The European Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs will exchange views on Tuesday 9 June on the three major social challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, namely those issues relating to remote working, the digital skills divide, and widening inequalities between women and men.
Regarding new working flexibility, the Croatian Presidency of the EU Council has asked, in a note distributed to ministers, whether they consider this flexibility should be maintained in the long term.
The Presidency continues to list the advantages and disadvantages of remote working. Disadvantages include the risk of social isolation, difficulties in sharing information, lack of informal networks and a lack of protection in terms of personal data confidentiality.
According to the Presidency, the benefits of remote working include shorter commuting times, less business travel, and a better balance between professional, family and private life; for employers, benefits include reduced costs for premises and travel.
In addition, the health crisis has widened the gap between those who have digital skills, and those who do not. According to the Croatian Presidency, “at least half of the current workforce should update their skills over the next 5 years”. For example, Ministers will be asked about national initiatives intended to accelerate the acquisition of digital skills.
The final point to be discussed is gender equality. The Presidency of the EU Council notes that women were particularly exposed during the health crisis. As members of the health workforce, they have often been on the front line, fighting the pandemic. In addition, many women had to care for their children or elderly parents during the lockdown period. The Croatian note also states that the pandemic has exacerbated existing long-term problems and challenges, such as unequal sharing of care responsibilities.
LGBTI people
At the same time, the Presidency has launched the adoption by written procedure of a series of conclusions on the following topics: - well-being at work; - updating of skills; - demographic challenges; - the impact of long-term care on the work-life balance. The first three conclusions were adopted in the late afternoon of Monday 8 June.
The draft conclusions regarding work-life balance still need to be discussed. This would pose a problem for some delegations – Poland, Hungary, Slovakia – since the strategy on gender equality presented by the European Commission at the beginning of March is welcomed (see EUROPE 12440/7). This strategy also includes the ratification of the Council of Europe's Istanbul Convention, which is also relevant for LGBTI people.
Recently, the Hungarian Parliament opposed the legal recognition of transgender and intersex persons (see EUROPE 12491/10) as well as the ratification of the Istanbul Convention (see EUROPE 12481/15). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)