Decent work and job quality as crucial factors in the fight against poverty

Transcription

1 Employment and poverty: The role of social partners in the fight against poverty and social exclusion Session 2 When working is not enough the working poor Decent work and job quality as crucial factors in the fight against poverty Brussels 20 October 2010 Mathias Maucher, Social Policy Coordinator, SOLIDAR

2 Overview Elements of presentation Summary info on SOLIDAR Project Decent Work and Industrial Relations in Europe Concepts/approaches: Decent Work (ILO) Quality Jobs and Employment (EU) Good Work ( Gute Arbeit ) (D) Challenges to decent work/precarious labour in Europe The important role of social partners (based on social dialogue and collective bargaining) and of cooperation between them and social NGOs in promoting decent work and social inclusion Spotlight on selected employment and social realities Good practice examples Selected conclusions and recommendations

3 SOLIDAR Project Decent Work and Industrial Relations in Europe (2009/2010) Main target groups and sectors Migrant workers, posted workers; construction; care Main deliverables and outcomes Round tables involving different stakeholders to discuss problems and solutions/good practice Country reports + briefings on different forms of nonstandard work and the role of social dialogue to address related challenges due to precarious labour Booklet with good practice, conclusions and recommendations for national and EU-level actors Training manual for trade-union activists (LLL, awareness raising, social activism) Webpage with topic-specific online resources

4 Concepts/Approaches: Decent Work + Quality Jobs and Employment + Good Work Decent work (ILO) 4 elements/objectives o o o o Equal access to employment (equal pay, non-discrimination, equal treatment/opportunities, a living wage, training/lll) Respect of fundamental principles at work, individual and collective labour rights, core ILO labour standards Social dialogue, labour administration, tripartite consultation Social protection (against reduction or loss of income, social insurance, social assistance) Decent work in EU internal dimensions/policies (2006ff) Alternative concepts/approaches Quality Jobs and Employment (EU): 10 dimensions Good Work ( Gute Arbeit ) (D): employees perspective

5 Challenges to decent work and forms of precarious labour in Europe General trend: Increase of atypical work contracts and precarious working conditions => New risks or tasks Wide range of realities, with repercussions on societies Low pay (in particular in services sectors)/in work poverty Poor working conditions (occupational health/safety) Discriminations/disadvantages in access to employment Fixed-term contracts, limited part-time employment, mini jobs, on call time, temporary agency work False/bogus self-employment (status change: worker => service provider at own account) Sub-contracting (new rationale: cost-driven outsourcing) Undeclared work/activity in informal economy Labour market segmentation Inadequate entitlements to social protection (now + later) Lack of effective/insufficient coverage by social dialogue

6 Spotlight on selected labour market and social realities (target groups; sectors) Examples for group-specific forms of precarious labour Migrant workers, including undocumented migrants Low pay, non recognition of professional qualification, lack of professional training, holes in entitlement to social protection Regularisation (residence and work permits), seasonal work/ discontinuity of employment, challenges (legal framework; social consequences) related to the free movement of workers Young adults (work contracts; lack of adequate professional training; cross-border mobility within EU) Working conditions in two sectors and backwash effects on risk of poverty and social exclusion (Long-term) care and household-related services Construction (immigrants; third country posted workers)

7 Good practice examples: Social partnership and social inclusion Evidence from the ground: effective practice ROM: Agreement setting up a system of sectoral selfregulation in construction and a Paritarian Builders Fund I: Local level collective agreements on specific measures to improve working and social conditions of migrant workers; above average rate of affiliation to trade unions due to services; good representation in works councils I: National collective agreement for domestic workers and family assistants: different job levels, minimum wage D: Minimum wage in care sector (staff with recognised qualification) by including of sector in Posted Workers Act S: Trade Union Centre for Undocumented Migrants: information, interest representation towards employers

8 Deficits and bad practice: Sidelining of social partners or creating more precarity Evidence from the ground: problems/dysfunctionalities EST: stepwise crowding out of social partners in Estonia in 2009 from tripartite negotiations initially set up and supported by government to negotiate labour market and labour law reforms inspired by the flexicurity concept LT: Fairly unwieldy and inefficient system of job placement and professional training in the context of rocketing rates of youth unemployment; lacking entitlement to benefits ROM: Lower level or legal protection for posted workers from third countries I: Non-regularisation of all migrant carers/family assistants D: Requirements and info on options for legal employment S: Public money spent on activation measures benefiting employers not respecting labour rights and standards

9 Selected conclusions and recommendations to different stakeholders Addressed to different stakeholders National governments and public authorities, in particular labour inspections Social partners European institutions Lessons learnt on governance Social partners have and can play a crucial role, not only in tackling precarious labour and in promoting decent work based on social dialogue and collective bargaining, but also in fostering social inclusion and fighting poverty In this context and to achieve these objectives, they should envisage a closer cooperation with social NGOs

10 Thank you for your attention! Questions? Comments? For any further information SOLIDAR website: Webpage Decent Work and Quality Jobs in Europe : 4&la=1&langue=EN Contact mathias.maucher@solidar.org