CMNT_TITLE

Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Madagascar (RATIFICATION: 1998)

The Committee notes the observations of the Christian Confederation of Malagasy Trade Unions (SEKRIMA), received on 7 March 2018. The Government is requested to provide its comments in this regard.

Articles 4 and 5 of the Convention. Cooperation with the social partners. The Government indicates that the Ministry of Employment, Technical Education and Vocational Training (MEETFP) works in close collaboration with other ministries, the private sector and the social partners in relation to the creation and promotion of employment. For this purpose, the Government refers to the activities instigated by the MEETFP with the full involvement of the social partners, such as: the formulation of the National Employment and Vocational Training Policy (PNEFP) and the Implementation Plan (PMO), the employment component of the PNEFP, drawn up with the ILO’s support and mobilizing all the stakeholders in the world of work, including the representative organizations of employers and workers. In February 2017, a roadmap on migration for employment to Madagascar was developed in consultation with the social partners. The Committee also notes the establishment of steering and coordination partnership committees at the national level (CN2PC), the regional level (CR2PC) and the sectoral level (CS2PC) with a view to ensuring, in consultation with all of the parties concerned, the evaluation, approval and achievement of the objectives of the PNEFP. In this context, the Committee notes the observations of the SEKRIMA to the effect that cooperation between the MEETFP and the social partners takes place through extended working groups and not an official tripartite council. It calls for the establishment of a national employment council. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on the involvement of the social partners in the development, application, follow-up and monitoring of the National Employment and Vocational Training Policy and the Implementation Plan, the employment component of the PNEFP and on any other programmes and activities implemented for the promotion of employment.

Article 6. Organization of the employment service. The Government indicates that the MEETFP has established around 12 offices of the Regional Employment Information System (SRIE) in eight regions of the country with a view to establishing a local database and ensuring the accessibility of employment for all persons, in all regions of the country. The SRIE accordingly makes use of practical means to promote effective access to employment. It offers the necessary training and support activities for the effective access of young persons to work, including technical and vocational training, the culture of entrepreneurship, the launching of projects and education in financial matters. The SRIE also constitutes a channel of communication between jobseekers and employers. At the level of the MEETFP, the central and regional employment services help workers to find a suitable job and employers to recruit workers adapted to the needs of enterprises, and they facilitate the transfer of workers from one region of the country to another and the migration of workers from Madagascar to other countries. The Committee notes the SEKRIMA’s observations that the establishment of the decentralized services of the MEETFP began in 2017 and that it is waiting to see the results achieved. It adds that many workers in the regions are not aware of the purpose of these services. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information in its next report on the manner in which the Regional Employment Information System (SRIE) contributes to an improved organization of the labour market in the eight regions of the country and to provide statistics, disaggregated by sex and age, on the number of applications for employment received, the vacancies notified and the placements made through the services of the SRIE. It also requests the Government to indicate the measures adopted or envisaged to raise the awareness of workers in the regions concerning the services provided by the SRIE.

Article 8. Special arrangements for young persons. The Government indicates that the adoption of Act No. 2015-040, of 22 February 2016, on the orientation of the PNEFP, sets the national objectives to be achieved to reduce the unemployment rate and ensure a strong economy with socially balanced growth based on solidarity by 2020. The Government indicates that the Ministry responsible for employment has adopted measures with a view to taking effective action to combat youth unemployment, including: the establishment of an enterprise and employment incubator; the consolidation and extension of the employment information system (labour market mediation, support for vocational guidance and placement); and the validation of the skills acquired through vocational experience. The Government also plans to implement the draft Sectoral Education Plan (PSE) 2018–22. The PSE sets out a vision of quality education for all and guarantees stable development in accordance with the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The Government indicates that the PSE also covers the field of technical education and vocational training, as well as skills development (ETFP/DC), based on three strategic components; access to training, the relevance and quality of training and governance based on partnership. The Committee notes the observations of the SEKRIMA concerning the commitment shown by the private sector in co-financing vocational training for young persons and further training for employees. For this purpose, the PNEFP is required to establish an intersectoral vocational training fund which would take account the financial needs of each sector and would ensure the defiscalization of the contributions made by enterprises, while at the same time guaranteeing the independence and effective allocation of funds to intersectoral, sectoral and national plans. Taking due note of the various types of training and integration programmes that have been established to provide assistance to young persons, the Committee requests the Government to provide updated statistical information on the number of young persons who have participated in the integration and training programmes referred to above, as well as relevant data on the impact of these programmes in terms of obtaining lasting employment. The Committee also requests the Government to provide relevant information on the impact of the new projects and to indicate the arrangements made to take into account changing expectations in the economy with a view to improving the adaptation of education and training programmes to future labour market needs.

Article 9. Staff of the employment service. The Government indicates that the staff of the employment service benefit from regular training through various workshops to improve skills. In December 2016, training on migration for employment was organized in six regions of the country. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the vocational training provided for employment service staff with an indication of the frequency of training courses and their content, and to report their impact, and particularly their effect in practice in terms of reinforcing the capacity of the employment services in the exercise of their functions. It also requests the Government to provide information on the number of participants in the training courses and the total number of staff members assigned to employment services in the country.

Article 11. Collaboration with private employment agencies. In this respect, the Government indicates that, in the framework of the roadmap on migration for employment, many measures have been taken to ensure effective cooperation between the public employment service and private employment agencies, including: the organization of regular meetings for exchanges of experience; the training of those responsible; the preparation of training curricula and reference materials; and visits to establishments to provide assistance. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the measures taken to ensure effective cooperation between the public employment service and private employment agencies. It also requests the Government to report the number of private employment agencies, applications for employment received, vacancies notified and placements made by such agencies. The Committee further requests the Government to indicate whether measures have been taken or are envisaged to continue the process of the ratification of the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181).