Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2007, published 97th ILC session (2008)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Portugal (Ratification: 1981)

1. Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Employment trends and active labour market policies. The Committee notes the Government’s report for the period ending in May 2006 which contains observations from the Portuguese Confederation of Tourism and the General Union of Workers (UGT). According to the UGT, unemployment has been rising since 2004, reaching 8 per cent in 2005. Industrial jobs have been lost because of bankruptcies, restructuring and delocalization. The Government states that the National Employment Plan
2005–08 (PNE) is an integral part of the National Action Programme for Growth and Employment (PNACE), which ensures coordination of the various programmes and action plans that affect growth and employment. The PNACE aims to increase economic growth and job creation through coordinated and coherent macroeconomic measures (consolidation of public finances, modernization of the administration), microeconomic measures (technology plan to encourage innovation) and measures in the area of employment and qualifications. Under the PNE, in 2005 the Government launched the initiative Novas Oportunidades, as a means of increasing the secondary school enrolment rate and improving youth and adult qualifications. In the area of qualifications, employment and social cohesion, the objectives of the PNACE include promoting job creation, and attracting more people to, and keeping them in, employment by forestalling and combating unemployment, particularly youth and long-term employment. The Committee further notes that flexibility with job security is to be promoted in the context of strengthened social dialogue and consultation. The Committee asks the Government in its next report to provide information on the manner in which the PNACE employment objectives have been obtained and on the results of the measures to reduce the number of long-term unemployed and improve the efficiency of the employment services. The Committee asks that the report also contain information on the manner in which the Government has consulted the social partners in adopting the abovementioned measures.

2. Measures to promote employment among certain categories of workers. The UGT states that there are still significant inequalities between men and women in the labour market and that youth unemployment is still high (16.4 per cent). The Government states that it is planning to set up special employment programmes for groups of the active population that are particularly disadvantaged in the labour market, such as young people, older workers, persons with disabilities, socially excluded groups or groups liable to social exclusion, and immigrants, together with region- or sector-based programmes as required. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any programmes under implementation to promote employment among these special categories of workers, and on the results obtained in terms of job creation.

3. Article 3. Participation of the social partners in the framing and implementing of policies. In its report, the Government refers to two agreements concluded with the social partners: the agreement of 7 January 2005 to reinvigorate collective bargaining and the agreement of 8 February 2006 on vocational training. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information in its next report on the tripartite consultations that have been held on employment policy as required by the Convention.