Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2015, published 105th ILC session (2016)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Poland (Ratification: 1966)

The Committee notes the observations of the Independent and Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarnosc” received on 26 August 2015 and the Government’s response thereon.

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Active employment policy and employment trends. The Government reports on the 2014 amendments to the Act on employment promotion and labour market institutions, which modify the period of entitlement of unemployment benefits and introduce measures aimed at facilitating the return into the labour market of unemployed parents and caregivers of dependent persons. The Government also reports on the measures that have been implemented to improve the efficiency of employment services. The Government indicates that, within the framework of the National Action Plan for Employment 2012–14, measures were adopted to enhance public employment services for persons belonging to marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities, older workers and rural workers. In 2014, a total of 504,800 unemployed persons benefited from active labour employment measures, an increase of 6.1 per cent as compared to 2013. The Committee notes that the unemployment rate dropped from 13.4 per cent in 2012 to 11.5 per cent in 2014. According to EUROSTAT, the 2014 employment rate of the 20–64 age group was 66.5 per cent. The number of persons registered with the public employment service decreased by 14.7 per cent from 2014 to 2015. In its observations, Solidarnosc underlines the increasing number of workers employed through temporary employment agencies. In its response, the Government indicates that the Minister of Labour and Social Policy received reform proposals on temporary work. These proposals were analysed by an expert team composed of representative organizations. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the impact of its national employment policy. Please also indicate how active labour policy measures have contributed to the creation of full and productive employment opportunities. Referring to its 2014 comments on the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181), the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to facilitate workers’ transition from temporary to permanent employment.

Older workers. In its observations, Solidarnosc expresses its concern about the low employment levels of older workers. The Government indicates that within the last few years the number of older unemployed people registered in employment service offices has increased. Persons over the age of 50 represent 26 per cent of the total unemployed population. The Government indicates that to foster integration of older workers into the labour market, it offers financial assistance applied towards the payment of part of the older workers’ salaries. The Government adds that the National Training Fund has allocated resources for training programmes targeting employees over 45 years of age. The Committee requests the Government to provide more specific information on the impact of the measures adopted to increase the employability of older workers and to promote their integration into the labour market.

Youth employment. The Committee notes that, despite overall improvements in the labour market situation of the country, youth unemployment has continued to increase since 2010, when it was estimated at 25 per cent, to reaching the level of nearly 30 per cent in 2013. The problem of increasing youth unemployment has also been referred to by Solidarnosc. The Government indicates that, in the second quarter of 2013, close to 1,485,000 out of 5,224,000 persons within the 15–24 age group were active in the labour market, which accounts for only 28 per cent of all young persons in this age group. The Government reports on active employment measures to tackle youth unemployment, which include incentives to facilitate internships for young unemployed persons as well as support for young entrepreneurs. In its response to the observations of Solidarnosc on the youth unemployment problem, the Government underlines that the 2014 amendments to the Act on employment promotion and labour market institutions introduced measures to streamline employment services offered to persons under the age of 25, as well as exemptions in social security contributions of young workers. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the measures taken to reduce youth unemployment, including an assessment as to how such measures have contributed to the creation of full, productive and freely chosen employment. Please also include available information on the relationship between measures aimed at increased employment for youth and those aimed at retaining older workers in the labour market.

Article 3. Consultation with the social partners. The Government indicates that the Act on employment policy and labour market institutions provides for the participation of the social partners in the Labour Market Council’s activities, which has replaced the National Council of Employment since 2014. It further indicates that the Council does not perform a supervisory role with regard to the labour market, but serves as an opinion-forming and counselling body of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy. The Government further explains that such changes have the aim to increase the role of the social partners in administrating the resources of the Labour Fund and in programming and monitoring labour market policy measures. The Committee requests the Government to provide specific information on the manner in which representative organizations of workers and employers and other stakeholders are consulted concerning employment policies and how their support is ensured in the formulation and implementation of such policies.