Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention, 1983 (No. 159) - Russian Federation (Ratification: 1988)

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

Articles 1–5 of the Convention. Implementation of a national policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities. Consultation with the social partners. The Government indicates in its report that from 2006 to 2014 the number of workers with disabilities, including those beyond retirement age, increased from 1,752,000 to 2,400,000. It adds that 800,000 persons with disabilities who are of working age are in employment. In 2013, the Government introduced a new scheme to create jobs specially adapted for persons with disabilities which resulted in the creation of 14,700 positions distributed in the following sectors: services (58.6 per cent), production (37.8 per cent) and household work (3.6 per cent). The Committee notes the 2013 amendments made to the Act on Social Protection of the Disabled in the Russian Federation aiming at increasing the employment opportunities for persons with disabilities on the basis of a quota system. According to the quota system, employers of more than 35 workers shall employ persons with disabilities to account for at least 3 per cent of their workforce. As a result of the quota system, 4,271 persons with disabilities found employment through the employment service in 2013. Moreover, the Government indicates that the adoption of the Presidential Decree No. 597 of 7 May 2012 aims to facilitate the creation of up to 14,200 specially tailored jobs for persons with disabilities each year between 2013 and 2015. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the results of the implementation of its national policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities. Please also include information on the consultations held with the social partners and organizations of, and for, persons with disabilities on the implementation of the said policy.

Article 7. Employment services for persons with disabilities. The Government indicates that, in 2013, 190,600 persons with disabilities made use of employment services, which represents 4.5 per cent of all users. It also indicates that a survey was conducted in 2014 by the employment service to determine the assistance needs of unemployed persons with disabilities who are of working age. The survey showed that 23.2 per cent of 132,600 respondents expressed a desire to receive vocational training and 63.8 per cent expressed a need for recruitment assistance. The Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures taken by the employment service to address the needs of unemployed persons with disabilities. Please also continue to provide information on the impact of the employment services provided to persons with disabilities to enable them to secure, retain and advance in employment.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2010, published 100th ILC session (2011)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. National policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities. The Committee notes the Government’s detailed report received in September 2009. The Government states that, by Decision No. 379h of 4 August 2008, procedures for the formulation of customized rehabilitation programmes for persons with disabilities have been modified and that specialists in the public employment service and employers may now be invited to participate in the design of these programmes. The Federal Social Support Programme for Persons with Disabilities was launched for the 2006–10 period. It provides, inter alia, for the establishment of a network of institutions dealing with the rehabilitation, assessment and integration into society of persons with disabilities, as well as with support to enterprises and associations of persons with disabilities throughout the country with a view to creating additional employment for persons with disabilities. This programme should enable more than 4,200 persons with disabilities to find employment. The Committee requests the Government to supply information in its next report on the impact of the Federal Support Programme for Persons with Disabilities for 2006–10 with regard to the rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities.

Article 3. Employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. The Government refers to Instruction No. 1193-p of 15 August 2008 establishing a plan of action for the 2008–10 period, which comprises special programmes for under‑qualified and unemployed persons, especially persons with disabilities, such as vocational training, temporary placements and financial support for promoting mobility in other localities, particularly in rural areas. The Government indicates that employment prospects for persons with disabilities are gradually expanding and 19,200 persons with disabilities were placed thanks to the quota system established in 2004 and, in 2008, a total of 256,000 persons with disabilities sought work through the public employment service, and 87,000 of them were placed in employment. The Committee requests the Government to continue to supply information on the impact of the measures taken to promote employment for persons with disabilities. It requests the Government to supply information on the practical application of the Convention, including statistics (disaggregated as much as possible by age, sex and the nature of the disability), extracts from reports, studies and inquiries concerning the matters covered by the Convention, particularly with respect to particular areas or branches of activity or particular categories of workers with disabilities (Part V of the report form).

Article 5. Consultations with social partners. The Government indicates that the 2008–10 General Agreement concluded between the trade unions, employers’ organizations and the Government contains a special component for workers with disabilities. Under Presidential Decree No. 1792 of 17 December 2008, a Council responsible for the situation of persons with disabilities has been set up in connection with the presidency of the Russian Federation. Having an advisory role, it takes care of consultation and cooperation between the executive, local communities, public interest associations, scientific organizations and others dealing with disability and persons with disabilities. The Council is composed of representatives of the presidential administration, the Government and the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the leaders of major Russian public interest associations composed of persons with disabilities, representatives of major Russian organizations of employers and directors of regional public bodies and local administrations. The Committee requests the Government to supply information on the activities of the Council responsible for the situation of persons with disabilities with regard to the matters covered by the Convention.

