Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2015, published 105th ILC session (2016)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Belarus (Ratification: 1968)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Implementation of an active employment policy. The Committee notes the information in the Government’s report in reply to its previous comments and the measures carried out under the 2013 government programme on promoting employment. It notes that the main objective of the programme was to make more effective use of labour resources and the competiveness of the workforce on the labour market. As a result of its implementation, a total of 182,000 people, including 121,000 unemployed persons, were placed in employment. The Government indicates that the implementation of its employment programme helped maintain a stable and controlled situation in the regional and national labour markets. The Government indicates that, in 2013, 21,264 jobs were reserved for placement for persons who had been given additional guarantees with regard to employment assistance, including 2,079 persons with disabilities and 5,244 young people under the age of 21. It adds in this regard that 17,100 unemployed persons unable to compete on equal terms in the labour market were placed in permanent jobs in 2013. The Committee further notes the youth employment measures carried out during the reporting period, including the “Youth Practical Work” programme which placed 1,035 young people in employment in 2013. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the impact of the measures adopted to promote productive employment. It also invites the Government to include an evaluation of the effectiveness of the employment policies and measures implemented in terms of promoting full and productive employment for the unemployed and vulnerable workers, in particular for persons with disabilities and young people.

Regional development. The Government indicates that, in the context of regional action to promote employment, a set of measures contained in the government programme were taken in five small and medium-sized towns and 18 districts with unemployment rates higher than the national average. As a result of these measures, the number of registered unemployed persons in regions covered by the government programme fell by 757 persons in 2013 when compared with the start of the year. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken to address higher levels of unemployment in small and medium-sized towns, as well as the results of such measures.

Education and vocational training policies. The Government indicates that 35,400 workers underwent vocational and technical training in 2013. It adds that, in view of the technical and technological changes taking place in sectors of the economy, young workers are being trained to a higher level of qualification in order to increase their mobility and competitiveness in the labour market. As a result, the number of workers with vocational or technical education is increasing each year and now amounts to 31.7 per cent of all workers. The Committee notes that a system of staff training, further training and retraining has been set up in Belarus for small and medium-sized enterprises to stimulate entrepreneurial activity and the involvement of young people. Referring to its 2014 direct request on the Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142), the Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the impact of the measures taken in the area of education and training policies, including measures targeting small and medium-sized enterprises, and on their relation to prospective employment opportunities. It also invites the Government to include information on the involvement of the social partners in this process.

Article 3. Participation of the social partners. The Committee notes that the General Agreement for 2014–15, signed on 30 December 2013 by the Government and the social partners, includes a specific section devoted to the development of the labour market and employment promotion. The Committee requests the Government to provide further information on the consultations held with the social partners on the implementation of the employment policy and employment measures.