerning the plans and measures adopted to promote social inclusion and employability for vulnerable sectors of society, and the results achieved.

Youth employment. The Committee notes that, according to the statistics provided by the Government, between 2011 and May 2012 a total of 6,236 young persons between 18 and 29 years of age registered with the Department of Labour, of whom 1,362 found jobs. The Committee also notes that, as from 2012, the “My First Opportunity” Programme has been implemented by the Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Authority. The Government indicates that this Programme is intended to promote the inclusion of groups at social risk and vulnerable groups into the productive sector through a systematic vision of the improvement of human resources and enterprise management skills with a view to self-employment and own-account work. The Committee invites the Government to provide information in its next report on the results achieved as a result of the implementation of the “My First Opportunity” Programme and other measures adopted with a view to meeting the employment needs of young persons.

Coordination of training and employment policies. The Government indicates that the INADEH and the MITRADEL engage in coordination in the definition of vocational skills and training strategies in accordance with the needs of the economic sectors in the country. In particular, the INADEH, through its national training centres, mobile classrooms and teaching barns, provides training courses intended to improve the socio-economic level of rural communities. In September 2010, both institutions concluded a mutual cooperation and assistance agreement intended to establish a framework for the implementation of programmes for jobseekers. Eight areas of cooperation were agreed upon, including the joint development of technical skills projects and action at the national level, the exchange of information on labour market demand with a view to focusing training and coordinating efforts so that students leaving the INADEH can register with the public employment service. The Committee requests the Government to provide information in its next report on the results of the implementation of the Mutual Cooperation and Assistance Agreement concluded by the INADEH and the MITRADEL, and on any other action intended to strengthen coordination between education and training policies and employment policy.