Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2017, published 107th ILC session (2018)

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

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Active employment policy. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to provide specific information on the impact of the measures taken to promote employment, including in relation to particular categories of workers, such as minorities, women, young persons, older workers and persons with disabilities. In this respect, the Government indicates that its hybrid banking microfinance plan launched in 2003 to integrate disadvantaged persons into the labour market and improve livelihoods, targets women, youth and people from rural and underdeveloped areas. To date, it has benefited 30,000 persons, with 90 per cent of the beneficiaries in the rural areas being women. The Committee further notes that, since the adoption of the 2010 Act on Organization and Support of Home Work, a database to facilitate and expedite the applicants’ registration process was launched. The Government indicates that 2,241,141 applicants have been registered, of whom 76 per cent are women. With respect to persons with disabilities, the Government reports that it subsidizes 23 per cent of the employer’s insurance contribution and provides subsidies intended to encourage the hiring of people with disabilities as well as self-employment. The Government has established a 3 per cent quota for the recruitment of persons with disabilities in the public sector, resulting in the hiring of 60 additional workers with disabilities in the public sector in 2015, as well as the recruitment of 649 workers with disabilities in non-governmental centres supervised by the state welfare organization in the same year. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government regarding 14 pilot projects targeting disadvantaged groups, including the establishment of self-help groups (for microcredit services) and cooperatives composed of female heads of households, the provision of social insurance coverage for people with disabilities and career preparation for recovered addicts, among others. The Government indicates that to promote an entrepreneurial culture and support the development of entrepreneurial skills, it has established 156 entrepreneurship counselling, information and service centres throughout the country, contributed to the creation of entrepreneurship societies within 31 provinces, and has held 388 entrepreneurship training events at national level for 43,466 university graduates in 2015. The Committee requests the Government to provide updated information in its next report on the impact of the measures taken to promote employment. The Committee also requests the Government to provide updated statistical data on the labour market situation, levels and trends of employment, unemployment and underemployment, disaggregated by age and sex.

Women’s employment. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that, according to the observations of the International Trade Union Confederation, the draft Comprehensive Population and Family Excellence Plan would require both public and private entities to give priority in recruitment to hiring married men with children, men without children, married women with children and unmarried women, in descending order of priority. The Government explains that the objective of the draft Plan is to increase the population of the country, but that an amended version is currently being studied by a parliamentary committee. In this respect, the Committee notes that although the legislative process is not yet completed, section 10 of the revised draft still calls for priority to be given to hiring married men with or without children over hiring women and single men. Referring to its 2014 comments on the application of the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), the Committee urges the Government to review any provisions in the draft amended text of the Comprehensive Population and Family Excellence Plan that could negate or impair access to full, productive and freely chosen employment, for both women and men. In this respect, the Committee recalls that the term discrimination includes any distinction, exclusion or preference made on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin, which has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity or treatment in employment or occupation.

Youth employment. The Government indicates that the labour market has undergone changes due to new economic and social circumstances and modern technology requiring a skills and job matching system and training so that young persons and university graduates have the necessary skills to enter the labour market. The Government explains that, given higher unemployment rates among new graduates, it has launched apprenticeship programmes for university students, along with entrepreneurship programmes and vocational training programmes. In this context, the Committee notes the information provided by the Government concerning the “Kar and Danesh” (work and knowledge) vocational training programme, which seeks to give young people work skills that meet labour market needs. The Government explains that, in accordance with section 10 of the Fifth Development Plan, more than 150 work and knowledge areas of training were identified. The Government is supporting production-oriented training programmes to enable the trainee to produce and market his/her products in these areas, which focus largely on the agriculture, arts and industry sectors. Training is provided through 560 technical training schools throughout the country. The Committee further notes that trainees receive remuneration based on their production and on completion of training are exempted from passing exams in order to obtain a business licence. The Committee requests the Government to provide more specific information, including statistical data disaggregated by age and sex, on the impact of the measures taken by the Government to promote employment for young persons, including new graduates, and assist them in obtaining sustainable, lasting employment.

Afghani nationals and persons belonging to other minority groups. The Government indicates that 1.5 million refugees from Afghanistan live in the Islamic Republic of Iran with legal residence permits, and that all authorized refugees are placed in decent jobs based on their qualifications. The Government adds that Afghan Guardianship offices have been established in 14 provinces, offering accommodation, employment, and education services to Afghan nationals with residence permits. Moreover, in 2016, the Government approved the enrolment of 400,000 Afghan students, of whom 50,000 were unauthorized Afghani nationals. The Government points out, however, that international contributions to meet the needs of refugees are very limited. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the measures taken to promote the integration of Afghani nationals and other minorities into the labour market. It also requests the Government to provide information on the measures adopted or envisaged to ensure access to full, productive and freely chosen employment for Afghani nationals legally residing in the country, as well as for persons belonging to other minorities, the fullest possible opportunity to acquire and use the necessary qualifications, in accordance with Article 1(2)(c) of the Convention.

Article 3. Cooperation with the social partners. The Government reports that workers’ and employers’ representatives continue to participate as members of the Supreme Council of Employment. The Government adds that they are also encouraged to express their views on employment policies through technical committees and through the Council Secretariat within the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare. As an example of tripartite cooperation on employment and labour market matters, the Government refers to the tripartite consultations held in May 2016 in Tehran during the Conference on the transition from the informal to the formal economy in which challenges and guidelines were discussed by the tripartite constituents. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the consultations held with the social partners on the matters covered by the Convention, as well as on consultations held with representatives of the persons affected by measures to be taken, as required by the Convention.

ILO technical assistance. The Committee notes the Government’s request for technical assistance relating to the functioning of the national employment office. The Committee recalls that the Government may avail itself of the technical assistance of the ILO in this regard.