Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1991, published 78th ILC session (1991)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Ethiopia (Ratification: 1966)

The Committee notes from the Government's report that a new Labour Code, which takes into account as much as possible the observations of the Committee, will soon be adopted. The Committee hopes that the Government will soon be able to provide a copy of the adopted text. The Committee also hopes that the next report of the Government will include full information on the matters raised in the Committee's previous request, which read as follows:

1. In previous reports the Committee has noted detailed statistical information concerning manpower issues, the enrolment of women within the labour force, and on the numbers of women who have benefited from university and skill development training. The Committee hopes that the Government will continue supplying in future reports information of this kind, enabling it to assess the practical results of policies and programmes aimed at increasing educational and employment opportunities for women.

2. The Committee notes the Government's report of recognition given to its National Literacy Campaign by international organisations and overall improvement of literacy levels in the country. The Government is asked to provide information concerning the organisation of literacy courses aimed at ensuring equality of access to vocational and language training for the various ethnic groups.

3. The Committee has noted in earlier comments the establishment of the Institute for the Study of Ethiopian Nationalities, whose function is to study the economic, cultural, social life and stage of development of each nationality and community in pre-nationality formations. The Committee asks the Government to indicate whether any practical measures have followed from such studies to improve vocational training and employment opportunities for any of the nationalities concerned.

4. The Committee notes the Government's indication that the Land Reform Proclamation of 1975 has made it possible for land to be available for schools as one of the first priorities and the Peasant Associations everywhere willingly contribute additional land on which practical educational activity can take place. The Committee requests the Government to provide full information on the number of schools created as a result of this programme; communities or concentrated populations of persons of underprivileged nationalities, particular social origins or national extractions served by these schools; types of training available in each of these schools; numbers and characteristics of students actually attending these schools; and any practical measures taken to ensure that all persons are provided equal opportunity to benefit from this aspect of the Land Reform Proclamation of 1975 in respect of equality in employment and occupation.

5. In previous comments, the Committee noted that the Government has been pursuing a resettlement policy since 1985, to remove certain people from those parts of the country most severely affected by drought conditions to other regions where new employment opportunities may be created. In this regard, the Committee notes the indication in the Government's report that over 400 Community Skill Training Centres (CSTCs) offer training in specific skill areas related to development in local areas and that resettled peoples of different social origins have equal opportunities with other population groups. The Committee asks that the Government provide full information on practical measures taken to ensure this equality of opportunity. The Committee again also asks that the Government indicate measures taken to ensure that resettled peoples of different social origin may have equal opportunity of agricultural or other employment or occupations with other population groups in those areas to which they are resettled.

6. In previous comments, the Committee noted that the Labour Proclamation No. 64 of 1975 provides that every citizen is entitled to equal opportunity to be employed in a work in which he or she can contribute to the development of his or her country according to his or her skill and is fairly remunerated without discrimination on the basis of race, tribe, sex or religion, in line with socialist principles. The Committee noted, however, that this provision did not cover discrimination on the basis of political opinion or social origin, grounds expressly mentioned in Article 1(a) of this Convention, but that the new Draft Labour Proclamation will provide for this right. The Committee asks the Government to indicate in its next report what progress has been made toward adoption of the new draft Labour Proclamation and looks forward to this text being transmitted to the ILO when adopted.