YEREVAN (ILO News) - ILO and its tripartite partners – government, employers’ and workers organizations - signed here today a Decent Work Country Programme for the Republic of Armenia for 2007-2011.
A priority issue in the new Programme is the improvement of employment policies. Despite active GDP growth of 13,4%, the employment problems still persist in the country and the unemployment rate is still high - 8.2%. The ILO will assist the social partners to effectively use labour market analysis in formulating and implementing labour market policies in order to strengthen links between education and the labour market. Technical advice and capacity building will be provided for the improvement of the law and practice concerning recruitment, oversight and protection of migrant workers.
Another central issue is strengthening of social partnership. The Programme foresees further development of legal basis for social partnership and social dialogue, including sectoral and enterprise level collective bargaining, promotion of tripartite and bipartite commissions. Collective bargaining will help to address such issues as wage disparity, wage discrimination, low-pay, and others.
The Decent Work Country Programme also aims to improve social protection in Armenia, especially a national occupational safety and health ( OSH) system. Safety and working conditions in the country have been deteriorating since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the labour inspectorate has ceased to exist. The ILO calculates that accidents and poor working conditions cost the employers and the country up to 4 per cent of the Gross National Product. Thanks to the joint efforts of the Government, the social partners and the ILO, a new labour code and a Law on Labour Inspection were adopted. A significant event was also the creation of a completely new labour inspection system with more than 140 inspectors covering all regions of the country. The Programme will further promote putting the country’s OSH legislation and practices into compliance with the international standards.
Other priorities of the Programme include HIV/AIDS prevention at the workplace and the application of ILO Conventions No. 138 and 182 on the elimination of the worst forms of child labour.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Aghvan Vardanyan, Minister of Labour and Social Issues, expressed regret that this event coincided with the sad days for the country. He underlined the tripartite nature of the new Programme. Its priorities have been identified and agreed upon by the tripartite constituents in consultation with the ILO, the Minister said. Heads of employers’ and workers organizations – Arsen Ghazaryan and Martin Harutyunyan - expressed their satisfaction with the work of the national tripartite working group that had been created to draft the Programme.
Werner Konrad Blenk, ILO Subregional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, expressed condolences of the ILO Director General and his personal
condolences on the death of the Prime Minister of Armenia. Speaking about the DWCP Werner Blenk said: “Decent Work Country Programmes are the main instrument
for ILO cooperation with member States throughout the world. They organize the ILO cooperation in a coherent and integrated framework that effectively enables the
country to make progress towards achieving decent work for all”. He underlined the excellent role of
the Minister, Deputy Minister and Social Partners in developing this Decent work Country Programme that will serve as a roadmap for the future activities.
He also stressed the DWCP contribution to international development framework, such as poverty reduction strategies, the United Nations Development Assistance Framework
(UNDAF), national Millennium Development Goals strategies and other integrated development plans.
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