Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Azerbaijan (Ratification: 1993)

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

Articles 1–3 of the Convention. Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. The Government provides information in its report on the functioning of the State Employment Service and detailed statistical information in reply to the previous direct request. The Committee notes in this regard that, among its functions, the State Employment Service ensures the implementation of legislative measures to promote employment and takes relevant measures to promote employment of the unemployed and jobseekers and to engage them in vocational training, additional education and paid community work. The State Employment Service also collects information from employers on vacant positions and makes use of this information with jobseekers. The Government indicates that 76 employment offices of the State Employment Service are operating throughout the country. The Committee notes from the statistical information provided that in 2014 the State Employment Service placed 29,490 persons in employment out of 47,755 applications for employment received. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the impact of the activities carried out by the State Employment Service. It also requests the Government to continue to provide information on the number of public employment offices established, the number of employment applications received, the number of vacancies notified (throughout the year) and the number of persons placed in employment by such offices, including statistics disaggregated by sex.

Articles 4 and 5. Cooperation with employer and worker representatives. In its previous comments, the Government indicates that the employment offices of the State Employment Service that operate throughout Azerbaijan’s districts, towns and cities regularly organize round tables on the theme “The Role of The Social Partners (or Employers) in Providing Employment Services”. The round tables are attended by representatives of district executive authorities, local coordination committees for employment promotion and employers’ and workers’ organizations. Matters discussed at these round tables include the situation of the labour market, employment policy as well as the submission of reports and information relating to employment promotion, employment-related measures to protect the unemployed and jobseekers, and mutual cooperation with employers. The Committee notes with interest that, as a result of these meetings and discussions, enterprises in the various regions of the country have started to cooperate more closely with the State Employment Service and the rate of submission of reports has increased. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the consultations held with employers’ and workers’ organizations in the organization and operation of the employment service and in the development of employment service policy and on the impact of such consultations, as appropriate.

Articles 7 and 8. Measures for particular groups of applicants for employment. The Government indicates that, in 2014, most of the people who benefited from active measures taken by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection were young people. The Government adds that the main aim of vocational guidance work with young people is to guide them towards a basic vocational education and to teach them how to communicate with employers during the recruitment process. The Committee also notes that local coordination committees discuss suggestions from district, town and city employment offices on setting the quota of jobs for the employment of people who are in a particular need of social protection and experience difficulty in finding work. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information, including statistical information, concerning the impact of measures taken by the State Employment Service to meet the employment needs of young persons and other vulnerable groups of applicants for employment, such as persons with disabilities, and special groups of applicants for whom specialized arrangements have been made.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012)

The Committee notes the report and statistical data provided by the Government in August 2010, including replies to the 2005 direct request.

Articles 1–3 of the Convention. Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. The Government reports that regional and municipal employment centres of the Central Employment Agency operate in all the geographical administrative divisions of the country. It further states that the staffing establishment of the Central Employment Agency and its local offices is determined by the Cabinet of Ministers. The Central Employment Agency carries out its activities in close cooperation with other state agencies, local government and autonomous authorities, trade unions and employers, irrespective of their form of ownership and organizational/legal status. The Committee refers to its 2010 comments on the application of the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), and invites the Government to describe in its next report on Convention No. 88 the functioning of the public employment service in order to meet the needs of employers and workers throughout the country. Please also continue to provide statistical information concerning the number of public employment offices established, the number of applications for employment received, the number of vacancies notified, and the number of persons placed in employment by such offices (Part IV of the report form).

Articles 4 and 5. Cooperation of the social partners. The Government refers to the Employment Act which provides that national and local coordinating committees are established for the purpose of preparing coordinated decisions in the employment sphere. The committees are made up of representatives of trade unions, employers’ organizations, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, relevant national and local government agencies and voluntary organizations representing the interests of citizens in special need of social protection. The national coordinating committee reports to the Cabinet of Ministers on the implementation of the national employment programme and prepares and presents proposals to improve current legislation. The Government indicates that local coordinating committees receive information from enterprises and organizations on employment problems, examine complaints from the public on employment matters and present proposals to the national coordinating committee on questions of improvement of current employment legislation. The Committee invites the Government to provide information in its next report regarding the specific arrangements made through national and local advisory committees for the cooperation of employer and worker representatives in the organization and operation of the employment service and in the development of employment service policy.

