Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2012, published 102nd ILC session (2013)

Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Spain (Ratification: 1960)

Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. Skills and training of employment service staff. In the observation made in 2010, the Committee requested the Government to provide more precise information on the manner in which it is ensured that the staff of the employment service in the Autonomous Communities of Andalucia and Galicia have the requisite skills and have received adequate training to perform the duties envisaged by the Convention. In the detailed report received in October 2012, the Government describes the legislative measures adopted to reform the labour market and promote new forms of employment intermediation. The Government indicates that to strengthen the services provided for persons seeking employment and enterprises offering employment, as a result of the measures adopted in April 2008, 1,500 employment promoters were taken on up to December 2012. The Committee notes the information provided in the report on the recruitment of new staff by the Public Employment Service of Galicia (SPEG) for employment offices. Detailed information was included in the report on the methodology adopted to develop training for the new staff. The SPEG undertook and is continuing to carry out a series of measures for the technical improvement of its services and to raise the awareness of its staff in dealing with jobseekers. The Andalucian Employment Service also provided information on the conclusion of 413 temporary employment contracts for the recruitment of staff to reinforce the network of offices in the Autonomous Community of Andalucia. The Committee notes the information provided on the total staff of the Employment Service of Andalucia and changes in that respect between 2007 and 2011. The Government emphasizes that the number of staff was increased in the provinces in which the rise in unemployment was proportionally greater. In the observations of the Trade Union Confederation of Workers’ Commissions (CC.OO.), transmitted to the Government in September 2012, the view was expressed that the human resources allocated to public employment services are clearly inadequate. The budgetary cuts for public employment services were equivalent to a reduction of €3,200 million in 2012. The ratio of the unemployed to the staff of public employment services in Spain is very high. The CC.OO. indicates that the programmes of the public employment services are measured more by the number of users than their results and effectiveness in placing jobseekers. In its comments, the General Union of Workers (UGT) expresses identical concerns at the budget cuts for public employment services and the lack of human resources. The Committee recalls that Article 6 of the Convention provides that the employment service shall be so organized as to ensure effective recruitment and placement of workers. In its 2010 General Survey on employment instruments, the Committee indicated that consultation with the social partners is to be prioritized in the formulation and implementation of labour market policies. The essential duty of public employment services is to take action to achieve and maintain full employment. Considering the observations made by the CC.OO. and the UGT, the Committee invites the Government to ensure that the cooperation of the social partners is secured in the organization and operation of the employment service (Articles 4 and 5). The Committee refers to the comments made on the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), and once again requests the Government, in view of the current circumstances of the employment market in Spain, to provide updated information in the report due in 2014 on the measures adopted to ensure the functioning of employment offices sufficient in number to meet the needs of employers and workers throughout the country (Article 3). Please also provide the available published statistical information on the number of public employment offices established, the number of applications for employment received, the number of vacancies notified and the number of persons placed in employment by such offices. The Committee hopes that this information will allow for the assessment of public employment offices’ effectiveness (Part IV of the report form).