Communiqué February 2006
16 December 2007
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In this issue:
Previous issues of Communiqué
In brief
On the move
The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs in the European Parliament organised a hearing on the work and progress of the four EU agencies involved in social affairs, which took place in Brussels on 26 January 2006. The Foundation’s new Director Jorma Karppinen was flanked by Muriel Dunbar of the European Training Foundation (ETF), Hans-Horst Konkolewsky of the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work and Aviana Bulgarelli of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop).
High levels of long-term illness in Finland
Finland has among the highest levels of overall life satisfaction and general happiness in Europe, according to the Foundation’s European Quality of Life Survey. However, almost twice as many people in Finland (38%) report long-term illness or disability than in the former EU15 countries (20%), with particularly high levels in the 18-24 age group. Also, when comparing material conditions and economic deprivation, only a quarter of Finns in employment (24%) consider themselves well-paid, which is half the average levels (43%) in the former EU15 countries. One in five (21%) Finns reported difficulties in affording to take a week’s annual holiday.
A Foundation seminar in Helsinki, Finland, on 8-9 February will discuss these and other findings in the European Quality of Life Survey with representatives from the Finnish government, social partners and civil society.
Relocation of production and industrial relations
By granting the social partners specific participation rights, with a certain involvement in the decision-making process, the transfer by multinational companies of production activities from one country to another can be handled smoothly, according to the latest comparative study from the Foundation’s European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO). The study explores the role of industrial relations in the relocation of production in 23 EU Member States (excluding Luxembourg and Portugal) plus Bulgaria, Norway and Romania. It shows how best practice, where unions and employers get involved at an earlier stage and hence can manage the consequences better, is successfully employed by social partners and business in the Scandinavian countries.
Read the complete EIRO study
EMCC Sector Futures on performing arts
The future of Europe’s live performing arts or ‘entertainment sector’, which together with audiovisual activities comprises the performing arts sector, does not look promising, according to the latest article in the EMCC Sector Futures series. Job opportunities in performing arts are likely to remain precarious and public, non-commercial funding is drying up. As a result, one likely future scenario would be conservative programming, which relies on established performing artists and formats and designs that appeal to the broadest possible audience. The sector, which employs some four million people, will have to face these challenges if it is to continue to bring culture and entertainment to citizens in Europe.
Read this article on the EMCC website
Promoting gender equality in the workplace
Foundation research suggests that the gender equality situation in many of the new EU Member States is similar or even better than the former EU15 countries. There is a similar but smaller income gap, similar but less gender segregation, similar organisational structures at work, but with more women in management positions. On 20-21 February 2006, the Foundation’s European Working Condition’s Observatory (EWCO) will host a seminar in Sofia, Bulgaria, to raise awareness of the issue among EU and national authorities, social partners and practitioners, and to promote further research into the subject.
Read more on this topic