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

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Slovakia (Ratification: 1993)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Discrimination on the basis of race or national extraction in education, vocational training, employment and occupation. Roma. For more than 15 years, the Committee has been referring to the discrimination faced by the members of the Roma Community and their difficulties in integrating into the labour market. The Committee notes, from the Government’s report, the adoption of the Strategy for the Integration of Roma until 2030 (“the 2030 Strategy”). The Government indicates that “employment” is one of the four priority areas of the 2030 Strategy, and that sub-objective 4 aims to “reduce discrimination in the labour market and other forms of anti-Roma racism”. The Committee notes that Action Plans for the period 2022–24 are to be adopted under the 2030 Strategy, including awareness-raising programmes for employees and employers on diversity in the workplace and the creation of counselling structures to assist with the identification and subsequent reporting of discrimination in the labour market. The Committee notes, from the Government’s report on the application of the Workers With Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156), that the new Recovery and Resilience Plan aims to support and fund early care services for marginalized Roma communities to strengthen equality between women and men, and to develop the reading literacy and parental skills of mothers, with the aim of increasing mothers’ self-confidence and commitment to the labour market after parental leave. However, the Committee notes with regret that, despite its numerous requests to assess the results of the existing programmes and to communicate the results of this assessment, the Government’s report provides no information on this point. In this regard, the Committee refers to its 2012 General Survey on the fundamental Conventions, paragraph 858. The Committee also notes with regret the Government’s statement that statistical information as well as data on cases of discrimination are not available. The Committee recalls that appropriate data and statistics are crucial to determine the nature, extent and causes of discrimination, including against Roma, to set priorities and design appropriate measures, to monitor and evaluate the impact of such measures, and to make any necessary adjustments (see the 2012 General Survey on the fundamental Conventions, paragraph 891). The Committee asks the Government to take the necessary steps to ensure that the results and impact of the actions and programmes implemented, including within the framework of the action plans to the Strategy for the Integration of Roma up to 2030 and the Recovery and Resilience Plan, are assessed, and asks the Government to communicate the results of this assessment. The Committee also asks the Government to continue to take proactive measures to ensure that acts of discrimination against Roma people in employment and occupation are effectively prevented and eliminated, including through active awareness-raising addressing stereotypes and prejudices, and to provide information on the Action Plans adopted under the 2030 Strategy. Noting the lack of information provided in this regard, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to bring an end to the segregation of Roma pupils in schools. It asks the Government to provide information on: (i) the steps taken to end the above-mentioned segregation of Roma pupils in schools (and the results thereof); (ii) the steps taken or envisaged to obtain statistical information, disaggregated by sex, on the labour market situation of Roma people; and (iii) any discrimination cases dealt with by the labour inspectorate, the Ombudsperson or the courts, or other competent authorities, as well as the sanctions imposed and remedies granted.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.