Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1995, published 82nd ILC session (1995)

Article 5 of the Convention. The Committee notes from the Government's detailed report and its annexes that there have been significant organizational changes within the British training bodies and public employment service. It also notes that the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in its observations transmitted by the Government on 1 February 1995 refers to the provisions of this Article of the Convention and states that the former tripartite training system which was in operation since the 1980s, where there was consultation and negotiation at the national level (the Manpower Services Commission), regional level (Area Manpower Boards) and in sectoral Industry Boards, has been replaced by an employer-led, market-driven voluntary system in which there is no obligation to involve trade union representatives. It further notes that according to the TUC only 60 of the 82 Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs), which comprise two-thirds employers, include one trade union representative. The TUC states that Industry Training Organizations (ITOs) which replaced the tripartite Industry Training Boards (ITBs) are also employer-led and are not required to include trade union representatives and that union representation on the national bodies concerned with training is in general low. The TUC further states that the National Council for Vocational Qualifications which has a total of 14 members, Investors in People UK which has 13 members, and the National Advisory Council for Education and Training Targets which has 12 members, each has only one trade union representative. The Committee notes that the Government's reply to the TUC's comments dated 6 February 1995 does not address the questions of tripartism in the various bodies concerned with training. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would address the observations made by the TUC and indicate how consultations, cooperation and negotiations appropriate to national conditions, including consultation with the most representative organizations of workers, called for by this Article of the Convention are effectively applied under the new training arrangements.