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Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Belarus (RATIFICATION: 1995)

Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion and participation of the social partners. The Committee notes the information and statistical data provided by the Government in its report for the period ending in May 2010. The Government reports that employers’ and workers’ organizations participated in the preparation of the State Employment Programme 2009–10. The Government indicates that the tripartite National Council on Labour and Social Affairs examines the implementation of the General Agreement in its meetings at least twice a year. The National Council approved the draft set of measures and action plan 2010 to implement the State Employment Programme 2009–10. The Government indicates that in the first half of 2010, there were 275 regional councils for labour and social affairs (provincial, municipal and district) and 19 sectoral councils. The Committee invites the Government to provide information in its next report on the activities performed by the public employment service to ensure effective recruitment and placement of workers. It also invites the Government to continue to report on the activities of the National Council on Labour and Social Affairs and other local tripartite councils on the subjects covered by the Convention.

Article 7 of the Convention. Measures for particular categories of applicants for employment. The Government indicates that the activities of the public employment service are set out in the Regulations on the public employment service approved by Decree of the Council of Ministers No. 221 of 18 February 2010. Under these Regulations, the public employment service is established to implement state policy in the field of employment promotion and to provide jobseekers with the appropriate services. The Government indicates that in the annual State and regional employment promotion programmes, individual departments envisage measures to find employment for particular disadvantaged categories of jobseekers, such as young persons, persons with disabilities, women and the long-term unemployed. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken by the public employment service to meet the employment needs of particular categories of applicants for employment, such as young persons and persons with disabilities. Please also provide specific information on the measures taken to facilitate specialization by occupations and by industries in the various employment offices.

Article 10. Full use of the employment service. The Government indicates that one of the priorities of the State Employment Programme is to encourage employers to create jobs, primarily in small towns and rural locations, and to provide assistance to the unemployed in starting a business. In 2009, employers created 3,200 jobs for placement of unemployed persons, including 500 rural jobs and 1,600 in small towns. The Committee notes that a national computerized vacancy database has been set up which contains information on vacancies in rural areas with housing provided. Furthermore, under the Regulations on assistance to the unemployed in starting their own business, approved in March 2008, assistance is provided through work, employment and social protection agencies. In 2009, financial support for business start-ups was provided to 2,700 people. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information on the measures adopted, in collaboration with employers’ and workers’ organizations, to encourage full use of the employment service by employers and workers on a voluntary basis.

Parts IV and VI of the report form. Information on the practical application of the Convention. The Committee notes the statistics provided by the Government indicating that 37,000 unemployed persons were registered at the beginning of 2009 and 212,600 persons during the entire year. The public employment service placed 196,200 persons in employment in 2009 and 25,000 persons benefited from vocational training. The Government reports that, in 2009, 25,600 jobseekers were placed in subsidized employment, including 1,800 persons with disabilities, 6,800 young people under the age of 21 and 2,200 persons released from penal establishments. The Committee invites the Government to include in its next report updated statistical information concerning the number of public employment offices established, the number of applications for employment received, the number of vacancies notified, and the number of persons placed in employment by such offices.