Article 7 and 8. Measures for particular categories of applicants for employment. The Government indicates that employment exchanges have been set up and are operating in temporary employment agencies for people in special need of social protection, such as pensioners, persons with disabilities, women, students, young persons, part-time workers, short-time workers, including seasonal workers. As for special arrangements for young persons, the Government indicates several basic approaches to resolving youth employment. Among these approaches, the Committee notes progressively securing permanent work for young people who have completed vocational training and providing vocational training for young people in occupations and specialist trades required in the labour market. The Government also refers to the Employment Strategy 2007–10 which envisaged the preparation and implementation of the youth employment plan aimed at creating job opportunities for young people through, inter alia, the provision of microcredits to start up small businesses. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information concerning the impact of the arrangements made to promote employment for young persons, other vulnerable groups and special categories of applicants for which specialized arrangements have been made.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2005, published 95th ILC session (2006)

The Committee notes the information and statistical data provided in the Government’s report for the period ending in May 2004. The Committee notes in particular the adoption of new legislative texts in order to apply the Convention. It requests the Government to continue reporting on the measures adopted by the public employment services to achieve the best organization possible of the employment market and to ensure the full cooperation of employers’ and workers’ representatives in its organization and operation (Articles 1, 4 and 5 of the Convention). Please also continue to provide statistical information concerning the number of public employment offices established, the number of applications for employment received, the number of vacancies notified, and the number of persons placed in employment by such offices (Part IV of the report form). The Committee invites the Government to provide further information on the following points.

1. Reorganization of the employment offices network. The Committee notes that Decision No. 149 of the Cabinet of Ministers of November 2003 established a new structure for the network of employment offices, with a view to improving the measures provided for by the State Programme on Poverty Reduction and Social Development. The Committee asks the Government to provide information in respect of the reorganization of the network of employment offices and the measures adopted to ensure a sufficient number of employment offices to meet the needs of employers and workers in each of the geographical areas (Article 3).

2. Measures for particular categories of applicants for employment. The Government indicates that labour exchange offices will be established in the industrial cities of Ganja and Mingachevir, with a view to providing temporary employment for particular categories of applicants, such as people with disabilities, older workers, women and young people. The Committee further notes that the labour exchange offices in Baku and Sumgait expanded their activities in 2003 (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Progress Report of October 2004). The Government also indicates that "labour fairs", which aim at providing employment, in particular for young people, have regularly been held since 1997, and have helped thousands of jobseekers to find work according to their specialities and professions. The Committee asks the Government to keep it informed of the progress made concerning the establishment of new labour exchange offices (Article 7).

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

The Committee notes the Government's second report and the information provided in response to its request. It requests the Government once again to provide a copy of Decree No. 211 of 12 July 1991 concerning the establishment of the employment service. Referring to its request concerning the application of the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), the Committee also hopes that the Government's next report will include available statistics on the nature and volume of the activities of the public employment service.

The Committee recalls that, in order to assess the application of the Convention, it must have the text governing the organization of the employment service and as much detailed information as possible on the working and practice of that service.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1996, published 85th ILC session (1997)

1. The Committee notes with interest the Government's first report covering the period 1 June 1994 to 1 September 1995. It notes in particular that a public employment service and a network of local agencies have been set up by the Act of 27 June 1991 on employment and Decree No. 211 of 12 July 1991 on the establishment of the employment service. The Committee requests the Government to provide the Office with a copy of the above Decree, together with additional information on the following points.

Articles 4 and 5. The Committee asks the Government to indicate whether the employment coordination committees provided for in section 19 of the above-mentioned Act and mentioned in the report are consulted on the organization and operation of the employment service and on employment service policy.

Article 6(a)(iv), and (b)(iv). The Committee also asks the Government to indicate how applicants and vacancies are referred from one employment office to another, when necessary, and to indicate the measures to facilitate any movement of workers from one country to another.

Articles 7 and 8. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate the measures which have been taken to facilitate, within the various employment offices, specialization by occupations and by industries, and any measures to meet the needs of particular categories of applicants, particularly juveniles.

Article 9. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information on the staff of the employment service, particularly as regards their status and conditions of service, their training, and the applicable methods of recruitment and selection.

Part IV of the report form. Please provide all available statistical information concerning the activities of the employment service.