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PAGE EUROPEAN REVIEW
A NEW REPORT FROM THE European Commission has highlighted once
again the importance of education in raising levels of employment as
well as increasing opportunities for employees to move between Member
States and between regions of the same state. At the Lisbon summit
two years ago the EU set itself a target of becoming 'the most
competitive and dynamic knowledge economy in the world, capable of
sustainable economic growth'. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair called it
a 'turning point in Europe's approach to economic and social policy'
and argued that a rapid embrace of the Internet and new technology
could create up to 20 million jobs in the European Union.
Towards this end a 'High Level Task Force on Skills and Mobility' was
set up to consider what could be done to achieve this goal. Now an
action plan, based on the task force's conclusions, has been
published. It identifies two main areas where the EU needs to sharpen
up if the Lisbon ambitions are to be attained. Low levels of
education in certain areas are a problem, says the report. While it
is true that the European continent has the lowest illiteracy rate
(1.3%) in the world much less than that of the north American
continent (7.3%), early school leaving is still a big problem. 18.5%
of pupils finish school having no formal qualification; However this
varies from 8% to 40%; in Portugal only 19% of working age people
finished the equivalent of sixth form.
In general the report states 'Across the EU it is clear that there
is an unequivocal connection between [an] individual's level of
education and their risk of unemployment. High levels of educational
achievement translate into higher rates of employment and lower rates
of unemployment'. Over the last five years, employment growth in
sectors with at least 40 % of their workforce having been to college
was three times higher than the average employment growth (see chart
below). As well as general education more emphasis needs to be put on
Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The report suggests
new definitions of what ICT is, fostering of pan-EU standards such as
the European Computer Driving Licence and higher status and pay, to
encourage, particularly female, teachers in science, mathematics and
technology.
The second main feature of the report is the drive for mobility of
employees within the EU. Traditionally western Europe has has a very
low rate of both geographic mobility and switching of workers between
different occupations. The report predicts 'in an increasingly
knowledge-based, service-sector economy in the EU, occupational
mobility is essential for adapting to structural change, and ...
thereby contributing to a better functioning of labour markets and
higher productivity, employment, growth and competitiveness'.
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Geographic mobility between EU Member States remains relatively
low with only 0.1% of the total EU population moving between two
countries in 2000. But mobility within countries is becoming
increasingly important, with about 1.2% of the total EU population
changing residence to another region in 1999. By comparison, in the
US, 5.9% of the total population changed residence between counties
in 1999. Areas needing large numbers of highly educated ICT
professionals must be allowed to import them from nearby regions of
high unemployment.
Some of the barriers to this are legal and bureaucratic but cultural
and social habits also play a part. The report mentions restrictions
on companies transferring employees, differing levels of job
protection, tax and social security, lack of language training and a
failure to recognise qualifications across different Member States.
The Council of European Professional and Managerial Staff
(EUROCADRES) has given a guarded welcome to the report stressing that
they have always pressed for transferability of qualifications and
the need to overcome every obstacle to mobility, 'Free movement of
people is a fundamental right of European citizens' said their
president, Michel Rousselot. However they criticised the lack of
integration between the different strands in the report which they
put down to rigid borders between EU directorates and ministerial
departments of governments.
The report and the 25 recommendations made by the action plan will
now go forward to the EU summit in Barcelona which is being held as
the European Review goes to press. They are designed to promote the
objective of the European labour markets being open and more
accessible for all by 2005.
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The 'Commission's Action Plan for skills and mobility is available on the internet at: |
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/cgi/rapcgi.ksh?p |
A NATIONAL COLLECTIVE agreement in Belgium has attempted to clear up the position on breast feeding at work. From 1st. July female workers will have the right to take up to two breaks per day to breast feed. These periods will not be payed by the employer but employees will be compensated through maternity benefit (82% of pay in Belgium). The company must receive two months notice and a medical certificate but has to provide a 'suitable area' for new mothers.
THE DUTCH TRADE UNION confederation , the FNV, has carried out a study which reveals the annual leave habits of Dutch workers. By law all employees in the Netherlands must take a minimum of four times their weekly hours as holiday per year. Since last year they also have the right to carry over any additional leave for up to five years and some agreements also allow them to sell it. The survey found that 70% were carrying over leave, 40% banked 5 days or more and 35% of those who could sold their extra leisure time.
IN THE UK AN IDS REPORT paints a very varied picture of pay settlements for 2002. Increases range from 0 to 7.5% with the National Minimum Wage as well as skill shortages in railways, construction and public services fuelling the biggest rises.
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