Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1998, published 87th ILC session (1999)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Czechia (Ratification: 1993)

1. The Committee notes the information provided on the educational and occupational position of men and women on the labour market. In this respect, the Committee notes that the number of female job applicants with basic education ranges between approximately 50 and 60 per cent of the total number of applicants in this category. Female job applicants with secondary education, constitute approximately 55 to 80 per cent of the total number of applicants having a secondary education. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on whether any studies are being carried out into the causes of these differences, as well as on measures undertaken or envisaged to expand employment opportunities. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee again asks the Government to provide, with its next report, information on whether any studies are being carried out to sensitize girls, young women and the public at large about the range of training courses and employment opportunities available to them beyond "typically female" work.

2. Further to its observation, the Committee notes the Government's indication that the share of Romanies in long-term unemployment is three times higher than that of other groups (44 per cent as opposed to 14 per cent). It notes from a report attached to the Government's report that the disadvantages faced by Romanies in the labour market are manifold, and include low skill levels; negative work attitudes and lack of discipline; lack of adequate vacancies and openings to match their skill levels; participation in illegal activities, low levels of social adaptability (due to a specific culture which takes a negative approach towards traditional European values); and greater than average health problems (frequently caused by an unhealthy lifestyle and poor hygiene). It also notes the Government's statement that certain factors tend to perpetrate the Romanies' disadvantaged position in the labour market. For example, the level of social benefits (the level of wages which could be obtained in unskilled jobs is barely higher than the social benefits to which multi-member Romany families are entitled in the event of unemployment); participation in unlawful activities; inadequate education of young Romanies (the system does not allow for traditional Romany values which, together with the general attitudes of Romanies towards education, leads to their segregation rather than integration); concentration of Romanies into separate communities, districts and "ghettos"; their concentration into regions where an intensive structural adaptation is in progress, during the course of which unskilled workers tend to lose their jobs; the role played by Romany entrepreneurs who mostly refuse to employ their compatriots; and inadequate role and activities of Romany initiatives. The Government perceives the need to find solutions to this problem, but must respect public opinion under which the majority of the population tends to regard government policies toward Romanies as providing preferential treatment and typically oppose such policies.

3. The Committee notes that the Government has implemented certain measures in an effort to ameliorate the employment situation of Romanies, such as the "MOST" programme aimed at bridging the transition from school to work and from unemployment to training, where Romany participants represent nearly 40 per cent of the participants, the Romstart 95 programme which aims to improve the motivation of jobseekers through training in employable skills, and the participation of 18 Romanies in a training course entitled "Social workers for the communication with the Romany population", which aims to train participants to take up positions as communication officers in communal social departments. In addition, Romanies benefit from more general measures implemented by the Government to assist what the Government calls socially less adaptable groups of jobseekers, including the appointment of specific officials in employment services that assist such jobseekers, as well as a number of activities, such as training, providing jobs on a trial basis and enhancing the skills of the long-term unemployed, financed by The Promotion of Active Labour Market Initiative Fund, aimed at promoting the willingness of employers to hire persons that have specific problems in finding employment and increasing the motivation of this group of persons to actively seek employment. The Government indicates that, so far, the results of these initiatives have been mixed. Nevertheless, it intends, based on the lessons learned from these activities, to continue its efforts to ensure the realization of its long-term goal of integration of the Romanies into society and to improve communication between the two communities. Further to the information requested in its observation, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on measures taken or envisaged to ensure the realization of this goal as well as to provide statistics on the demographic, employment and educational position of the Romanies in the Czech Republic.

4. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the effects the application of the Citizenship Act of 1992 has had on minority groups in the country and to what extent those effects have impacted negatively on the access or retention of employment of members of minority groups.