Moldova aligns itself to Global Jobs Pact

The national employment action plan for 2011 needs to be adjusted to the Global Jobs Pact, said participants in the public presentation of this global policy instrument organized by the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and UNDP Moldova. The Pact aims to ensure an acceptable base at the national level for working out policies aimed at promoting economic recovery by creating decent work opportunities, reducing the jobless rate and increasing the incomes of the population that was seriously affected by the financial crisis, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the ILO National Coordinator Ala Lipciu, the Global Jobs Pact was unanimously adopted on June 19, 2009 by the International Labor Conference that involved delegates representing governments, employers and employees from ILO member states and its public presentation is opportune now that the employment action plan for 2011 is being drafted by public institutions and civil society. ”It is important that the Global Jobs Pact constitutes a response to the representatives of the governments, businesses and employees, to the unprecedented increase in the number of persons out of work and illegal work and underemployment, by creating and reestablishing workplaces and maintaining salaries. It can be done by promoting economic stimulation programs, provision of assistance and consultancy to persons who are looking for a job, by cooperation with state and private employment agencies, by training the salary-earners and developing their entrepreneurial abilities,” Lipciu said. The Global Jobs Pact was accepted by a number of donors, international financial institutions and the UN, which decided to include the policies recommended by the Pact in its operational activities. This fact was confirmed by Matilda Dimovska, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Moldova, who reiterated the Program’s readiness to work in partnership with the ILO and assist Moldova in implementing measures aimed at reducing rigidity on the labor force and ensuring a better quality of life. Deputy Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Family Sergiu Sainciuc said the national employment action plan for 2011 was drafted by the Labor Ministry in consultation with social partners and the institutions involved in this process. According to him, it is good that the plan is adjusted to the Pact before its coming into force. Additional financial resources will be allotted in 2011 for providing unemployment benefits to about 10,000 persons. 5 million lei will be allocated for paying 1,700 persons who will perform remunerated public works. Special attention will be paid to programs designed to develop the entrepreneurial abilities of the persons who remained without a job by strengthening the capacities of the exiting programs and launching new programs like the PARE program that will financially support the persons who return to the place of birth after working abroad. More than 3,000 persons will receive specialized training so that they could find a new job. Petru Chiriac, vice president of the National Confederation of Trade Unions of Moldova, believes the social dialogue at local and national levels and within the tripartite government-employers-trade unions should be promoted in order to achieve the objectives laid down in the plan of action. Though tripartite commissions were set up in many districts, there are no associations of employers and the employees are not sufficiently represented in these commissions. The participants in the debates formulated proposals for improving the national employment action plan for 2011 in the light of the new global initiative. Raisa Dogaru, deputy head of the National Employment Agency, said the planned measures should not lead to an increase in the number of persons who receive unemployment benefits. According to her, the persons who can work should be helped to find a job by offering them business consultancy and engaging them in different requalification programs. UNDP project manager Viorel Albu stressed the necessity of society stepping up control over the entrepreneurship empowerment programs, including for young people. He said emphasis should be laid not only on the number of businesses launched, but also on those that expand. It was also underlined the necessity of improving the system of informing the people about the employment opportunities. Igor Ciloci, deputy general labor inspector, said a lot should be done to ensure security at the workplace, but not all the employers realize this. Natalia Popa, a representative of the National Confederation of Employers of Moldova, said the companies were affected by the crisis in different ways. Many of them experienced reductions in sales and, as a result, the salaries and working hours decreased and the pay arrears began to accumulate. According to her, the Government should intervene to alleviate the consequences of the financial crisis by removing the internal institutional and structural barriers that affect the demand and supply in economy. Georgeta Mincu, vice director of the Representative Office of Winrock International in Moldova, which implements a number of entrepreneurship empowerment projects, including for women, said such a public presentation with the participation of all the players involved in the formulation and implementation of employment and employee social protection polices is welcome. “Any social and economic policy document must be discussed this way before adopted by the Government and Parliament. We will know better how and what we have to do and if our measures are in accordance with the good European and world practices,” Mincu said.