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

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Czechia (Ratification: 1993)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Employment trends and active labour market measures. The Committee notes with interest the comprehensive information provided by the Government in its report, including replies to its previous questions, updates on the implementation of employment plans and measures taken to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the “Antivirus” short-time subsidized work program. The Committee also notes the measures envisaged under the Strategic Framework for Employment Policy until 2030 (Strategic Framework) adopted in 2020, which aims to improve the efficiency of the employment services and respond to digital transformations and demographic changes as the result of an aging population. The Strategic Framework will be implemented through short- to medium-term action plans developed for a period of two to three years that are geared to responding flexibly to changing labour market conditions, economic fluctuations, as well as to internal and external factors. The Government indicates that, in 2020, the overall employment rate for persons aged 20–64 stood at 79.7 per cent (87.2 per cent for men and 71.9 per cent for women), representing a decrease of 0.6 percentage points as compared to 2019. The Committee notes that, at 68.2 per cent, the employment rate for older workers aged 55–64 was significantly lower than the overall employment rate. During the same period, the rate of persons without employment for more than 12 months increased from 20.8 per cent to 23.5 per cent, while the overall unemployment rate increased by 0.6 percentage points to 2.6 per cent, reaching 3.1 per cent in May 2021. In 2020, the unemployment rate among young persons (15-24 years of age) was 12.3 per cent, almost four times the overall unemployment rate. The Committee notes that during the reporting period, the implementation of projects under the Operational Programme Employment (OPE) continued, supporting projects in the amount of €2,811,000 and benefiting 498,000 participants. It also notes the implementation, in 2020, of projects that would usually not be implemented due to expected market failures, including a project to provide preferential interest-free loans to social entrepreneurs and those interested in social entrepreneurship, regardless of the size of the social enterprise. The loans are supplemented by the provision of consultancies for social enterprises, with the aim of fostering their competencies in management, organization and production, marketing and public relations. In addition, the Committee notes the launch of the “shared job” project aimed at creating part-time work opportunities, especially for persons with caregiving responsibilities, involving granting financial incentives to employers, regardless of whether the part-time employees were already employed or are new recruits. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information, including statistical data disaggregated by age and sex, concerning the size and distribution of the labour force, the nature and extent of employment, unemployment and underemployment. It also requests the Government to continue to provide updated information, including disaggregated statistical data, on the impact of the active employment policy measures, particularly those under the Strategic Framework, implemented to increase employment and reduce unemployment for all age groups, including for older workers.

Article 3. Education and training policies and programmes. Consultations with the social partners. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the social partners are closely involved in discussions in the Council of Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic (RHSD) in relation to the development of employment services and policies and related labour law issues. The Government adds that, during the reporting period, government representatives and the social partners at the level of the RHSD repeatedly discussed proposals for education reform measures with a focus on ensuring the acquisition of competencies needed for active civic, professional and personal life, reducing educational inequality and ensuring fair access to education. The tripartite discussions also included setting up, as a joint task shared by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, a lifelong learning system to facilitate graduates’ entry into the labour market; help unemployment persons secure new employment; and enable persons already in employment to keep their jobs. Lastly, the Committee refers to its direct request on the application of the Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88), in which it notes the role played by the public employment services in implementing these Government policies. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information, including statistical data disaggregated by age and sex, on the impact of education and training policies and programmes on access to lasting employment and decent work for Czech workers, particularly for young persons and older workers.The Committee alsorequests the Government to continue to provide more detailed information on the involvement of the social partners, in accordance with Article 3 of the Convention, in the design, implementation, monitoring and review of the active employment policy, including concrete and detailed information on the manner in which consultations held in the Council of Economic and Social Agreement, the Ministry of Labour and of Social Affairs and other bodies have contributed to the implementation and coordination of the employment policy, including active labour market measures.