Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

1. The Committee notes the Government's report for the period ending June 1998. According to the information provided by the Government in its report, the number of persons in employment increased by approximately 60,000 between the second half of 1996 and the second half of 1997, resulting in a reduction in the open unemployment rate of 1.8 per cent. The Committee notes that the open unemployment rate was 13 per cent at the end of 1997 and the beginning of 1998, with much higher rates for young people, women and certain sectors, such as construction (according to the data supplied by the ILO's Andean Multidisciplinary Advisory Team). Of every ten new jobs created between 1990 and 1996, seven were in an activity of an informal nature, two were in the private formal sector and one in the public sector. As a consequence, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would describe in its report the relationships which have been established between employment policy objectives and other economic and social objectives, taking into account the requirement set out in the Convention that employment policy measures shall be decided on and kept under review "within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy" (Articles 1 and 2). In particular, it would be grateful if the Government would describe the manner in which the programmes referred to in its report (PROINSOL and PROMUEBA), the process of the opening up of the oil sector and the reform of labour legislation have affected the creation of productive and sustainable jobs. Please also indicate the action taken as a result of the technical advice and assistance received from the Office in the field of employment policy (Part V of the report form).

2. The Government emphasizes in its report the adoption of the Tripartite Agreement on Integrated Social Security and Wages Policy of March 1997 and the Tripartite Agreement on Stability in Employment (ATES) of July the same year. A tripartite technical commission was entrusted with the formulation of an agreed employment policy and submitted its report in December 1997. The Committee notes with interest this initiative, which is in the spirit of Article 3 of the Convention -- to secure the full cooperation of the representatives of employers and workers in formulating and enlisting support for the employment policy. The Committee trusts that the Government will indicate any progress which is achieved in putting into practice the agreed employment policy, which is endorsed by the social partners.

3. In this respect, the Committee notes the recommendations of the tripartite committee set up by the Governing Body to examine the representation made under article 24 of the ILO Constitution by the Latin American Central of Workers (CLAT) and the Latin American Federation of Trade Workers (FETRALCOS) alleging non-observance by Venezuela of Convention No. 122 (document GB.273/14/5, adopted in November 1998). The Committee notes that the above committee expressed the opinion that it would be in conformity with the measures required by the Convention for the Government to take advantage of the effort made by the workers in the informal sector to organize themselves to seek, through dialogue, in the spirit of Article 3 of the Convention, solutions to the employment problems arising from the existence of a very substantial informal sector. The Committee fully endorses the recommendation of the above committee and requests the Government to include full and detailed information in its report on the employment policy measures adopted for the informal sector, as well as the manner in which the representatives of the persons affected in this sector are consulted.