Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2023, published 112nd ILC session (2024)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Türkiye (Ratification: 1977)

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Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Implementation of an active employment policy. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government regarding the legislative and employment measures adopted during the reporting period, including a series of measures taken to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market. In 2020, total employment decreased by 1,268,000 people, although most of the pandemic-caused job losses have recovered, with employment rising above its pre-pandemic level. The Committee notes the objectives mentioned in the employment and working life section of the Eleventh Development Plan 2019–23, which include providing decent work opportunities to all segments of society, and increasing the employment of groups requiring special policies, more specifically women and young people. With respect to more broad macroeconomic policies, the Committee notes the Medium-Term Programme 2022–24, which covers macroeconomic targets and policies in the areas of growth, green transformation, employment, price stability, balance payments, financial stability, public finance and central government budget appropriation proposal ceilings and issues regarding the budget process. The Government indicates that, throughout the programme period, employment is expected to increase by an average of 1,170,000 people annually and the unemployment rate is projected to decline gradually, reaching 10.9 per cent in 2024. Accordingly, the Committee notes that unemployment was measured at 13.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2020, 13.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, and 11.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2022. The Committee further notes that, Türkiye, as an acceding candidate country of the European Union, prepared the Pre-Accession Economic Reform Programme 2023–25, which includes various labour market measures, including those aimed at improving labour market outcomes for women, young people and those in the informal economy. It also notes that the Twelfth Development Plan 2024–28 is under preparation. The Committee notes that, in February 2023, the south-eastern provinces of Türkiye faced destructive earthquakes causing extensive loss of life and injuries. In the impacted areas, both the labour force participation is low and unemployment is high, in comparison with the rest of the country. Referring to its previous comment, the Committee notes the information provided by the Government concerning the National Employment Strategy 2014–23, and notes, however, that no information on the Strategy’s impact was included. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the National Employment Strategy 2014–23, as well as other more recent employment measures and plans, including the Twelfth Development Plan. It also requests the Government indicate the manner in which active labour market measures are kept under review within the framework of an overall coordinated economic and social policy. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the active labour market measures implemented in the earthquake-affected areas.

Informal economy. The Committee previously noted the observations of the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TİSK) indicating that there is a tremendous gap between the formal and informal labour markets, adding that the Government had made considerable efforts to combat undeclared employment. In its observations, KESK indicated that, when taking into account the high number of refugees that fled to Turkey as a result of the war in the Syrian Arab Republic, it would not be an exaggeration to say that unregistered workers actually account for over 35 per cent of the working population. The Committee notes in this regard from the Eleventh Development Plan 2019–23 that the informal employment rate was measured at 33.4 per cent in 2018, with the goal of lowering the rate to 28.5 per cent in 2023. The Eleventh Development Plan suggests that awareness-raising activities and inspections will be increased to effectively combat informal employment. The Government indicates that projects were carried out during the reporting period to provide incentives to unregistered enterprises and support them with their transition to the formal economy. It adds that awareness-raising workshops were organized for labour inspectors, social security inspectors, judges, and occupational health and safety experts in order to prevent the victimization of foreigners in the labour market, protect their rights and reduce informality. The Committee notes from the Pre-Accession Economic Reform Programme 2023–25 that a new action plan for the fight against the informal economy was prepared, with concrete performance indicators. The Committee welcomes the above information and the recognition that employment policies play a significant role in promoting transitions from the informal to the formal economy by addressing the factors that drive individuals and enterprises to operate informally. As such, it observes that comparative best practices suggest that when properly designed and implemented, they can play a catalytic role in accelerating the transition from the informal to the formal economy, leading to more inclusive, productive, and resilient labour markets by creating an enabling environment that encourages formalization, while also providing targeted support to facilitate the transition process. The Committee would be interested to receive further information on specific measures taken to tackle the multiple challenges proper to the work in the informal economy, including within the Eleventh Development Plan 2019-23 and the Twelfth Development Plan 2024-28, indicating in particular whether the measures taken or envisaged have included some of the following best practices: (i) reducing administrative burden and red-tape; (ii) strengthening and extending social protection as a means to enrol enterprises and their workers; (iii) promoting access to finance and business development services, including access to credit and training, as these are often lacking for informal enterprises; (iv) enhancing labour market placement and intermediation and skills development services; (v) raising awareness and promoting formalization; (vi) tailoring policies to specific sectors and occupations as the informal economy is not monolithic, and informalization patterns vary across sectors and occupations; (vii) promoting dialogue and collaboration among all relevant stakeholders for effective policy formulation and implementation; (viii) monitoring and evaluating policy impacts as this is crucial to assess policy effectiveness in promoting transitions from informality to formality. The Committee also requests the Government to continue to provide detailed up-to-date information, including statistical data disaggregated by sex and age, on the rates of informality in the country. The Committee wishes to draw the Government’s attention to the possibility to mobilize the potential of recently developed ILO tools, such as the Employment Policy Design Lab, created to showcase approaches, tools and good country practices that can support policymakers develop and implement more effective employment policies compliant with ILO standards in this subject area. Finally, referring to the guidance provided by the Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy Recommendation, 2015 (No. 204), the Committee also requests the Government to provide information on any new coordinated measures or plans adopted, in consultation with the social partners, to reduce informality in the labour market.