Article 8. Services for persons with disabilities in rural areas. The Government indicates that the creation and operation of vocational rehabilitation and employment services for persons with disabilities in rural areas and remote communities form part of the development of the public service for the promotion of public employment, and that priority is given to the development of social infrastructure in rural areas and in the territories of the far North. The Committee requests the Government to indicate the progress made in the implementation of vocational rehabilitation and employment measures and services for persons with disabilities in rural areas and remote communities.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2005, published 95th ILC session (2006)

1. National policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities. The Committee notes the detailed information and the statistical data provided by the Government in its report for the period ending in September 2005. It notes that the direct federal budget expenditure to tackle the problems faced by people with disabilities has risen, amounting to 31.6 billion roubles in 2004. The average amount of federal budgetary funds spent on one person with disabilities thus rose from 1,741 roubles in 2001 to 2,772 roubles in 2004. The Government however indicates that, despite the measures that have been taken, the overall number of persons with disabilities grew from 6.3 million in 1995 to 11.4 million in 2004, of which 613,000 are children. According to the Government, this rise is largely due to a high level of illness in the population, a large number of road accidents, injuries and incidents of poisoning and the Russian Federation’s difficult socio-economic situation. As a consequence of the difficult social and economic conditions, the proportion of people with disabilities who were in employment continued to fall throughout the 1990s and now amounts to 14.8 per cent of all persons with disabilities of working age.

2. The Government indicates that the new version of the federal Act on social protection of the disabled provides that quotas for the employment of people with disabilities shall be established in workplaces with more than 100 workers (the limit in the previous Act was 30 workers). Thus, as of 1 January 2005, regional legislation establishes a quota for the employment of workers with disabilities as a percentage of the total number of workers (no less than 2 per cent and no more than 4 per cent). The Committee further notes that, in 2004, 9,700 persons with disabilities enrolled in vocational training (as compared to 6,500 in 2003) and nearly 148,000 persons with disabilities benefited from vocational guidance services. The Committee asks the Government to continue to provide information on the impact of the measures that have been adopted, the progress achieved and the difficulties encountered to promote the vocational rehabilitation and employment of people with disabilities (Article 3 of the Convention). It also asks the Government to indicate the manner in which representative employers’ and workers’ organizations of and for persons with disabilities are consulted on the matters covered by the Convention (Article 5).

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2004, published 93rd ILC session (2005)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its 2000 direct request, which asked for further information on the measures taken or contemplated to address the issues of adequate funding of the rehabilitation and employment system for workers with disabilities in the Russian Federation.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2000, published 89th ILC session (2001)

The Committee notes the information contained in the Government’s highly detailed report, particularly the information supplied in reply to previous comments. It notes in particular the growing number of registered disabled and the strain this is placing on limited services. In light of the newly adopted Federal Law on Social Protection of Disabled Persons, the Committee would appreciate receiving further information on the measures taken or contemplated to address the issues of adequate funding of the rehabilitation and employment system in the Russian Federation.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1995, published 82nd ILC session (1995)

The Committee takes note of the information provided by the Government in reply to its earlier comments. It notes, in particular, the elaboration of the Draft Fundamental Principles of the Legislation of the Russian Federation concerning Social Protection of Disabled Persons in the Russian Federation dealing with questions of vocational rehabilitation and employment of disabled persons. It would be grateful if the Government would supply, with its next report, a text of the above-mentioned fundamental Principles, as soon as it is adopted. It also asks the Government to provide additional information on the following points:

Article 5 of the Convention. The Committee notes that section 21 of the Law on Employment of Population in the Russian Federation of 1991 provides for the trade unions' participation in the implementation of the State employment policy, as well as for consultations between public bodies, employers and trade unions on employment problems. It would be grateful if the Government would describe the manner in which representative employers' and workers' organizations are consulted on the implementation of the national policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of disabled persons, as required by this Article.

Article 8. Please describe measures to promote the establishment and development of vocational rehabilitation and employment services for disabled persons in rural areas and remote communities, taken since the adoption in 1989 of the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR on the Social Development of the Village, to which the Government referred in its first report.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1993, published 80th ILC session (1993)

The Committee takes note of the Government's report on the application of the Convention received in November 1992. It notes, in particular, the provisions of the Employment of Population in the Russian Federation Act concerning supplementary guarantees of employment for certain categories of the population, including disabled persons.

With reference to its previous comments, the Committee reiterates its hope that the Government will communicate, in its next report, copies of all relevant laws, regulations, agreements, etc. mentioned in its first report, as requested by point I of the report form, so that the Committee may examine them at its next session. Please indicate whether the Act of 11 December 1990 on fundamental principles of social protection of disabled persons in the USSR is still in force in the Russian Federation.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1992, published 79th ILC session (1992)

The Committee has taken note of the first report on the application of the Convention supplied by the Government of the USSR. It hopes that the Government will communicate, in accordance with point I of the report form, copies of all the relevant laws, regulations, agreements, etc. mentioned in the report, so that the Committee may examine them at its next session.