Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1995, published 83rd ILC session (1996)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Iran (Islamic Republic of) (Ratification: 1972)

1. The Committee notes the Government's report for the period ending June 1994 and the detailed information that it contains in reply to its previous direct request. It notes that the statistical data provided in the report on employment and unemployment by sex, age and sector cover the period 1986-91 and hopes that the Government will be in a position to provide such data in its next report for the period covered by the report. The Committee notes in this respect that special emphasis was placed on improving the procedures for the compilation and processing of statistical data on the labour market. In view of the need for precise information on the characteristics and trends of the supply and demand for labour in order to "decide on and keep under review, within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy, the measures to be adopted for attaining" employment objectives (Article 2 of the Convention), the Committee requests the Government to provide information on any further measures adopted in this respect.

2. The Government states that due to the limitations on the financing of investments for the creation of jobs, the second Five-year Plan for Economic, Social and Cultural Development (1994-98) continues to give priority to promoting self-employment in order to achieve a better sectoral and regional balance. The Committee also notes the information provided on the Government's projects for the development of technical support services for the promotion of productive employment in rural areas. It would be grateful if the Government would provide information in its next report on the principal orientations of the global and sectoral economic policies that are being pursued, with an indication of their expected or reported impact on employment. Please supply with the report the parts of the second Five-year Plan relating to employment objectives, with an indication of the extent to which they have been achieved.

3. The Committee notes the information on the development of networks of employment services and vocational training centres. It notes that, in the context of the privatization policy, it is now possible to open private employment agencies provided that approval is obtained. Please describe the measures taken to ensure effective cooperation between the public employment service and private employment agencies.

4. The Committee notes that cooperation between those responsible for education, training and employment is ensured through coordination commissions in order to adapt the supply of skills to the expected demand on the labour market. Recalling that under the terms of Article 1, paragraph 2(c), of the Convention, the employment policy shall aim at ensuring that there is "the fullest possible opportunity for each worker to qualify for, and to use his skills and endowments in, a job for which he is well suited, irrespective of race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin", the Committee requests the Government to provide full particulars on the implementation of this provision of the Convention, taking into account the request that it has made on this subject under Convention No. 111, to which it refers.

5. The Committee believes it is correct in understanding that the consultations held in the Supreme Council of Labour cover various aspects of employment policy and include representatives of persons working in the rural sector and the informal sector. It would be grateful if the Government would provide examples of the issues examined by this Council, with an indication of the opinions expressed and the manner in which they have been taken into account, in accordance with Article 3 of the Convention.

6. Finally, the Committee notes that the Government refers in its report to the implementation of a technical cooperation project in the field of training and that it mentions studies for projects on small enterprises and self-employment. It requests the Government to indicate the action taken as a result of these projects (Part V of the report form).