Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2016, published 106th ILC session (2017)

Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88) - Ghana (Ratification: 1961)

The Committee notes the observations of the Ghana Employers’ Association (GEA) communicated with the Government’s report.

Articles 1, 2 and 3 of the Convention. Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. The Government indicates in its report that the National Employment Service is responsible to assist unemployed and those in search of alternative employment to find suitable employment and assist employers to find suitable workers from among these jobseekers. The National Employment Service operates through a network of 67 public employment centres, five of which are youth employment centres. The GEA indicates that it has also contributed to improve the services of the public employment centres established throughout the country. The Committee requests the Government to provide more specific information on the activities of the public employment centres and youth employment centres and on the contribution of these centres to the implementation of a national employment policy. It also requests the Government to provide information on the number of public employment centres established, the number of applications for employment received, the number of vacancies notified and the number of persons placed in employment by such centres.

Articles 4 and 5. Cooperation with the social partners. The Committee notes with interest that the Government and the GEA both indicate that the National Tripartite Committee has been used by the social partners as a platform to consensually agree on a number of issues regarding employment and other economic and social matters. The GEA adds that it appreciates the existing cooperation among the social partners. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the participation of representatives of employers and workers in the operation of the employment service.

Article 8. Special arrangements for young people. The Government reiterates that youth employment centres have been established to cater to the needs of the youth by providing vocational guidance to persons not above 20 years of age. The Committee requests the Government to provide further information on the impact of the special arrangements for young people initiated and developed within the framework of the employment and vocational guidance services. Please provide in this regard information on the activities of the youth employment centres and on their impact.

Article 11. Cooperation between the public employment service and private employment agencies. The Government indicates that there are 75 private employment agencies operating in Ghana. It adds that they operate hand in hand with the public employment service. The Committee refers to its 2015 direct request on the application of the Fee-Charging Employment Agencies Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 96), with regard to the steps taken, in consultation with the social partners, to ratify the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181). The Committee requests the Government to provide more specific information on the measures taken to ensure effective cooperation between the public employment service and private employment agencies.