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

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

The Committee takes note of the observations made by the General Union of Workers of Cameroon (UGTC) received in October 2014. The Committee invites the Government to submit any comments it might consider appropriate.

Article 1 of the Convention. Implementation of an active employment policy. The Committee notes that, in 2010, according to the findings of the second survey on employment and the informal sector, unemployment rates rose to 3.8 per cent of the active population (a decline of 1.4 percentage points compared to 2005) and the level of underemployment to 70.6 per cent (a decline of 4.4 percentage points compared to 2005). The Government states that 3,900,000 persons in the labour market, half of whom are under 25 years of age, are in a situation of inadequate employment. In its previous comment, the Committee noted the Government’s vision for long-term development, entitled “Vision 2035”, of which the first decade was to be devoted to the strategy document for growth and employment. The Committee invites the Government to provide information on the drafting and implementation of an active employment policy in the context of the strategy document for growth and employment (DSCE) and of “Vision 2035”. Please indicate which measures have been specifically implemented to create jobs and cut underemployment.

Article 1(3). Coordination of the educational and training policy with the employment policy. The Committee invites the Government to submit information on the measures to coordinate educational and training policies with employment, specifying their impact in terms of the sustainable integration of the most vulnerable categories of workers in the labour market.

Informal economy. The Government points out that approximately 90 per cent of the active population are employed in the informal sector. Of these, the Committee notes that 53 per cent are engaged in the informal agricultural sector. The Government considers that the major obstacle it has to overcome is the introduction of mechanisms to formalize the economy. The Committee invites the Government to indicate the measures that have been shown to be effective in terms of creating productive employment for workers in the informal economy.

Youth employment. The Government refers to the strengthening of the legal and institutional framework, as well as to the recruitment of 25,000 young people into the public service in 2011. The Government also mentions a number of initiatives designed for young people, such as the National Youth Employment Plan, the support programme to integrate young agricultural workers, the Rural and Urban Youth Support Programme (PAJER-U) and the project to integrate young people in the manufacturing of sporting equipment. The Committee invites the Government to provide detailed information on the way in which the implementation of various initiatives has encouraged access for young people to productive employment.

Employment of women. The Committee requests the Government once again to provide up-to-date information on the results obtained by the programmes implemented to integrate women into the labour market.

Small and medium-sized enterprises. The Government points out that it is now possible to set up an enterprise in 48 hours under the legal system. Furthermore, it states that the support programme for the establishment and development of small and medium-sized enterprises for processing and preserving local products for mass consumption (PACD/PME) has been established in ten regions in the country. The Committee invites the Government to provide information on the impact of the measures taken to reduce the obstacles encountered by small and medium-sized enterprises in starting up activities.

Article 2. Collection and use of employment data. The Government states that the National Statistics Institute (INS) regularly publishes statistical data on the volume and breakdown of the labour force, the nature and extent of unemployment and underemployment and trends in these areas. In its previous report, the Government indicated that the National Employment and Vocational Training Observatory (ONEFOP) continued to collect information on the employment situation. The Committee recalls the importance of a system of labour market data collection for determining the measures to adopt in order to achieve the objectives of the Convention and for reviewing regularly the measures taken. The Committee invites the Government to specify the employment policy measures adopted thanks to the establishment of various structures entrusted with collecting information on employment. Finally, the Committee hopes that the Government will be in a position to provide up-to-date statistics on the employment situation and on trends in employment, unemployment and underemployment, particularly with respect to women and young people.

Article 3. Participation of the social partners in preparing and formulating policies. The Committee takes note of the establishment of a committee of consultation and follow up of social dialogue in 2014. The Committee invites the Government to send information on the manner in which the social partners participate in the preparation and implementation of the national employment policy and vocational training, in the context of the committee of consultation and follow up of social dialogue. Please provide information on the manner in which representatives of rural workers and workers in the informal economy participate in the preparation of employment policies and programmes.

[The Government is asked to reply in detail to the previous comments in 2015.]