Solicitud directa (CEACR) - Adopción: 2009, Publicación: 99ª reunión CIT (2010)

Convenio sobre el servicio del empleo, 1948 (núm. 88) - República de Corea (Ratificación : 2001)

1. Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. The Committee notes the detailed information provided in the Government’s report received in September 2009, including replies to the 2005 direct request. The Government recalls that, as a consequence of the reform initiated in 2003 to restructure its public employment service system, the scaling up of employment service centres has continued. As of June 2009, 81 public employment service (PES) centres were in operation throughout the country, including 47 job centres providing comprehensive employment services, 24 general employment service centres and ten branch offices. The implementation of the reform measures is expected to contribute to ease jobseekers’ entry into the labour market, the focus being placed on job counselling services (including analysis, course setting and boosting jobseekers’ employability) rather than on the payment of unemployment benefits. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information, including statistical data, on the impact of the reform of the employment service system on the maintenance of full employment and use of productive resources.

2. Article 4 of the Convention. Participation of social partners. In reply to previous comments, the Government indicates that the Employment Policy Council is composed of 25 members appointed by the Minister of Labour, who chairs the Council. Members include representatives of the social partners, experts, and representatives of the relevant ministries. The Government further indicates that local employment councils have been established by each local government. They are composed of less than 20 members appointed by the head of the local government from among workers’ and employers’ representatives, employment experts and relevant public officials. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information on the activities of advisory bodies referenced in the Government’s report in the organization and operation of the employment service and in the development of employment service policy.

3. Article 9. Staff of the employment service. The Government indicates that, in an effort to enhance the efficiency of the public employment system, between 2007 and 2008, 1,427 job counsellors working in the PES offices became public officials and only 162 remained private job counsellors, having failed the test for changing status. The Government clarifies that private job counsellors’ wage levels and retirement age are the same as those of public officials. The Committee invites the Government to continue reporting on the status and conditions of service of job counsellors in PES organizations.

4. Article 11. Cooperation with private employment agencies. The Government reports that it has continued expanding the area of services entrusted to private employment agencies so as to make employment services fully accessible by the general public. The Committee notes that job placement services for vulnerable groups and the implementation of group counselling or individual employment service programmes are increasingly entrusted to such agencies operating free of charge. It invites the Government to supply information in its next report on the arrangements made to secure effective cooperation between the PES and private employment agencies as well as on the employment service programmes implemented through private employment agencies.