CMNT_TITLE

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Jamaica (RATIFICATION: 1975)

The Committee notes with regret that the Government's report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:

The Committee notes the brief information contained in the Government's report for the period ending June 1992, and the statistics supplied with the report. With reference to its previous requests, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply in its next report the information which is necessary to evaluate the effect given to the Convention by providing full replies to each of the questions contained in the report form approved by the Governing Body. In particular, please supply detailed information on the following points.

1. From the statistics supplied by the Government, the Committee notes a tendency for unemployment to decrease or stabilize over the reference period. However, it notes that, although the overall unemployment rate was 15.7 per cent in October 1991, compared with 16.8 per cent in October 1989, it has remained substantially higher among women, and particularly among women under 25 years of age, of whom 42.7 per cent were without employment at that date (compared with 18.5 per cent of men in the same age group). With reference in this respect to its comments concerning the application of Convention No. 111, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would describe the specific measures which have been taken or are envisaged to promote the access of women to vocational training and employment.

2. The Government states in its report that a study is being undertaken to examine the effects of structural adjustment on labour market policies. Please transmit the conclusions of this study and indicate, where appropriate, the measures taken as a consequence. More generally, please indicate the manner in which measures to attain the objective of full, productive and freely chosen employment are decided upon and kept under review "within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy", in accordance with Article 2 of the Convention.

3. The Committee regrets to note that the report does not contain the information requested previously concerning the measures which have been taken under the five-year development plan for the period 1990-1995. It once again requests the Government to supply information on the results achieved through measures to strengthen employment services and training activities, especially to meet the needs of particular categories of workers such as women, young persons and workers with disabilities. Please also supply information on the placement in employment of the beneficiaries of the HEART programme, as well as on the "Solidarity" programme to encourage the creation of small enterprises by young people between the ages of 18 and 30.