Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Cyprus (Ratification: 1960)

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2022, published 111st ILC session (2023)

Articles 1 and 3 of the Convention. Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. The Government reports that the Department of Labour has hired 30 new temporary Employment Counsellors for the period from 2018 to 2021, to strengthen the capacity of the Public Employment Service (PES) and provide individualized and person-centred services to unemployed persons in vulnerable situations. In this regard, the Committee notes the information provided by the Government under the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), regarding the extension of the temporary Employment Counsellors’ contracts for two additional years and their placement in regional/local PES Offices where they offer employment services, including vocational guidance, job placements and referral to training and/or employment programmes/schemes, mainly to unemployed persons, particularly those belonging to specific groups such as young persons and the long-term unemployed. The Government indicates that the PES has improved its Information and Technologies system in order to support automated registration processing and to expand its digital services. The Government further indicates that the number of unemployed persons registered with the PES stood at 22,321 in 2019, rising to 30,171 in 2020. However, the number of job vacancies notified decreased from 24,202 in 2019 to 16,093 in 2020, while the number of persons placed in employment by the PES decreased from 3,341 in 2019 to 2,810 in 2020. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated information on the nature and impact of the activities carried out by the Public Employment Service and the manner in which it ensures “the best possible organisation of the employment market as an integral part of the national programme for the achievement and maintenance of full employment and the development and use of productive resources” (Article 1(2)). The Government is also requested to continue to provide detailed information, including statistical data disaggregated by sex and age, on the operation of the public employment service, particularly in respect of the number of registered unemployment persons, the number of vacancies notified and the number of persons placed in employment by the PES offices.

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

Articles 1 and 3 of the Convention. Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. The Committee takes note of the information provided by the Government in its report indicating that there are 14 Public Employment Services (PES) offices established in the country (four are regional and ten are local). The Government indicates that in 2014, there were 47,197 persons registered as unemployed with the PES offices (10,835 more than in 2012), 14,625 vacancies had been notified (547 more than in 2012) and 3,665 placements had been made (490 more than in 2012). The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the operation of the public employment offices.

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

Decisions relating to the application of the Convention. The Committee notes the simplified report provided by the Government for the period ending in July 2010. The Government indicates that, in June 2009, a private employment agency filed a complaint with the Commission for the Protection of Competition against the Public Employment Service with the allegation that the state maintenance of a Public Employment Service offering free employment services to employees violated national law and the European regulation on the protection of competition and placed private employment agencies into a less favourable or disadvantaged position. The Government indicates that, after the investigation of the complaint, the Commission for the Protection of Competition issued a decision stating that the allegations were not valid based on the fact that the Public Employment Service operates according to the Convention which has been ratified by Cyprus and which has become an integral part of the country’s legislation. The fact that the Public Employment Service provides services according to the law is compatible with the national and European regulation on the protection of competition because the competent authority is entrusted by the State to provide a public service. The Government indicates that the decision also stated that since the Convention does not discriminate between employers and employees, it is implied that services can be offered free of charge to both parties. The Committee notes with interest that this decision contributes to the achievement of the Convention objectives. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information, including statistical data, on the contribution of the public employment service to the maintenance of full employment and use of productive resources.