Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012)

Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Ghana (Ratification: 1961)

Articles 1, 2 and 3 of the Convention. Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. Request for ILO technical assistance. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in the report received in November 2010, including comments submitted by the Ghana Employers’ Association (GEA). The Government indicates that the National Employment Service is responsible for ensuring equal access to employment for all and organizing the labour market for the creation and maintenance of employment opportunities. This operates through a network of 67 public employment centres and youth employment centres spread throughout the country. They operate hand-in-hand with private employment agencies. The GEA states that over the years it “has not fully appreciated the efforts to improve the services of the public employment centres” and indicates that services provided at these centres are unreliable and inaccessible to both employees and jobseekers. The GEA has drawn the Government’s attention to improve conditions at the centres in order to promote employment in the country. The Government reports that it acknowledges the need to strengthen the public employment service and collaboration with private employment agencies to meet the new requirements of the economy and the working population. In this regard, the Committee notes that the Government requested ILO technical assistance to modernize the employment service. The Committee invites the Government to provide in its next report information on the activities of the public employment centres and the contribution of these centres to the implementation of a national employment policy. It also invites the Government to include information on the number of public employment centres established, applications for employment received, vacancies notified and persons placed in employment by such centres (Part IV of the report form). With regard to the Government’s request for technical assistance, the Committee hopes that the Office will respond favourably to the request. It further invites the Government to report on any new measures taken to build institutions for the realization of full employment and encourages its support for the ratification of the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122).

Articles 4 and 5. Cooperation with the social partners. The Government reports that the National Tripartite Committee has been used by the social partners as a platform to consensually agree on a number of issues regarding employment and other economic and social matters. The Committee invites the Government to provide specific information on the participation of representatives of employers and workers in the operation of the employment service.

Article 8. Special arrangements for young people. The Government indicates that youth employment centres have been established to cater to the needs of the youth by providing vocational guidance to persons not above 20 years of age. Youth employment services are rendered at public employment centres in areas of the country without youth employment offices. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on special arrangements for young people initiated and developed within the framework of the employment and vocational guidance services.

Article 11. Cooperation with private employment agencies. The Government indicates that there are 75 private employment agencies operating in Ghana. These agencies are licensed and monitored by the Labour Department and are required to submit periodic reports on their activities. The Committee refers to its 2010 observation on the application of the Fee-Charging Employment Agencies Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 96), with regard to the steps agreed, in consultation with the social partners, to ratify the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181). The Committee requests the Government to indicate in its next report on Convention No. 88 the measures taken to ensure effective cooperation between the public employment service and private employment agencies, including information on steps taken in consultation with the social partners to ratify Convention No. 181.