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Employment Promotion and Protection against Unemployment Convention, 1988 (No. 168) - Albania (RATIFICATION: 2006)

The Committee notes the information in the Government’s report of September 2012 in response to the questions raised in the Committee’s previous direct request and would like the Government to provide additional explanations on the following points:

Article 6 of the Convention. Non-discrimination. Please indicate the provisions of the national legislation prohibiting discrimination in employment promotion and unemployment protection on the grounds mentioned in this Article of the Convention.

Article 15(1)(b). Rate of benefit. The report stated that the flat-rate monthly unemployment benefit was 6,850 Albanian leks (ALL) in 2011, while the national minimum monthly wage amounted to ALL21,000 as of July 2012. The Committee recalls that, according to Article 15(1)(b) of the Convention, the amount of a flat-rate unemployment benefit shall be fixed at not less than 50 per cent of the statutory minimum wage, or of the wage of an ordinary labourer, or at a level which provides the minimum essential for basic living expenses, whichever is the highest. In order to ensure compliance with this requirement of the Convention, the Committee requests the Government to indicate in its next report measures taken to raise the rate of the unemployment benefit in Albania to the level of 50 per cent of the national minimum wage.

Articles 17(2) and 19(6). Seasonal workers. Please indicate whether seasonal workers in Albania are able to fulfil the same qualifying period of 12 months of contributions as other workers in order to become entitled to unemployment benefit.

Article 27. Right to complaint and appeal. Please indicate whether an insured person has the right to complain against the decision of the National Employment Service to refuse or withhold the unemployment benefit otherwise due to this person.

Article 30. Subsidies to safeguard employment. Please explain how supervision of the use of the financial subsidies given to employers (for example, for apprenticeship or training programmes) is ensured in order to prevent misuse of these funds.