Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1994, published 81st ILC session (1994)

Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156) - Netherlands (Ratification: 1988)

The Committee has noted with interest the information contained in the report of the Government and attached documents, supplied in reply to its previous comments.

Article 1 of the Convention. The Committee has noted the provisions of the Parental Leave Act of 1990 concerning children born out of marriage, adopted children and acknowleged children. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information on any further measures to assist workers with responsibilities in relation to members of their immediate family in need of care or support, other than children.

Article 2. The Committee notes the explanation provided by the Government for excluding certain part-time personnel in the civil service from the right to part-time parental leave. It requests the Government to indicate whether this right has now been extended to the hospital personnel previously excluded and to provide, in its future reports, information on any developments or studies concerning the use of this right.

Article 4. The Committee notes with interest the clarification provided on the eligibility of sole parents to reductions in their level of taxation through "sole income premiums". The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information in its future reports on any additional measures taken with a view to meeting the needs of those workers covered by the Convention, in respect of their terms and conditions of employment and in social security.

Article 5. Having noted with interest the increased availability of child care in the public sector (resulting from the 1991 Sectoral Consultations for State Employees), the Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue to furnish updated information on progress towards the goal of having 1,500 places by 1995. In addition, the Committee requests the Government to continue to furnish information concerning the implementation of the "Measure for Promoting Day Care For Children".

Article 6. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide information concerning any measures taken in future to educate or inform the community about the objectives of the Convention, including any initiatives taken in this regard by the Netherlands Family Council.

Article 7. The Committee has noted with interest the decision to integrate the training and orientation programmes developed by the Women and Work Exchanges, into the services of the Regional Employment Boards of the national employment service. It has also noted that special short-term vocational training courses for re-entrant women have been developed by nine Women's Vocational Training Centres, which can provide facilities to care for the children of trainees. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information concerning the numbers of women trained and employed as a result of these initiatives.

Article 8. The Committee has noted the assurance of the Government concerning the adequacy of the existing system of protecting civil servants employed on permanent contracts from dismissal on the grounds of family responsibilities. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would clarify the meaning of the term "closed system of dismissals" and would indicate whether measures exist to protect persons employed on other types of contracts from dismissal on this ground.

Article 11. The Committee has noted with interest that, pursuant to the 1989 Community Policy Framework, drawn up between the Cabinet and the social partners, efforts have been taken to improve the position of women in employment, including a study by the Collective Employment Conditions Service of collective agreements that include measures pertinent to the application of the Convention. The Committee requests the Government to indicate any further action taken with the employers' and workers' organizations to foster the application of the Convention through the bargaining process.