Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (Ratification: 1982)

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report for the period ending September 2010. The Committee also notes the comments made by the Federation of Chambers and Associations of Commerce and Production of Venezuela (FEDECAMARAS) and the Independent Trade Union Alliance (ASI), and the Government’s replies to the comments made by FEDECAMARAS and ASI.

Implementation of the employment policy in the framework of a coordinated economic and social policy. Participation by the social partners. The Government provides information on the implementation of the Simón Bolívar National Economic and Social Development Plan (2007–13) to achieve an efficient economy and collective social welfare. Among the various elements of the employment policy, emphasis may be placed on protecting the quality and mobility of employment, an active wages policy and the reactivation of employment in strategic sectors. The objective, through the Plan, is to reactivate the construction industry so as to reinforce its dynamic role, and there is also interest in promoting tourism as an employment-generating industry. Credit policies and incentives are also being applied to promote small and medium-sized enterprises. Support has been provided for non-traditional exports through the establishment of facilities, the identification of potential products and the implementation of incentive policies. The Government has established funds with resources to improve the physical infrastructure of the country, the support services for production and to reduce the deficit in relation to social infrastructure. According to the ASI, employment policies have been strengthened in the services and transport sectors, although in the industrial sector the policies have not met the expectations generated. FEDECAMARAS expresses concern at the absence of bipartite and tripartite consultations and the lack of social dialogue. The Government indicates that consultations were held with all the sectors of the national economy. It reiterates that all the social partners participated in productive round-table meetings, including representatives of all production sectors, social production enterprises, cooperatives and micro-, small, medium-sized and large enterprises. The Committee invites the Government to provide detailed information in its next report on the impact of the measures adopted within the framework of the Economic and Social Development Plan 2007–2013 in terms of the generation of productive, stable and quality employment. The Committee also requests the Government to provide tangible examples of the manner in which the viewpoints of employers’ and workers’ organizations and of other categories affected have been taken adequately into account in the development, implementation and review of employment policies and programmes (Article 3 of the Convention).

Employment situation, level and trends. According to the National Statistical Institute (INE), in January 2010 the activity rate was 65.2 per cent and the unemployment rate was 10 per cent. According to the data provided by the Government, between 2005 and 2009, the total unemployment rate fell by 3.9 percentage points, with that of women falling by 5 percentage points and of youth by 3.8 percentage points. The Committee notes that, according to the INE, in the second half of 2009 the employed population numbered 7,001,120 workers, of whom 2,364,562 were engaged in the public sector and 4,636,558 in the private sector. The Committee invites the Government to provide data in its next report on the size and distribution of the labour force, employment, underemployment and unemployment. The Committee would welcome information on the manner in which labour market data are used as a basis for regularly reviewing the employment policy measures adopted, as an integral part of a coordinated economic and social policy, with a view to achieving the objectives of the Convention (Article 2).

Youth employment. The Committee notes that in 2009 there were 360,815 unemployed young persons. The Government indicates that a series of programmes have been launched to delay the entry of young persons into the labour market through the provision of study grants and education subsidies. The Committee invites the Government to provide information in its next report on the measures adopted to create jobs for young persons, ensure their training and promote entrepreneurship among young persons.

Workers in the informal economy. The Committee notes that, according to the information provided by the Government, three out of every four new jobs created during the period under examination were in the formal economy. The Government indicates that over the past decade public policies have been introduced to promote formalization through alternative financing mechanisms. In its Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2009–10, ECLAC emphasized that there had been a significant reduction in the number of formal jobs, accompanied by the creation of informal employment. Over the last two quarters of 2009, formal employment fell by 0.7 per cent, while informal employment rose by 5.1 per cent in relation to the same period of 2008. The Committee requests the Government to provide information in its next report on the implementation of measures allowing the progressive transfer of workers from the informal to the formal economy.

Development of micro and small enterprises. The Committee notes that the Observatory of Small and Medium-Sized Industry (PYMI) is working on the implementation of a geographical statistical information system for the development of policies and interventions for the promotion, development and strengthening of small and medium-sized industries and social ownership units at the national level. According to FEDECAMARAS, the Government’s economic policies do not facilitate the development of the private sector, which has diminished in size over the past 10 years by 23 per cent, with a consequent negative impact on possible employment generation. FEDECAMARAS emphasizes that INE data show that micro-enterprises (between one and five workers) fell in numbers by 27.6 per cent and that the number of small enterprises fell by more than 97,000 over the past decade. FEDECAMARAS also denounces the progressive replacement of the private sector by the public sector in terms of employment generation. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed indications in its next report on the measures adopted for the creation of a conducive climate for the generation of productive employment. The Committee would also welcome information on the impact of the measures adopted by the National Institute for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Industry (INAPYMI) to promote productivity and employment.