Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Latvia (Ratification: 1992)

Measures to address discrimination in employment and occupation. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that in 2012, information and awareness-raising campaigns on discrimination were carried out by the Office of the Ombudsperson. In its report, the Government refers to a study on “Discrimination at the workplace” carried out in 2011 by the Ombudsperson to determine the extent of discrimination in Latvia and improve awareness of workers in this respect. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken by the Office of the Ombudsperson or any other competent authority to prevent and address discrimination in employment and occupation. Please also communicate a copy of the study on “Discrimination at the workplace” or a summary of its main findings and recommendations as well as information on any follow-up measures taken.

Equality of opportunity and treatment of women and men. The Committee welcomes the adoption of the Gender Equality Action Plan 2012–14 which focuses on minimizing the gender-specific roles and stereotypes to address occupational gender segregation and promoting access to childcare services. In this respect, the Government indicates that the number of places for children from one-and-a-half to four years in pre-school educational institutions, in particular in the largest cities of the country, is insufficient. The Committee also notes from the Government’s report that the proportion of women benefiting from active labour market policy measures, including in vocational training, exceeds 50 per cent in almost all measures offered by the State Employment Agency (SEA). The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the measures taken within the framework of the Gender Equality Action Plan to address occupational gender segregation and develop childcare services and the results achieved. The Committee once again asks the Government to provide information on the activities of the Gender Equality Council in the field of employment and occupation.

Equality of opportunity and treatment irrespective of race, colour, national extraction or social origin. The Committee welcomes the detailed information provided by the Government regarding numerous recent projects implemented with minority non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to promote mutual tolerance and prevent discrimination based on ethnic origin, language, culture or religion. It further notes that since 2012, the Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with other authorities, has been implementing the National Identity, Civic Society and Integration Policy Guidelines 2012–18. With respect to the situation of the Roma, the Committee notes the creation of the Advisory Council for the Implementation of Roma Integration and the Government’s indication that special attention will be paid to improve the level of education of Roma children and their parents, since their low level of education constitutes a major obstacle to their access to employment. The Committee also notes that the Office of the Ombudsperson that has been cooperating with Roma NGOs to address discrimination against the Roma indicates, in its annual report of 2012, that the necessary measures to prevent Roma exclusion have not been taken. The Ombudsperson also provided recommendations such as the need to develop a specific action plan to improve the situation of the Roma and to involve representatives of the Roma community in all projects concerned. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the assessment of and the results achieved by the initiatives taken to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in education, training, employment and occupation for minority groups, including the Roma. The Government is asked to provide information on the implementation of the National Identity, Civic Society and Integration Policy Guidelines and the project “Different People. Diverse Experience. One Latvia” mentioned by the Government, and the activities carried out by the Advisory Council for the Implementation of Roma Integration in the field of education for both adults and children, employment and occupation. Please also provide information on any measures taken to follow up the recommendations made by the Office of the Ombudsperson to address discrimination against the Roma.

Enforcement. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the Office of the Ombudsperson has examined 36 cases related to discrimination in employment. The Committee welcomes the Government’s indication that the labour inspectors participated in 2012 in a training which dealt with detecting and proving discrimination and that an additional similar training was planned for 2013. The Committee also notes from the Government’s report that 67 violations related to the prohibition of discrimination and the principle of equal treatment were detected by the labour inspectors (in comparison with 35 in 2011 and six in 2012). The Committee also welcomes the amendment of section 95 of the Labour Law on 4 March 2010 extending from one to three months the period during which a worker can bring a claim of discrimination before a court. The Committee asks the Government to continue and strengthen its efforts to develop the capacity of labour inspectors to detect and address discrimination cases, and to provide information on the steps taken in this respect. It asks the Government to continue to provide information on the enforcement of anti-discrimination provisions in employment and occupation by the Labour Inspectorate and the Office of the Ombudsperson, including information on the number, nature and outcome of discrimination complaints. It also asks the Government to provide information on the impact of the amendment to section 95 of the Labour Law on the number of judicial claims of discrimination dealt with by the courts.

[The Government is asked to reply in details to the present comments in 2014.]