Tag: flexicurity

States should transfer their social security payments for the unemployed to companies, so that they can employ the unemployed and maintain skills - even if this would breach trade laws - according to Ton Wilthagen, one of the pioneers in the 1990s of 'flexicurity', a concept that combines job flexibility with security.

In the wake of the global financial and economic crises, the EU is developing a new labour market strategy as part of its successor to the 'Lisbon Agenda' for economic, social and environmental reform, which is due to end in 2010. The new roadmap will retain many of the previous ambitions, but will also be shaped by EU leaders' exit strategies.

An upturn in activity for temporary job agencies will be one of the first signs of recovery in the employment market, according to Denis Pennel of Eurociett, the European Confederation of Private Employment Agencies. But with business currently down 40% in some countries, there is no hint of an upturn.

The EU executive today (3 October) presented a broad package aimed at helping women to reconcile their professional and private lives, particularly by improving conditions for self-employed and pregnant women.

Under the threat of an economic downturn, trade unions and employers adopted a harsher tone at their bi-annual meeting with the current and forthcoming Council presidencies.

Flexicurity, first developed as a labour market policy in the Nordic countries, has been endorsed by EU leaders and the European Commission as a way of solving the Union's employment problem. However, as a new Commission faces up to Europe's worst recession for many decades, doubts have emerged as to how committed member states are towards flexicurity and making it work across the EU. 

Employment ministers gathering in Brussels on 5 and 6 December are set to adopt dossiers on flexicurity, company pensions and temporary agency work.  Some projects, however, will only be presented as watered-down versions.

European social partners have agreed upon the key principles to guide "flexicurity" labour market reforms in member states at a key meeting with EU leaders in Lisbon, bringing an end to months of bickering.

Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Commissioner Vladimír Špidla discusses corporate social responsibility (CSR) and 'flexicurity' with EurActiv Czech Republic. These concepts, while frequently promoted by the European Commission, are still relatively unknown to new member states.

While employers' organisations are mostly positive about the Commission's suggestions on labour-law adaptation (flexicurity), some trade unions doubt claims that levels of social protection will be maintained.

Transposing the Nordic model of flexicurity to other EU states will not work if national labour markets and social traditions are not accounted for, according to the Commission, which said it will recommend different pathways to reform later this month.

The Commission is about to finalise its Communication on 'flexicurity', the Nordic reform model that, according to some, may solve Europe's unemployment problem. At the same time, social partners are at odds with each other on the core lesson to be learned from Denmark, Finland and Sweden - EurActiv put the question to three experts from the EU's employer associations and trade unions. 

Three months ahead of the planned publication of the Commission Communication on flexicurity - the combination of flexibility and security championed by Denmark - the Tripartite Social Summit in Brussels saw employers and trade unions fighting over who will define the term.

Employment and social affairs ministers are meeting for a three-day informal summit in Berlin, to discuss future social models in Europe and reforms necessary to reconcile the needs for flexibility and social security.

The final version of the Commission's Green Paper on labour law, to be presented by Commissioner Spidla on 22 November 2006, has a new title and most of its original questions up for consultation have been changed.

Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, PES president and former Prime Minister of Denmark, presented the hypothesis behind a project complementing the Lisbon agenda.

Both European employers and trade unions encourage the Finnish presidency to show EU the way forward albeit for slightly different reasons.

Mr. Leif Fagernäs, Director General of the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, comments on the reasons behind Finland's strong economic performance, R&D policy and flexicurity.

At their 19-20 January 2006 informal summit, employment and social affairs ministers debated the benefits of the Nordic model of flexicurity, which brings together flexibility of the labour force with a high degree of social security.

In an exclusive interview for EurActiv, Hans Skov Christensen, director general of the Federation of Danish Industry, speaks out on the benefits that the model of flexicurity has from an employer's point of view.

The model of flexicurity - a combination of easy hiring and firing, high benefits for the unemployed and a pro-active labour market policy - could solve many of Europe's unemployment problems, experts at a conference agreed.