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

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Bosnia and Herzegovina (Ratification: 1993)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Implementation of an active employment policy. The Committee notes the information provided in the Government’s report for the period ending in May 2014. The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) indicates that the average number of employed people has decreased from 440,747 in 2011 to 435,113 in 2013 and the average number of unemployed people has increased from 367,515 to 388,704 during the same period. With regard to the Republika Srpska (RS), the Committee notes that the Government adopted an operational plan for 2013 to implement Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Employment Strategy 2010–14. The Government indicates that the Action Plan for Employment adopted in June 2011 includes measures such as subsidies for employers to create jobs. The Government also indicates that the Regulation on the organization and job systematization was adopted along with the reorganization of the Employment Service and centres for information and advice and job clubs were launched. In 2012, 28,368 people found jobs through the implementation of the Action Plan and other activities. Moreover, 16,508 people found jobs in 2013 through the measures implemented by the Government as of July 2013. The Committee notes that the Institutes for Employment in the FBiH, RS and Brčko District signed an agreement on the right of monetary compensation for unemployed persons. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the impact of the policies and measures implemented to promote full and productive employment, including statistical data on the labour market trends.

Undeclared work. The Committee notes that the long-term unemployed perform income-generating activities in the informal sector. It is estimated that the informal economy amounts to around 30–50 per cent of the total GDP. The Committee invites the Government to provide information on the measures taken to facilitate the transition of undeclared workers to the formal economy.

Vulnerable workers. The Committee notes that the Social Safety Net and Employment Support Project with the World Bank assists in the implementation of projects for vulnerable jobseekers, including the long-term unemployed, persons with disabilities, and demobilized soldiers. As of October 2014, the project supported nearly 10,000 persons and over 60 per cent of the beneficiaries obtained jobs after service completion. The Committee notes the absence of official records on the employment situation of persons with disabilities and the Roma community. Moreover, only 3 per cent of the Roma community have permanent jobs, and the most common sources of revenue are the sale of secondary raw materials (for 29 per cent of Roma) and begging (19 per cent). The Government of the RS indicates that the Project of Support to Employment of Roma was implemented in 2011. It adds that the Fund for Professional Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons supported 407 programmes for employment and self-employment of persons with disabilities and 489 persons were employed through the programmes during 2011–12. The Committee invites the Government to continue providing information on the measures taken by the entities of the country to promote the employment of women, the long-term unemployed, persons with disabilities and the Roma community. Please include information on the labour market situation disaggregated by the different target groups of vulnerable workers.

Young workers. The Government of the RS indicates that 1,358 young persons had successfully completed an internship programme by the end of 2011and 52 per cent of them obtained employment through First Job, a project for the employment of young trainees with university degrees. It also indicates that By Knowledge to Work, a project for the employment of interns with university degrees and higher school qualification, commenced in September 2011 and provided support to 1,500 interns. Moreover, the Project for Employment of Young People under 30 with a High School Degree, financed by the United Nations Development Programme was implemented in 2011, supported the employment of 122 young persons. The Committee invites the Government to provide information on the impact of the measures taken by the entities of the country to promote employment of young workers, in particular those with low levels of education.

Vocational education and training. The Committee notes that the Decent Work Country Programme for Bosnia and Herzegovina has focused on improving vocational education and training for enhanced employability with particular attention to vulnerable groups, mainly by analysing the vocational education and training policy and researching the labour market trends for vulnerable groups. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken by the entities of the country to improve vocational education and training and on their impact on the employability of the labour force.

Article 3. Consultation with the social partners. The Committee notes the 2011, 2012 and 2013 reports of the Economic and Social Council of the FBiH. The Government indicates that the social partners participated in the development of the Employment Strategy 2009–13 for the FBiH. The Committee notes that the Government and Assembly of the Brčko District signed a cooperation agreement with the social partners with the aim of improving the business and employment environment in the District. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the consultations held with the social partners on the development and implementation of the employment policy in the country.