Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Trinidad and Tobago (Ratification: 2013)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It hopes that the next report will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous comments initially made in 2017.

Repetition

Articles 1–3 of the Convention. Formulation and implementation of a national employment policy. The Committee notes the Government’s first report on the application of the Convention. The Government indicates that the Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise Development (MLSED) is working towards the development of an employment policy and that social partners and other key stakeholders will be consulted during the process. In this regard, internal discussions have been held and preliminary research has been undertaken. The Committee recalls that the Convention creates a basic obligation on States to make an explicit formal pronouncement of their employment policy and it also requires the national employment policy to be positioned as a major goal within the national agenda. It therefore notes that the requirements of the Convention cannot be completely fulfilled without the adoption and implementation of an employment policy. Furthermore, Article 1(3) of the Convention provides that the national employment policy shall “take due account of the stage and level of economic development and the mutual relationships between employment objectives and other economic and social objectives”. This provision requires the measures of employment policy and other major decisions in the sphere of economic and social policy to be mutually reinforcing (see 2010 General Survey concerning employment instruments, paragraphs 26, 27 and 54). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to develop and adopt an active employment policy designed to promote full, productive and freely chosen employment in consultation with the social partners. The Committee also requests the Government to indicate the manner in which employment policy measures are kept under review within the framework of an overall coordinated economic and social policy.

Collection and use of labour market information. The Government indicates that the Central Statistical Office (CSO), under the Ministry of Planning and Development, is responsible for collecting, analysing and publishing statistical information regarding social and economic activities. Information concerning the size and distribution of the labour force is based on data collected from the Continuous Sample Survey of the Population (CSSP) and is published in quarterly Labour Force Bulletins. The Government further indicates that the MLSED is working towards the modernization of the labour market information system. The Committee notes that, according to the statistics of the CSO, labour force participation dropped from 61.9 per cent in 2012 to 60.8 per cent during the first quarter of the year 2015. It further notes that labour force participation was higher for men than for women during this period. In particular, during the first quarter of 2015, male and female labour force participation stood at 71.4 per cent and 50.3 per cent, respectively. As of June 2015, the overall unemployment rate was 3.2 per cent. In the first quarter of 2015, the unemployment rate of men was 3 per cent, while the unemployment rate of women was more than 4 per cent. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on the measures taken to improve its labour market information system, including the manner in which the data collected is used in designing, implementing and reviewing employment policy measures. It also requests the Government to supply updated labour market information on the situation, level and trends of employment, unemployment and underemployment, disaggregated by age and sex.

Education and training. The Committee notes that, according to available UNESCO statistics, the literacy rate for persons aged 15 years and older was 98.97 per cent in 2015 (99.25 per cent for men and 98.7 per cent for women). The Government indicates that the National Training Agency of Trinidad and Tobago (NTA) is responsible for planning, harmonizing, and evaluating all technical and vocational education and training. The Committee notes the different programmes launched by the Government to provide training for young people in different areas, including: the On-the-Job Training (OJT) Programme, the Helping Youth Prepare for Employment Programme (HYPE), the Youth Apprenticeship Programme in Agriculture, and the Geriatric Adolescent Partnership Programme (GAPP). It also notes the Youth Development and Apprenticeship Centres (YDACs), which provide training programmes for at-risk youth. The Government adds that the National Energy Skills Centre and the Metal Industries Company Institute of Technology provide training in the energy and energy-related industries and in the tool manufacturing sector, respectively. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the education and training policies and on the measures taken or envisaged to coordinate education and training polices with prospective employment opportunities. The Committee further requests the Government to indicate the manner in which the social partners and other stakeholders concerned are consulted with respect to the development of education and vocational training programmes that meet the needs of the labour market.

Particular categories of workers. The Government refers to the implementation of the 2006 National Policy on Persons with Disabilities and to centres providing vocational and technical training to promote the employment of persons with disabilities. It intends to conduct a survey on the employment of persons with disabilities. Regarding the promotion of women’s participation in the labour market, the Government refers to the Women in Harmony Programme and the Non-Traditional Skills Training Programme for Women (NTSTPW). The former aims to assist low-skilled female heads of households to become employable by training them in sectors, such as elderly care and agriculture. The latter seeks to increase access to employment opportunities for low-income women, improve the level of skilled labour within the country and increase women’s participation rates in the construction and industrial sectors. The Government is also implementing the Youth Employment and Partnership Programme (YETPP), which seeks to tackle escalating unemployment among young people. Finally, the Government refers to the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP), whose objective is to alleviate poverty by providing jobs and vocational training to unemployed, low-skilled and underprivileged persons in disadvantaged communities. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on the impact of the active employment measures targeting vulnerable categories of workers, including women, young persons and persons in disadvantaged communities. Moreover, it requests the Government to provide the results on the survey on employment of persons with disabilities. It also requests the Government to provide information on the activities of the vocational and training centres providing training to persons with disabilities, as well as other measures taken or envisaged to promote employment opportunities for this specific group.

Micro- and small enterprises (MSEs). The Committee notes the Government’s indication that it supports small business development through provision of financial, technical and marketing business development assistance. The Government indicates that the Micro- and Small Enterprise (MSE) Policy for Trinidad and Tobago 2013–16 provides the framework for the strategic and effective integration of MSE enterprises into the formal economic structure, thereby allowing them to access resources and services while simultaneously channelling their economic success in the direction of employment creation. The Government also indicates that measures adopted in this area, include the National Integrated Business Incubator System (IBIS) and the FairShare Programme, which provide entrepreneurial development and procurement opportunities for MSEs, respectively. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the measures adopted and implemented to promote the creation of lasting employment through micro- and small enterprises.