Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2009, published 99th ILC session (2010)

1. Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Implementation of an active employment policy. The Committee notes the detailed information contained in the Government’s report received in July 2009 in reply to the 2008 direct request. The Government, through the National Development Plan (Vision 2030), seeks to outline a comprehensive long-term plan which aims to enable Jamaica to achieve developed country status by 2030. The Government indicates that the formulation process for the Vision 2030 was inclusive and involved 11 national public consultations as well as input from a wide array of stakeholders. The main mechanism for translating the long-term national goals into action is the Medium‑Term Socio-Economic Policy Framework (MTF). The Committee also notes the information provided by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica showing that the unemployment rate increased from 9.3 per cent in October 2007 to 10.3 per cent in October 2008. For this same period, the number of employed women increased by 1.9 per cent and the number of employed males decreased by 1.8 per cent. The Committee invites the Government to include in its next report information on the results obtained in terms of employment generation in the short term through mechanisms such as the MTF, in order to achieve the objectives of the Convention.

2. Active labour market measures. The Government indicates that it has implemented the Labour Market Information System (LMIS), which includes an Electronic Labour Exchange (ELE). The LMIS provides information on job opportunities and facilitates job search and matching functions for employees and employers. By providing information on job vacancies in areas of demand, the LMIS prompts persons to become more aware of these areas and serves as an incentive for training or retraining. Furthermore, under an ongoing process of labour reform, the Government has examined various labour market issues and institutions with a view to improvement in labour market processes and to meet the new challenges of globalization. Among the issues that have been examined are: the conciliation process and related institutions, flexible work arrangements and workers’ rights. The reform process has given rise to new legislative instruments, for example, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which is in the draft stage. The second main measure designed to help workers adjust to structural change is training and retraining. Efforts to encourage training have been in various forms, including increased student loan funds and improved loan facilities specifically for tertiary training, and the provision of special vocational programmes. The Committee invites the Government to supply information regarding the impact of instruments designed to match labour supply and demand, on both an occupational and geographical basis. It also asks the Government to include information regarding the impact of labour market reform on employment.

3. Education and vocational training. The Government reports that the Steps-to-Work Programme has just completed year one of a two-year pilot programme. The main targets of this programme are persons aged between 15 and 64 years. The Government also indicates that it has launched programmes aimed at attracting substantial private sector involvement in order to meet the objective of adapting workers’ skills to new technologies. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the results of programmes concerning education and vocational training and, more specifically, information on the impact of these measures on improving the coordination between education and training and employment opportunities.

4. Special measures in respect of young persons. The Government indicates in its report that unemployment among youths continued to be a major issue of concern in the labour market. The unemployment rate among youths aged between 14 and 24 years significantly increased from 33 per cent in October 2007 to 40 per cent in October 2008, and the unemployment rate for persons aged between 25 to 34 years increased from 10.5 per cent to 10.8 per cent for the same period. The Committee notes that special measures have been implemented to provide more employment opportunities for the youth and to improve their employment chances. One example is the National Youth Service (NYS) where youths between 17 and 24 years who are out of school and unemployed are provided with job opportunities and training. The Committee invites the Government to include in its next report information on the impact of the measures taken at finding lasting employment opportunities for young persons.

5. Special measures in respect of persons with disabilities. The Government reports that the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities, along with specific programmes geared at providing training, provides employment opportunities to persons with disabilities. Training is provided at the Abilities Foundation Ltd, where participants are given vocational training in computer skills and then certified after successfully passing the Human Employment and Resource Training (HEART) examination. Another initiative is the Steps-to-Work Programme, which aims to provide training and employment opportunities to members of households that are beneficiaries of the PATH Programme. Under the Steps-to-Work Programme, a set number of places are reserved for persons with disabilities, thereby increasing their opportunities for training and employment. The Committee requests that the Government continue to provide information on the measures taken to improve the employability of persons with disabilities and any evaluation concerning the results of these measures.

6. Article 3. Participation of the social partners. The Government indicates that the National Planning Council, a tripartite body established to ensure the coordination of economic development, is an integral element in the formulation of development policy. The Council operates in an advisory capacity and seeks to identify sectoral linkages in the shaping of policies and plans. In this way, it helps to avoid duplication and to ensure that objectives are convergent. The Committee asks the Government to provide examples of the questions addressed or the decisions reached on employment policy through tripartite bodies such as the National Planning Council.

7. ILO technical cooperation. The Committee invites the Government to include information in its next report on any relevant programmes and projects, developed with the assistance of the ILO, aimed at the creation of productive employment as set out in the Convention.