Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2009, published 99th ILC session (2010)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Tunisia (Ratification: 1966)

1. Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Labour market trends and active employment policy. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in October 2008 in reply to its 2007 direct request. The Government notes in its report a rise in the women’s participation rate, which reached 26.6 per cent in 2005, a fall in the activity rate of illiterate women and a rise in the activity rate of women with higher education. In 2005, unemployment affected 328,800 men and 157,000 women. The Committee notes the objectives established in the XIth Economic Development Plan (2007–11), namely the achievement of an annual growth rate of 6.1 per cent, the creation of 925,000 new jobs and the reduction of the unemployment rate to 11.3 per cent. In its previous comments, the Committee expressed interest in examining information on the manner in which the main areas of economic policy contribute “within the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy” (Article 2) to the achievement of the objectives of full, productive and freely chosen employment. The Committee invites the Government to provide information in its next report on the results achieved and the difficulties encountered in attaining the employment policy objectives set out in the XIth Plan, including updated quantitative information on the trends and results of the programmes established to stimulate growth and economic development, raise living standards, respond to labour force needs and resolve the problem of unemployment and underemployment (Article 1, paragraph 1).

2. Employment market policies to promote balanced and integrated regional development. The Government indicates that it has adopted an approach under which employment is a collective responsibility requiring the commitment of the various parties concerned at the regional and local levels. The Government also decided to establish an additional programme in 2007 for 21 regions targeting 7,000 jobseekers. This approach gave rise to regional plans to promote employment and the creation of enterprises. The Committee notes the persistence of an important gap in the numbers of enterprises created by region. In the North-East, the proportion of enterprises created is reported as being higher than in other regions. The Committee invites the Government to report the results achieved, in collaboration with the social partners at the regional and local levels, in terms of job creation through the various programmes established, particularly to make up the backlog in relation to employment creation between the regions.

3. Promotion of small and micro-enterprises. The Government indicates that it has adopted two promotional measures, one based on the coverage by the State for one year of 50 per cent of the gross salary for the recruitment of university graduates, and the other consisting of the coverage by the State of employers’ contributions to the social security scheme. In this respect, the Committee requests the Government to provide information in its next report on the results achieved through the initiatives decided upon in the context of these measures. It also hopes that the next report will contain additional information on the measures adopted “in order to create an environment conducive to the growth and development of small and medium-sized enterprises” (see Paragraph 5 of the Job Creation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Recommendation, 1998 (No. 189)).

4. Collection and use of employment data. The Committee previously requested indications on the measures adopted to coordinate the various labour market information systems. In its reply, the Government indicates that the National Institute of Statistics has proposed coordination mechanisms between the National Employment Observatory, the National Employment and Self‑Employment Agency and the National Institute of Statistics. It further notes that a study has been proposed by the World Bank for the establishment of an effective and not duplicative labour market information system. The Committee invites the Government to provide information in its next report on the progress achieved in the coordination of the various labour market information systems and indications on the manner in which the data compiled have been used to decide on and keep under review the employment policy measures. It hopes that the studies undertaken with international assistance will permit to define new measures to promote employment among the most vulnerable categories, such as women, young persons, older workers, rural workers and workers in the informal economy.

5. Article 3. Participation of the social partners in the formulation and application of policies. The Government recalls in its report that a Higher Council for Human Resources Development has been established since 2001, bringing together the representatives of the Government and the social partners. The Committee once again emphasizes the importance of giving full effect to Article 3 of the Convention, particularly in a context of persistent unemployment. It hopes that the next report will contain precise information on the consultations held with the representatives of the social partners on the subjects covered by the Convention. It also requests the Government to provide information on the consultations held with the most vulnerable categories of the population, and particularly with representatives of workers in rural areas and in the informal economy, with a view to securing their cooperation in formulating and giving effect to employment policy programmes and measures.