Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2014, published 104th ILC session (2015)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Belgium (Ratification: 1969)

Further to its 2012 direct request, the Committee notes the Government’s report and the additional information provided by the National Labour Council (CNT), which was closely involved with the recovery strategy launched by the Government and which issued several opinions on employment policy.

Article 1 of the Convention. Implementation of an active employment policy. Labour market trends. The Committee notes the labour market measures implemented by the Government, particularly those aimed at shifting taxes away from labour, in order to promote economic recovery, stimulate growth and support business competitiveness. These measures were accompanied by increases in several categories of excise duty; the adoption of measures to increase tax efficiency; the reinforcement of degressivity in unemployment benefits; and the renewal of a cooperation agreement between the federal Government, regions and communities to ensure active support and follow-up for jobseekers. According to data from the Directorate-General of Statistics and Economic Information (DGSIE), in the second quarter of 2014, the unemployment rate rose to 8.3 per cent (1.3 percentage points higher than in the second quarter of 2013). In 2013, a total of 416,352 individuals were unemployed. The Committee also notes the projections made by the Federal Planning Bureau, based on further reductions in social security contributions and increased wage subsidies, in addition to the observation that, in 2013, the labour market had not yet benefited from the economic upturn seen in the second quarter of the year. The Committee invites the Government to provide an up-to-date analysis of its labour market policy objectives, the measures taken in response to the results achieved, and an evaluation of the practical effects on employment of the reduction in wage costs.

Article 1(2). Labour market policies. The Government indicates that within the framework of the sixth reform of the State, certain aspects of employment policy such as the monitoring of jobseeker availability, policy geared to target groups and placement will be transferred to the regions and communities. The Committee also notes the measures implemented by the Flemish Government, the Walloon region and the German-speaking community, in terms of the lasting integration of target groups (namely medium- and long-term jobseekers, young persons and immigrant workers) into the labour market. The Committee invites the Government to provide information as a basis for examining the impact of the measures adopted by the regional and community authorities in terms of the lasting integration of the target groups into the labour market.

Youth employment. The Committee notes that Belgium joined the European Union Youth Employment Initiative and that a Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan was submitted to the European Commission in December 2013. The Committee also notes that according to data from the DGSIE, in the second quarter of 2014, the unemployment rate for 15–24 year olds rose to 23.4 per cent. The Government indicates that an internship system was introduced by the federal authorities in 2013. Moreover, a reduction in wage costs amounting to €1,000 per month for 36 months is planned for the hiring of low-skilled young persons under 30 years of age who have been unemployed for six months. As regards the follow up of young jobseekers, the National Reform Programme 2014 refers to the commitment of the regions to provide an individual action plan by the fourth month of unemployment at the latest. In Flanders, young persons receive job offers as from the first month of unemployment. Furthermore, the employment service strives to offer all young people at least one type of assistance within four months. In Wallonia, young jobseekers can benefit, as from the seventh month of registration, from a new integration and vocational training scheme involving a three- to six-month internship with an employer. The German speaking community has developed an integrated path for young jobseekers, based on an integration agreement which must be signed before the end of the fourth month of unemployment, and which focuses specifically on young persons who are furthest away from the labour market. The Committee invites the Government to continue providing up-to-date information on youth employment trends, as well as an evaluation of the measures implemented with a view to minimizing the impact of unemployment on young persons and to promoting their lasting integration into the labour market.

Education and training policy. With regard to the dual training system, the CNT indicates that it issued a series of opinions on the recovery strategy introduced by the Government. The CNT insists on the fact that the Government should implement a high-quality competence-building instrument that ensures an optimal transition to the labour market for young persons and to ensure that the different systems are consistent and transparent. Moreover, the National Reform Programme 2014 reflects the initiatives implemented and demonstrates that, in terms of the transfer of competencies to be introduced on 1 July, it will be necessary to increase consistency between labour market policy and training policy. The Committee further notes that the three regions are developing an integrated training framework in the context of the European Qualifications Framework. The Committee invites the Government to continue providing up-to-date information on the measures adopted to coordinate education and training policies with employment, indicating their impact in terms of the long-term integration into the labour market of the most vulnerable categories of workers.

Older workers. Between 2012 and 2013, the rate of employment for persons aged over 55 years increased from 39.5 per cent to 41.7 per cent. The Government attributes this rise to previously adopted measures. The Committee also takes note of the reforms that were gradually implemented in 2014, particularly those concerning amendments to the conditions for early retirement and the increase of the minimum age for entitlement to unemployment benefits with company allowance (for struggling enterprises). The Government also refers to the measures introduced by the regional authorities in order to promote the employment of older workers, such as employment grants and awareness-raising measures implemented by the German-speaking community and the Flemish Government. The CNT mentions the conclusion of a collective labour agreement (CCT No. 104) relating to the implementation of a plan for the hiring of older workers in enterprises aimed at maintaining or increasing the number of older workers in employment. The Committee invites the Government to continue supplying detailed information on the situation, level and trends of employment for older workers, and to indicate the results achieved by the measures intended to increase their level of employment.