Observation (CEACR) - adoptée 2005, publiée 95ème session CIT (2006)

Convention (n° 122) sur la politique de l'emploi, 1964 - Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d'Irlande du Nord (Ratification: 1966)

The Committee has taken note with interest of the detailed information contained in the Government’s report received in January 2005, the National Plan for Employment 2004, as well as several other reports and publications annexed to it.

1. Employment strategy and trends. The Government recalls that the three key objectives of the European Employment Strategy are full employment, quality and productivity and cohesion and social inclusion. These have been supplemented by employment taskforce recommendations prioritizing: increasing the adaptability of workers and enterprises; attracting more people to enter and remain on the labour market; investing more effectively in human capital and lifelong learning; ensuring effective implementation of reforms through better governance; and promoting gender equality in the labour market. The Government indicates that the country has a strong labour market with high levels of employment at 74.7 per cent, and low levels of unemployment, the lowest in the G7, at 4.8 per cent in 2004. For men, the employment rate stood at 79.5 per cent while the unemployment rate was 5.1 per cent. For women, the employment rate was 69.8 per cent and the unemployment rate was 4.5 per cent. The Government emphasizes that the number of employed people in the United Kingdom is at record levels, up 250,000 persons since 2003, while unemployment is the lowest for about 30 years and continues to fall, with major improvement in long-term unemployment, which is at its lowest level in three decades. The Committee takes due note of this information and would appreciate continuing to receive detailed disaggregated data on labour market trends. It also reminds the Government of the interest it attaches to information relating to the manner in which measures adopted under the general economic policy, and in particular income and wages policies, contribute "within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy" to pursuing "as a major goal" the objective of full, productive and freely chosen employment (Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention).

2. Labour market policies. In December 2003, the Government published the report "Full employment in every region". The paper sets out the Government’s strategy to achieve full employment by tackling areas of disadvantage and concentrations of worklessness. The Government, actively seeking to combat discrimination in the workplace, has launched Equality Direct, which enables employers to access information and advice on equal opportunities by telephone or through the Internet. Furthermore, the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 and the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations came into effect in December 2003. These regulations prohibit discrimination on grounds of religion or belief, and sexual orientation in employment, self-employment, occupation and vocational training. The Government also indicates that the Pensions Green Paper "Simplicity, security and choice: Working and saving for retirement" of December 2002 announced measures to give older people more opportunity to remain in work longer. The Government has in fact set a new target for 2005-08 to increase the employment rate of people aged 50-69 and reduce the gap between their employment rate and the overall employment rate.

3. The Government further indicates that following the success of the New Deal for Disabled People, which was the first programme specifically designed to support people on disability and health-related benefits in finding and retaining paid employment, this programme was extended to March 2006. Regarding education and training policies, the Government states that the key target of the learning and skills councils is that by 2010, 90 per cent of young people by age 22 should have participated in a full-time programme fitting them for entry into higher education or skilled employment. Moreover, the Government wants 50 per cent of the 18-30 year-olds to participate in higher education by the year 2010. This target is driven by strong economic and social arguments and the bulk of the increase should come through new types of qualification tailored to the needs of students and the economy. The Government also states that the network of Jobcentre Plus offices is currently being modernized and increased and at completion is expected to include a network of around 1,000 sites. The Committee takes note with interest of these developments, as well as the various programmes described in detail in the report, and looks forward to receive from the Government, in its next report, an assessment of the impact of its active labour market measures, in particular with regard to vulnerable groups like working-age people claiming sickness and disability benefits and low-paid women in part-time work. The Committee would also appreciate continuing to receive information and data on successes, problems encountered and lessons to be learned from the experience of social partners in the United Kingdom with regard to the application of the Convention.