Unemployment Convention, 1919 (No. 2) - Seychelles (Ratification: 1978)

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

Article 2(2) of the Convention. Coordination of the activities of public and private employment services. The Government indicates in its report that the Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development (MLHRD) has the necessary structures in place, namely the National Consultative Committee on Employment (NCCE), to enable broad consultations on employment. It adds that the NCCE consists of representatives of employers’ and workers’ organizations and is chaired by the Minister of the MLHRD. The NCCE holds meetings on a quarterly basis and discusses matters that could include private employment agencies. Moreover, a yearly meeting is also held between the Minister of the MLHRD and private employment agencies in order to better coordinate their activities. Additionally, the Government indicates that the Special Employment Programme was created within the MLHRD in 2012 to facilitate liaison and coordination with private employment agencies. The Committee notes that the functions of the Special Employment Programme include the overall supervision of employment officers seconded to district administrations and private employment agencies; working closely with private employment agencies and social welfare agencies to facilitate the placement of jobseekers in productive employment; and collect employment and labour market information for the preparation of monthly reports. The Committee further notes that, although the MLHRD has outsourced its employment services, the Ministry continues to assist jobseekers that are having difficulties to secure employment through private employment agencies and the placement of jobseekers on employment training schemes. In reply to the previous direct request, the Government indicates that a new National Employment Policy was launched in April 2014 and that it will examine the possibility of ratifying the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), and the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181), in consultation with the social partners. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken to coordinate the activities of public and private employment services with a view to combating unemployment. It also requests the Government to include statistics on the matters covered by the Convention, such as extracts of the monthly reports prepared by the MLHRD. Please also continue to provide information on any developments towards the ratification of the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), and the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181).

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2010, published 100th ILC session (2011)

Article 2 of the Convention. System of free public employment agencies under the control of a central authority. The Committee notes the report provided by the Government for the period ending September 2010. The Government indicates that since September 2009, it has decided to outsource one of the main services of the Employment Promotion Section in the Ministry of Education, Employment and Human Resources to the newly created private employment agencies. The Government indicates that it was advised to take this decision by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank as a direct response to the Macro Economic Reform Programme (MERP) taking place in the country. The Government indicates that the private agencies receive employment vacancies, register and provide assistance to jobseekers. The Ministry is merely a facilitator in ensuring that jobseekers are being provided with the appropriate service to secure employment. The Committee notes that there is no fee charged against a person seeking the services of the private agencies (section 10(2)) of the 1995 Employment Act). The Ministry states that it has strong influence over the private agencies and communicates employment-related issues on a daily basis and on especially on their legal requirements. Three private employment agencies operate in Mahe and the Ministry maintains an office on the inner islands. The Committee also notes that the Ministry is working towards finding a suitable approach to ensure that timely and correct statistics are being provided by private employment agencies at all times. The Committee recalls that Article 2(1) of the Convention requires Members to establish “a system of free public employment agencies under the control of a central authority”. Furthermore, “Committees, which shall include representatives of employers and of workers, shall be appointed to advise on matters concerning the carrying on of these agencies”. In case both public and private free employment agencies exist, “steps shall be taken to coordinate the operations of such agencies on a national scale” (Article 2(2)). In its reply to the questionnaire from the General Survey on employment instruments, received in June 2009, the Government indicated that it considered the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181), for imminent ratification under the Decent Work Country Programme. The Committee asks the Government to include in its next report on Convention No. 2 the information required for Article 2 on the working of the free public employment agencies, stating how the committees which include representatives of employers and workers, are constituted and appointed. The Committee would also welcome information on the steps taken to coordinate the operations of the private employment agencies with the public employment service. It also invites the Government, in consultation with the social partners, to consider ratification for the most recent Conventions regarding the issues covered by Convention No. 2 of 1919, that is, the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), and the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181).