Employment of women. In its previous comment, the Committee noted the observations of the Confederation of Public Employees’ Trade Unions (KESK) indicating that the policies pursued by the Government with the aim of reconciling family and working life have channelled women into unregistered work, subcontracted work, part-time employment, domestic work, and seasonal agricultural work. The Committee notes from the Eleventh Development Plan 2019–23 that, despite the increase in the level of women’s education, the high rate of women’s employment in areas such as low-quality, informal and unpaid family labour continues. The Development Plan then lists specific objectives, which include to prevent discrimination against women, ensure that women benefit equally from rights and opportunities in all areas of social life, and empower women. The 2023 targets set for strengthening the position of women in economic life are as follows: to increase women’s labour force participation rate to 38.5 per cent; to increase women’s employment rate to 34 per cent; and to increase the rate of women among the self-employed to 20 per cent. Referring to the 2018-23 Women’s Empowerment Strategy Document and Action Plan, the Government indicates that the policies determined for women empowerment in the economic field have been designed with the aim of enabling women to participate more actively in working life and to have a voice in economic life, in line with the changing labour market dynamics. In terms of results of some implemented measures, the Government indicates that, from 2018 until the end of May 2022, a total of 439,283 people, 311,820 of whom were women, benefited from vocational training courses. During the same period, a total of 1,490,768 people, 739,810 of whom were women, participated in on-the-job training programmes. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed updated information, including disaggregated statistical data, on the impact of the active labour market measures taken to increase the labour force participation rate of women. It also requests the Government to continue to provide information, including statistics, on the education and training programmes provided to women, such as vocational training courses and on-the-job training.

Youth employment. The Committee notes that measures included in the Eleventh Development Plan 2019–23 aim to support the active participation of young people in the labour market by, for example, ensuring the transition of university students in the labour market, improving the cooperation between universities and the private sector, and facilitating internships, entrepreneurship and on-the-job training programmes for young people. The Government indicates that the 2021-23 National Youth Employment Strategy (NYES) and Action Plan aim to increase young persons’ level of skills and knowledge, and reduce their unemployment levels. The NYES objectives are as follows: the youth unemployment rate will decrease to 17.8 per cent in 2023 (it stood at 25.23 per cent in 2020); the youth labour force participation rate will increase to 46 per cent in 2023 (it was 39.1 per cent in 2020); and the ratio of youth not in employment, education or training (NEETs), which was measured at 28.3 per cent in 2020, will decrease to 20 per cent in 2023. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the results of the active labour market measures implemented to reduce youth unemployment and, in particular, the impact of the measures taken on the most disadvantaged categories of young people. It also once again requests the Government to provide statistics on youth employment trends, including statistics disaggregated by age, sex and any other categories in respect of which data on youth unemployment is available.

Article 3. Participation of the social partners. In its previous comment, the Committee noted the observations of KESK indicating that workers’ organizations were excluded from consultations concerning certain employment policy measures. With reference to youth employment, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that the NYES 2021–23 was prepared with the participation of the relevant public institutions and organizations, professional organizations, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and universities and non-governmental organizations. The Government adds that the Strategy is monitored and evaluated by the NYES Monitoring and Evaluation Board, which consists of representatives from the relevant ministries and public institutions, as well as employers’ and workers’ organizations, professional organizations and relevant civil society organizations. The Committee notes however that the report does not include any other information on how Article 3 of the Convention is implemented in national law and practice and therefore requests the Government to provide detailed information on the manner in which representatives of the persons affected by the measures to be taken, and in particular representatives of employers and workers, are effectively consulted concerning employment policies, with a view to taking fully into account their experience and views and securing their full co-operation in formulating and enlisting support for such policies.