News
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24/03/2006
Less than one month left to make your voice heard on how to the EU should help inactive workers back into jobs
Less than one month remains before the end of a Commission consultation on what the EU should do to help excluded people back into work and support those for whom a job is not a viable option. With a shrinking and ageing workforce, the EU needs to make the best use of its single most precious resource: human capital. There are many groups who are far removed from the labour market in the EU, such as the long term unemployed, whose lack of work means they remain at high risk of falling into poverty. Some 16% of the EU population or around 72 million EU citizens are now at risk of poverty. Comprehensive policies are needed to promote employment, guarantee adequate income support and give better access to services.
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23/03/2006
National social partners need bigger role in making Growth and Jobs strategy work, Tripartite Social Summit hears
The EU's strategy for more Growth and Jobs needs greater involvement from national social partners (trade unions and employer representatives) the Tripartite Social Summit in Brussels heard today. The Summit, which took place just hours before the European Council meeting of EU leaders, also discussed the social partners new work programme for the next three years in the presence of European Commission President Barroso, Commissioner Spidla, European Council President Schüssel, representatives from the two incoming EU Presidencies, as well as high-level EU and national social partners.
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20/03/2006
EU and Japan discuss globalisation's effects on jobs and workers
Meeting the challenges globalisation presents to jobs and workers topped the agenda at an EU-Japan meeting today. Representatives from the European Commission, the Japanese government and social partners (trade unions and employer representatives) discussed how EU and Japanese employment policies and industrial relations can adapt to deal with globalisation's effect on labour markets, restructuring trends and workers' employability.
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13/03/2006
Social Dialogue Conference brings European representatives of 31 sectors together for first time
The first sectoral social dialogue conference takes place today in Brussels (Palais d’Egmont), bringing together trade unions and employer representatives from all 31 sectors in the European social dialogue committees. Representatives from sectors such as textiles, agriculture, constructions and chemicals will join Vladimír Špidla, European Commissioner for Employment, Social affairs and Equal opportunities at the conference. They will discuss the social partners' role in tackling the challenges facing the EU, such as restructuring, skills gaps and changing population trends.
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10/03/2006
Employment and Social Affairs Council
Increasing job creation and competitiveness, while safeguarding social cohesion, will be a central theme at the Employment and Social Affairs Council in Brussels on 10 March. Gender equality and the free movement of workers in the EU will also feature on the meeting's agenda.
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08/03/2006
Consultation on action at EU level to promote the active inclusion of the people furthest from the labour market
Comprehensive social assistance policies are in place in most Member States and activation policies have been implemented to bring excluded people back to the labour market, but there is still a sizeable 'hard core' of people with little prospect of finding a job who, for that reason, remain at high risk of falling into poverty and social exclusion. The main challenge is to ensure that social protection policies effectively contribute to mobilising people who are capable of working while achieving the wider objective of providing a decent living standard to those who are and will remain outside the labour market.
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03/03/2006
Commission to tackle gender inequality with new roadmap and €50 million gender institute
Gender inequality in the EU will be tackled by 21 specific activities over the next five years, which are outlined in a new gender equality roadmap published by the European Commission. Proposed Commission activities in the 'Roadmap for equality between men and women 2006-10' include helping set up a new €50 million European institute for gender equality, reviewing all existing EU gender equality law, increasing awareness of gender inequality, ensuring gender equality is considered in all policies and pressing for better statistics. The roadmap aims to, inter alia, tackle the pay gap between men and women, support better work/life balance, eliminate violence and trafficking, support gender budgeting and promote gender equality both within and outside the EU.
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01/03/2006
Commission proposes up to € 500 million per year for a new European Globalisation adjustment Fund to support workers.
EU workers will be helped back to work by a new annual fund of up to €500 million, that could benefit every year up to 50,000 workers in the EU, especially in the regions and sectors hit by major changes in world trade patterns. The new 'European Globalisation adjustment Fund' (EGF), proposed today by the Commission, will provide one-off, time limited individual support for tailor-made services to help, for example, workers affected by globalisation with individual wage allowances, re-training or concrete assistance to find new jobs.
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24/02/2006
Mission to Riga
Latvia is another EU Baltic State that can boast of a very high growth (8,5%). However, the overall employment rate (at 62%) remains well below the goals set in the Lisbon Strategy. Due to that Commissioner Vladimir Spidla argued for increased investment into human capital in Riga - next stopover on his "Tour des Capitales”.
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24/02/2006
Women earn 15% less than men in the EU and are still finding work/ life balance difficult - Commission report
Women in the EU earn 15% less than men and progress has been slow in closing gender gaps with men, according to a new European Commission's report. The 'Report on equality between women and men 2006' calls on EU countries to provide better ways to help women deal with home and work pressures. It will be submitted to the European leaders at the Spring European Council on 23/4 March.