Observación (CEACR) - Adopción: 2011, Publicación: 101ª reunión CIT (2012)

Convenio sobre la política del empleo, 1964 (núm. 122) - Panamá (Ratificación : 1970)

The Committee notes the detailed information and full documentation provided by the Government in October 2010 in reply to the comments made in 2009.

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Coordination of employment policy with social and economic policy objectives. The Committee notes the National Strategic Plan for the period 2010–14, approved in December 2009, which contains a programme for economic growth and social development, accompanied by a financial programming and public investment plan. The National Strategic Plan focuses on four high-priority sectors: high added-value logistical services, tourism, high-margin agriculture and non-traditional financial services. Significant investment is envisaged in public infrastructure projects, such as the construction of the Metro in the city of Panama and the launching of private electricity generation projects. Up to May 2010, the economy had grown by 5.5 per cent under the stimulus of an increase in investment in public infrastructure and the dynamism of sectors such as construction, trade and transport, storage and telecommunications. The Committee invites the Government to include detailed information in its next report on the impact that the National Strategic Plan 2010–14 is having on the achievement of the objectives of the Convention.

Labour market trends. According to the data published by the ILO in Panorama Laboral 2010, the participation rate as of October 2010 was 63.5 per cent, the occupation rate was 59.4 per cent and the unemployment rate was 6.5 per cent. The Committee observes that women’s unemployment fell to 8.5 per cent, while men’s unemployment rose slightly to 5.3 per cent. The sectors in which there was net job creation in 2009 include, in particular, construction under the effect of hotel and tourism projects, and various public infrastructure works. These projects helped to mitigate the effects of the financial crisis on employment. The Government envisaged the creation of 500,000 new jobs by 2010 and the creation of 500,000 additional jobs, with a view to achieving full employment by the end of 2020. The Committee invites the Government to continue providing statistical information in its next report on the situation, level and trends of employment, unemployment and underemployment.

Panama Canal extension and employment creation. The Government considers that the Canal Extension Project will generate as many technical and artisanal jobs as professional posts connected with the planning, coordination and implementation of the various phases of the work. It is envisaged that the extension work will lead to the indirect creation of jobs in areas such as logistics, messaging, purchasing and supplies, financial services, customs procedures, security, housing, transport and food. The National Vocational Training and Human Development Skills Institute (INADEH) has launched training programmes in such areas as information and communication technologies, enterprise management, English, gastronomy, hotels and tourism. The Committee notes that, as of March 2010, a total of 6,274 jobs had been created derived from the Canal Extension Project. The Government envisages a greater impact on employment generation in the medium and long term as a result of the economic growth induced by the additional income generated by the extended canal and the economic activities generated by the increase in cargo and vessels transiting the canal. The Committee invites the Government to continue providing information on the results that are being achieved in terms of direct and indirect employment creation through the Canal Extension Project and other infrastructure investments.

International trade and its labour market impact. With regard to the impact of the free trade treaties in terms of the improvement of the labour market, the Government indicates that the conclusion of free trade treaties has a positive impact on legal regulations and international cooperation in terms of the exchange of information and support for human resources development. The Committee invites the Government to provide more specific information in its next report on the impact of trade policy on the demand for employment.

Employment promotion and vulnerable categories of workers. The Government indicates that 14 per cent of the population is in a situation of extreme poverty and that the authorities have formulated a Strategic Social Plan with a view to reducing poverty and social exclusion and creating opportunities for everyone, with particular emphasis on training and social inclusion. The Plan is focused on the provision of high-quality education and vocational training to improve the skills of workers in priority development sectors. The Committee invites the Government to provide information on the measures adopted to meet the needs of persons who are below the poverty line and to promote the development of income-generating opportunities.

Youth employment. The Government indicates in its report that youth unemployment is an alarming problem which has given rise to much attention in the public sector. The youth unemployment rate was 15.2 per cent in 2009. The Government adds that an analysis is being undertaken of the occupational situation and difficulties encountered by young persons in integrating the labour market. The programme “My First Job”, launched in July 2009, envisages the provision of training to over 20,000 young persons between the ages of 18 and 29 who lack the skills to compete on the labour market, including in the most vulnerable areas of the country. By the end of 2010, some 2,213 young persons who had been unemployed and were without work experience had entered into the labour market. The General Directorate of Employment is implementing the Labour Assistance and Integration Programme (PAIL), which offers grants for periods of up to three months of vocational adaptation in enterprises. As of July 2009, agreements had been concluded with 104 enterprises at the national level to hire 860 persons. The Committee requests the Government to provide data in its next report on the impact of the measures adopted in improving youth employability and in supporting and promoting the entrepreneurship initiatives of young persons.

Coordination of training and employment policies. The Government indicates that 6 per cent of GDP is invested in education. It recognizes that educational results, over and above quantitative progress in access to education and average schooling (94 per cent of the population have completed primary education) are still not satisfactory, particularly with regard to quality and equality of opportunity. In this respect, the Committee notes a considerable increase in the number of students enrolled in the INADEH, which offered 991 courses during the period between January and May 2010. Total enrolment rose to 21,217 students, of whom 6,576 obtained certificates. Furthermore, collaboration with other institutions at the national level resulted in the creation of new careers and university programmes in critical areas for the implementation of the Canal Extension Project. The number of universities and training institutes increased. The Committee notes that the Strategic Social Plan proposes the establishment of coordination machinery between the INADEH and the Ministry of Labour (MITRADEL) and their institutional strengthening with a view to the development of a system for the identification of demand for vocational training and employment services. The Committee requests the Government to include information in its next report on the manner in which INADEH and MITRADEL coordinate so as to ensure that education and training policies are in coherence with employment policy.

Participation of the social partners. The Committee notes that the Government is continuing to examine the possibility of reactivating the Tripartite Decent Work Commission. The Committee recalls the essential role played by social dialogue in employment policy and in the promotion of decent work. The Committee requests the Government to include detailed information in its next report on the progress achieved in the reactivation of the Tripartite Decent Work Commission and reiterates its interest in examining concrete information on the manner in which the social partners participate in the process of designing, formulating, implementing and reviewing employment policies, as required by Article 3 of the Convention.