Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2014, published 104th ILC session (2015)

Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Netherlands (Ratification: 1950)

Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. The Committee notes the Government’s report received in August 2014 indicating that the public employment service (UWV) predominantly offers online employment services and concentrates its services in 30 regional service points. All 35 labour market regions are supported from these regional service points. Although the level of unemployment among young people in the Netherlands is relatively moderate as compared to other European countries, the Government indicates that its increase demands action. A joint approach has therefore been initiated in 2013 to tackle youth unemployment, in addition to the existing policies and measures to give young people a good start on the labour market. With regard to older unemployed persons, in 2012 the Government, in consultation with the social partners, decided to provide an extra budget of €67 million for measures to combat the unemployment of older persons. The Committee invites the Government to provide updated information on the activities carried out by the employment service with respect to young people and older unemployed persons and the manner in which it ensures “the best possible organisation of the employment market as an integral part of the national programme for the achievement and maintenance of full employment and the development and use of productive resources” (Article 1(2) of the Convention). It also invites the Government to continue to provide information on the number of public employment offices established, the number of applications for employment received, the number of vacancies notified and the number of persons placed in employment by the offices (Part IV of the report form).

Articles 4 and 5 of the Convention. Participation of the social partners. The Government indicates that the change in legislation in 2012 led, as a consequence of the budget cut for the UWV, to the abolition of the Centres for Work and Income (CWI). The advisory and consulting function was no longer supported financially because other advisory councils, such as the Social and Economic Council in which employers and workers participate, can be consulted on employment matters. The Committee invites the Government to provide details on the manner in which the employers’ and workers’ organizations are consulted, including through the Social and Economic Council, in the organization and operation of the employment service and in the development of employment service policy.

Article 11. Cooperation between the public employment service and private employment agencies. The Committee refers to its 2014 direct request on the application of the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181), and invites the Government to continue to provide information on the arrangements made to secure effective cooperation between the public employment service and private employment agencies.