Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1991, published 78th ILC session (1991)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Barbados (Ratification: 1976)

1. The Committee takes note of the information supplied by the Government in reply to its previous direct request and notes with interest the statistical information on the situation and trends in the employment market, according to which the employment level rose between 1987 and 1989 (from 119,400 persons to over 121,000 in 1988-89), while the unemployment rate dropped during the same period (from 17.9 per cent in 1987 to 15.7 per cent of the active population in 1989).

2. The Committee also notes with interest the information contained in the Government's report concerning the employment policy objectives set out in the 1983-88 Development Plan and the fiscal and monetary strategy adopted for the period 1986-89. It notes, in particular, that fiscal and monetary policy are used not only for the restructuring and resuscitation of the economy but also for employment generation and that, for example, a refund of up to 2.5 per cent is granted on the surcharge on corporate profits if additional employment is provided. It hopes that the Government will continue to provide detailed information on the employment objectives defined in development plans and on the measures taken to achieve them, including measures designed to meet the needs of specific categories of workers, particularly young people and women. Furthermore, it would be grateful if the Government would indicate in its next report the extent to which these objectives have been or are in the process of being attained. Please provide a copy of the 1988-93 Development Plan, or copies of relevant extracts (Article 1 of the Convention).

3. The Committee notes the information contained in the Government's report on the recommendations in the Task Force Report on unemployment, and their partial implementation. In this connection, the Committee asks the Government to provide all relevant information on the action taken on these recommendations in the current Development Plan and their effect on employment, particularly as regards the promotion of self-employment among young people and women (Article 1).

4. With reference to its previous direct request, the Committee asks the Government to indicate in its next report how the statistical information on the employment market has been used as a basis for deciding on measures of employment policy, to determine and review regularly the measures to be adopted. Furthermore, it would be grateful if the Government would indicate to what extent the new LMI labour market informaton system has improved the collection and analysis of the above-mentioned statistical data (Article 2).

5. Also with reference to its previous direct request, the Committee hopes that the Government's next report will provide information on the manner in which representatives of the persons affected by the measures to be taken are consulted concerning employment policies, and will indicate whether formal consultation procedures have been established or are envisaged for this purpose (Article 3).

6. Part V of the report form. the Committee takes note of the measures taken with regard to handicrafts as part of the ILO/UNDP Income-Generating Project, which have mainly benefited women. It would be grateful if the Government would indicate in its next report to what extent and in what context the above actions are being pursued.