Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Georgia (Ratification: 2002)

Articles 1 and 6 of the Convention. Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. The Committee notes the Government’s report received in September 2013 which includes detailed information in reply to its 2010 direct request. The Government indicates that, within the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, the Labour and Employment Policy Department (LELP) was reformed in January 2013 to include an Employment Assistance Division, which is responsible for, amongst others, developing professional orientation, professional consulting and employment assistance, and registering jobseekers. The LELP’s Social Service Agency intends to create free-of-charge Employment Support Centres throughout the country in the near future. The Centres are expected to be responsible for providing information and conducting individual interviews with jobseekers to evaluate their capacities and employment opportunities, registering jobseekers in relevant databases, collecting and systematizing available vacancies and organizing meetings between employers and jobseekers. The State will also encourage communication between private agencies and the Employment Support Centres. The Government indicates in its report that the LELP does not yet have statistical information available. The Committee invites the Government to provide in its next report information on the operation of the Employment Support Centres and their activities in carrying out effective recruitment and placement. Please also provide 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 (Part IV of the report form).

Articles 4 and 5. Consultation with the social partners. The Government reports that ILO technical assistance was received to improve the institutionalization of social dialogue in Georgia. It adds that in May 2010 the secretariat of the Tripartite Social Partnership Commission was established to support the effective and productive cooperation between social partners. Moreover, the Government indicates that the existence of the Tripartite Social Partnership Commission can overcome the lack of regional and local advisory committees (Article 4(2)). The Committee invites the Government to provide specific information on the involvement of the Tripartite Social Partnership Commission in relation to the organization and operation of the employment service and in the development of an employment service policy.

Article 8. Special arrangements for young persons. The Government indicates that negotiations between Georgia and France with regard to a bilateral agreement on circular labour migration have been completed and that it should be signed in the near future. The aim of the agreement is to enable young people wishing to enhance their professional knowledge and skills to work in their profession in France. The Committee notes that the Ministry of Education and Science implemented the Summer Job project to assist students to acquire professional experience and obtain the necessary financial resources to cover the tuition fees of the higher educational institutions. All Ministries were involved in the project, together with educational institutions and 150 business companies. The Government indicates that a new inter-agency coordinating council was created in June 2013 with the support of the United Nations Children’s and Population’s Fund. The council is charged with developing and coordinating activities in the field of youth and is composed of governmental and non governmental agencies, international organizations and independent experts. The Committee invites the Government to include in its next report information on the results of the Summer Job project and other measures for young persons. Please also include information on the bilateral agreement on circular labour migration with France and provide examples of activities carried out by the inter-agency coordinating council on the matters covered by the Convention.

Article 9. Status of employment service staff. The Government provides a list of employment service staff participation in different training activities, workshops and conferences, organized by the LELP in 2013. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide information on the staff training and to indicate the extent to which the training activities offered to the employment service staff are adequate for the performance of the staff duties.

Article 10. Outreach to employers and jobseekers. The Government indicates that the aim of the Social Partnership Tripartite Commission is to address all the concerns raised by the social partners and find commonly acceptable solutions including employment policy. The Committee invites the Government to provide in its next report specific examples of the collaboration with the employers’ and workers’ organizations to encourage the full use of employment service facilities.

Article 11. Cooperation between public and private employment agencies. The Government indicates that once the Support Employment Centres are completely established and working, there will be effective collaboration between public employment service and private employment agencies. The Committee invites the Government to provide in its next report information on the measures taken to secure effective cooperation between the public employment service and private employment agencies.