Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2005, published 95th ILC session (2006)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Spain (Ratification: 1970)

1. Implementation of an employment policy within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy. The Committee notes the Government’s detailed report for the period ending June 2004 which includes information on the National Action Plan for Employment, 2003. The Committee notes that in December a new Labour Act was adopted (Act No. 56/2003 of 16 December) creating a National Employment System comprising the State Public Employment Service and the Public Employment Services of the Autonomous Communities. The Committee hopes that in its next report, the Government will include information on the results achieved by the modernization of the public employment services and the revision of the active measures that have been carried out. Bearing in mind the persistence of regional inequalities (unemployment rates range from 6.1 per cent in La Rioja to 18.6 per cent in Andalucia), the Committee requests the Government to include information on the manner in which the responsibilities of the autonomous employment services and the active employment measures adopted within the purview of the Autonomous Communities have been distributed.

2. The Committee notes that during the period covered by the report, the employment rate was barely above 60 per cent and unemployment amounted to 11.3 per cent in 2003. Although employment of women rose by 1.9 per cent, male unemployment increased. The Committee refers to its previous direct request and trusts that, in its next report, the Government will provide information on the measures adopted to continue to improve employment rates and to pay attention to the needs of the most deprived categories of workers such as young people, immigrants, older workers and the long-term unemployed (Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention).

3. Participation of the social partners. In its report, the Government refers to the tripartite agreements reached during the period 2002-04 by the adoption of Act No. 45/2002 of 12 December 2002 reforming the unemployment protection system and improving work capacity, and Act No. 56/2003 on employment. The Committee notes that on 8 July 2004, a Declaration for Social Dialogue was adopted designed to encourage competitivity, stable employment and social solidarity. The Committee recalls the importance it attaches to taking into account the views of the social partners regarding the matters covered by the Convention and asks the Government to indicate in its next report the follow-up and evaluation given to the directions laid down in the Declaration for Social Dialogue.