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Tripartite Commission held its regular meeting at ATUC

11 May 2018

On May 11 Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation (ATUC) hosted regular meeting of Tripartite Commission for Special and Economic Issues. 

The chairman of ATUC, MP Sattar Mohbaliyev, presiding over the meeting introduced the agenda to attendees and said that the International Labor Organization's view on " Action plan for prevention of non-formal employment in the Republic of Azerbaijan" will be known and the recommendations by  professor Colin Williams, the expert appointed by ILO will be listened though the monitor.

C. Williams joined the attendees though the monitor. He first spoke about ILO's view on non-formal economy and non-formal employment. C. Williams noted that Recommendation 204 developed by ILO in 2014 deals with the transition from non-formal to formal economy. And Azerbaijan signed that document as well. As you know, two thirds of new businesses start in non-formal economy. Respectively, we shouldn't destroy such businesses. Otherwise, we will have damage entrepreneurship and economy in whole. We should achieve phased transition of those businesses to formal economy.

The professor noted that non-formal economy  is a paid work area of economy though no information is given about the payments. Incomes are partly or completely concealed from related authorities: "Envelope salary and stated differently, double payroll is used. Labor contract is refused, civil contracts are signed with employees".

ILO expert classified employees of non-formal businesses: 1) Self-employed people. They don't have employees. 2) Self- employed entrepreneurs. They have employees. 3) Family businesses, etc. These categories avoid taxes, imposition of legislative requirements. Lower and higher groups work in non-formal economy. Lower groups conceal their income as they want to ensure living, and higher groups, mainly professionals such bas doctors, lawyers and others conceal for better life. Non-formal economy is like a football game. All classes of population are more or less involved in this game.