Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2016, published 106th ILC session (2017)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Türkiye (Ratification: 1977)

The Committee notes the observations of the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TİSK), the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TÜRK-İŞ) and the Confederation of Public Employees’ Trade Unions (KESK), communicated together with the Government’s report.

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Implementation of an active employment policy. The Government indicates in its report that high levels of unemployment in recent years highlighted the need for an active national employment strategy. The Committee notes in this regard that the National Employment Strategy 2014–23 was adopted on 30 May 2014. It also notes the active employment policy measures adopted during the reporting period. The Government indicates that, among its measures aimed at promoting employment through active employment policies, the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR) organizes vocational training courses, on-the-job training programmes, entrepreneurship training programmes, vocational and employment consultancy activities and other courses and programmes. The Government indicates that, as of 2012, 814,081 persons in total have attended the İŞKUR courses and programmes; 52 per cent of whom are women. Within the framework of collaboration between the Ministry of Family and Social Policies and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, 51,930 individuals with restricted incomes were integrated into the workforce in 2011–14. These measures are aimed at supporting recipients of social aid with employment incentives. The Government also provides information of the results of the “New Incentive Package”, an active employment policy introduced in April 2012, from 2012 to 2015. In its observations, TİSK indicates that the current training system does not adequately meet labour market needs and that this problem must be resolved urgently to increase labour productivity, enhance the quality of work processes, goods and services, and provide better conditions of employment for qualified workers. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the National Employment Strategy 2014–23. It also requests the Government to include information on active labour market measures adopted and their outcome in relation to the objectives set by the Convention.

Employment of women. In the context of active employment policies targeting women, the Government indicates that the Local Employment and Vocational Training Boards aim to give weight to vocational skills training in sectors where women are concentrated. Two projects co-financed by Turkey and the European Union, entitled “Supporting Registered Employment of Women through Child Nursing Services at Home Project” and the “Project of Promoting Registered Employment by Using Innovative Methods (KITUP 2)”, were carried out during the reporting period. The Government indicates that, among women workers whose labour force participation remains fairly low, the rate of unregistered workers is 52 per cent. The Committee notes that this rate reaches 96 per cent among women domestic workers. It further notes that the Government is implementing projects, such as the “Project for Supporting Registered Employment of Women Through Home-Based Child Care Services”, to address this problem, and notes the figures concerning women employed through the Turkish Employment Agency. The Committee observes that one of İŞKUR’s goals in the 2013–17 Strategic Plan is to increase the rate of women employed in the private sector to 35 per cent. As of 2014, this rate was 32 per cent. The Committee notes that the number of women employed through İŞKUR increased from 165,608 in 2012, to 222,596 in 2014. In its observations, KESK indicates that the policies pursued by the Government with the aim of reconciling family and working life have channelled women into unregistered work, subcontracted work, part-time employment, domestic work, and seasonal agricultural work for women. KESK adds that the measures taken have made working life even more precarious and has increased the burden on women while making their labour more invisible. The Committee requests the Government to provide an assessment of the effectiveness of the measures implemented to ensure productive employment opportunities for women and to further promote their participation in the labour market.

Youth employment. The Committee notes the information provided on the employment and training measures taken to promote youth employment as well as the statistics for the 2012–15 period, indicating that the number of recruited young people increased from 166,952 in 2012, to 211,594 in 2014. In its observations, TİSK indicates that youth unemployment is at least twice as high as adult unemployment. The Government indicates that the role of the public employment service has expanded in order to direct young people to employment opportunities. İŞKUR directs young people to the jobs most suitable for them while providing consultancy services to build their skills and qualifications. The Committee requests the Government to provide an evaluation of the active labour market measures implemented to minimize the impact of unemployment on young people and to encourage their sustainable integration in the labour market, and in particular on the most disadvantaged categories of young people. Please also include statistics on youth employment trends, including statistics disaggregated by age, sex and any other categories in respect of which data on youth unemployment is available.

Undeclared work. In its previous comments, the Committee invited the Government to continue to provide information on the results of the measures taken to reduce the number of undeclared workers and to facilitate their integration into the formal economy. In its observations, TİSK indicates that there is a tremendous gap between the formal and informal labour markets. It adds that the Government has made considerable efforts over the past ten years to combat undeclared employment, but the problem has not yet been fully solved. According to the statistics provided by the Government, the Committee notes that the undeclared employment rate fell from 42.1 per cent in 2011 to 35 per cent in 2014. It notes in this regard that it represents 9,069,000 undeclared workers in 2014. In its observations, KESK indicates that, when taking into account the high number of refugees that have fled to Turkey as a result of the war in the Syrian Arab Republic, it would not be an exaggeration to say that unregistered workers actually account for over 35 per cent of the working population. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the outcome of the measures adopted to facilitate the integration of workers into the formal economy. The Committee wishes to draw the Government’s attention to the provisions of the Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy Recommendation, 2015 (No. 204), which provides further guidance in this area.

Article 3. Participation of the social partners. The Government indicates that the issues addressed in the National Employment Strategy were discussed within the Tripartite Consultation Board in 2012. The Government adds that the Monitoring and Evaluation Board, established within the framework of the National Employment Strategy convenes twice a year and follows up on the process of the implementation of the Strategy. Its first meeting was held in December 2014, followed by a second meeting in June 2015. In its observations, TÜRK-İŞ indicates that it decided not to express its opinion on provisions of the National Employment Strategy that are to the disadvantage of workers, such as the use of private employment agencies, which will weaken workers’ employment security, as well as telework and severance pay arrangements. In its observations, KESK indicates that workers’ organizations were excluded from consultations concerning certain employment policy measures. The Committee requests the Government to take due account of the observations made by the social partners and to provide further information on the effective consultations held on the matters covered by the Convention.