Brussels, 08/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - The chairman of the employment, social affairs and citizenship section of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Leila Kurki, has said that “by far the most effective response to an ageing population in Europe is to make full use of available employment potential”. Kurki was speaking on Thursday 7 July before employment and social affairs ministers at their informal meeting in Sopot (Poland) (see related article in this bulletin).
The Finnish trade unionist, Kurki, pointed out, according to an EESC press release, that boosting employment among older people by making changes to pension systems, tightening pension conditions, weakening pension rights or raising the statutory retirement age would simply not work. On the basis of the fact that employment potential exists not only among the young graduates but also among the unemployed and older people, people with disabilities or health problems, migrants and underemployed people, she said the issue with the employment market concerns not so much the supply of labour but rather the lack of appropriate or adequate professional skills among workers and the negative attitude to certain categories of job-seeker, as well as the most serious problem of all - that of a job shortage.
Leila Kurki also underlined that: - women are a considerable source of labour; - although the aim is to increase the retirement age, one must ensure that workers can and wish to work longer; - and it is necessary to adjust working conditions and the working environment to workers of different ages and to combat discrimination and negative judgments towards older workers. Information: http://www.eesc.europa.eu (G.B./transl.jl)