Minister of Employment and Vocational Integration Presents to the Social Sectors Committee at House of Representatives the Strategy of his Department during and after Lockdown
The Social Sectors Committee under the House of Representatives held a meeting on Tuesday, June 9th, 2020. The meeting was chaired by the Committee’s chairperson Saida Aît Bouali, with the participation of Minister of Employment and Vocational Integration Mohamed Amekraz. The meeting was devoted to discussing the situation of employment in Morocco, and the measures that were taken by the Ministry during and after lockdown, and their efficiency and impact on the sector. The meeting also tackled the reasons that stood between many workers and receiving their compensation, in addition to the measures taken to assist the affected ones.
The Minister of Employment and Vocational Integration initiated his presentation by tackling three aspects. The first was the measures taken to accompany workers and enterprises that pursued their work during the state of public health emergency, and the second one was the data related to the support for enterprises and workers. The third aspect was related to the measures that accompany economic relaunch.
In his statement, Mr. Amekraz recalled the difficult situation marking the global economy, especially considering the global reports that describe this phase as difficult and predict that it will last long after lifting the sanitary lockdown.
At the national level, the Minister tackled the various measures that his department implemented to follow up with the economic and social situation of the enterprises that were inspected, especially the ones that pursued, fully or partially, their economic activity during the state of public health emergency. The Minister affirmed that “since the appearance of the first cases, the efforts of the Ministry were focused on ensuring the continuance of activity in enterprises, and on preserving job positions with the observance of the protective requirements.” Also, the Minister highlighted that “the goal of these measures was to encourage employers to grant their workers advanced administrative leaves or special vacations and to promote remote work and rotation to alleviate congestion in workplaces. The measures also aimed at ensuring the respect of all health and safety requirements in workplaces.”
The Minister added that “from March 13th to April 14th, labor inspectors accompanied 7,616 enterprises through advice, guidance, and sensitizing about the protective measures against COVID-19.” The Minister also noted that “these enterprises are grouped according to regional directorates.”
Besides, Mr. Amekraz stated that “the number of enterprises that were inspected between April 15th and June 4th reached 10,546, 85% of which were respecting the precautionary measures against COVID-19.”
According to the Minister, regional committees that combine the sectors of employment, vocational integration, internal affairs, health, industry, trade, green and digital economy were created to oversee the extent to which enterprises, who pursued their work or resumed it, respect the precautionary measures that were taken to face the pandemic. The Minister highlighted that the goal of these visits is to oversee how employers and managers of enterprises observe the precautionary measures and protective requirements to mitigate the outbreak of COVID-19, either regarding the workplace hygiene, awareness-raising, or work conditions.
As for concertation about the measures that were taken by the Government, especially the ones that concern the work conditions and social protection, the Minister stated that the Head of Government held a meeting with the four most representational labor unions to discuss said measures. Also, the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Integration held a consultative meeting with said unions to discuss the measures taken within workplaces to avoid the outbreak of the pandemic and to oversee and sensitize workers and employers. The official noted that his department would soon hold another meeting with the representatives of the unions ahead of meeting with the Occupational Health Council.
In addition, Mr. Amekraz stated that “the field visits performed by the joint committees, joint regional committees, and labor inspectors checked the observance of 104,958 precautionary measures. 89,240 of these measures were respected by the enterprises that were inspected while 15,772 were not.”
On another note, the Ministry launched a new telephony platform “Allo 2233,” which was devoted to communication, advice, guidance, and receiving the complaints of workers and employers regarding health and safety, through putting officials of the Ministry, namely labor inspectors and doctors, at their service. The platform was launched in cooperation with the National Institute for Work-Life Conditions and dealt with more than 3,591 calls between May 8th and June 4th.
After that, the Minister highlighted that 94% of the enterprises that provide accommodation and food services declared a temporary cessation of work, which was the same case for 76% of the workers in the sector. Also, 55% of the enterprises operating in arts, entertainment, and exhibits, 52% of those operating in manufacturing, and 47% of those operating in construction declared a temporary cessation of work. The less affected sectors were agriculture with 5% of its enterprises, finance and insurance services with 5.6%, and media and communication with 18.7%.
As for the measures taken to accompany the relaunch of the economic activity, the Minister noted that “in implementation of the Government pledges regarding the promotion of occupational health and safety, and to keep up with Morocco’s international commitments resulting from its execution of the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention C187, the Government council, held last Thursday, discussed the national policy and program for occupational health and safety, which were drafted by the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Integration in concertation with all concerned Ministries, employers’ associations, and the most represented labor unions.”
In their response to the Minister’s presentation, the deputies representing the parliamentary groups and caucus praised the measures taken following the high Royal directives and the financial assistance provided to the Moroccan families during this period. Also, the deputies called for focusing on citizens who lost their jobs, and on agriculture, which suffered severe consequences since shutting down weekly marketplaces and regional exhibits. They also called for finding a solution to the informal sector and for improving the situations of workers in private sectors to protect the gains of workers, considering the possibility of dismissal, which might be marked by some violations. Besides, the deputies also urged the Ministry to oversee the economic fabric and its observance of the legal procedures during this crisis.
In addition, the deputies called the Ministry to hear the demands of some business owners who operate in service-providing enterprises, especially owners of cafes, restaurants, and caterers, considering the severe impacts they have undergone, and that the sector engages a significant number of employees. The participants also called for serious and purposeful action during this critical period and finding practical solutions to the problems that small and micro businesses suffer from. They also called for thinking of effective actions to support enterprises and production units by implementing economic and fiscal measures.
The deputies also reviewed some flaws that marked the distribution of support, especially considering the late inventorying of beneficiaries in the various affected sectors, the late disbursement of support within rural areas, the poor support to the formal sector, and the late review of complaints about failure to benefit from the support.
The deputies also stressed on the situation enterprises and workers in tourism and handicrafts, which were most affected, especially in the light of the multiple calls urging the Ministry to intervene, the export sectors, which involve a significant number of employees, and paramedical professions. The said sectors, according to the deputies, require special attention during this crisis. Additionally, the deputies agreed that the agricultural activities, especially agricultural cooperatives, have been affected by COVID-19.
In legislation, the deputies called to issue a law regulating professions and create a legislative dynamism by updating texts and issuing all the laws related to social security and health insurance for several groups of workers in numerous sectors.
Finally, the deputies tackled the Government strategies to revive the economy and overcome unemployment through providing funding, engaging the banking sector, providing a good business environment, and preserving social peace. The economic relaunch can also be achieved by consolidating the principles of decent labor via promoting occupational health and safety, increasing accompaniment, advice, and guidance in labor, enhancing supervision regarding the implementation of the laws relative to labor, addressing the related complaints, and consolidating legal vigilance.