Brussels, 16/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - The Social Troika, which brought the social affairs and employment ministers of Ireland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg together with Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou and the representatives of the European social partners and social NGOs in Galway (EUROPE of 7 and 15 January), permitted a "very frank" exchange of views on subjects such as adaptability to change and "Making Work Pay". As Irish Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Coughlan stressed afterwards, "the Irish Presidency's aim is to improve incentives to work whilst ensuring a high level of protection for all. This is why we must improve interaction between the social partners at European and national level". As for "adaptability and change", an agreement was reached between those taking part on the need to "give social partnership a helping hand", according to Antonia Mochan, Member State Diamantopoulou's spokesperson. As the social partners often fail to agree on important subjects, the Commission has suggested "partnership amongst themselves", an idea which could be put before the Council and which has Ms Diamantopoulou's unreserved support. On the "Making Work Pay" report, the Commissioner stated that this is "a package to concretise the Lisbon objectives" and that "it is not a matter of reducing social protection, but of considering all aspects which encourage people to work".
Hans-Werner Müller, Secretary General of the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (UEAPME) raised the issue of adaptability to change, and the "problems at regional level". As for "Making Work Pay", he described this as a "second string to Ireland's bow, economically efficient as they are". Mr Müller said that the Kok report, "which says virtually everything" and "it just needs concretising". The President of the Social Affairs Committee of the European Employers (UNICE), Wilfried Beirnaert said that as for adaptability, "the key question is to create framework-conditions which guarantee innovation. It is not just a social issue, but a political one, and one of research and development, and of use of innovation". He compared the performance of natural countries: those with good figures for the creation of enterprises- Denmark, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Ireland- are also those with the highest employment rates, he said. UNICE's message is: "the key is a policy which promotes the creation of companies, because this helps job creation". On "Making Work Pay", Mr Müller and Mr Beirnaert emphasised the fact that "as long as we are in a system whereby an employer gives, say, a salary increase of one euro net a month, in some European countries that increase costs the employer 5 euros net". This is not mentioned in "Making Work Pay", a fact which both European employer representatives regret. Secretary General of the European Confederation of Trade Unions (ETUC), John Monks, welcomed "this interesting, interactive and productive discussion", and said that the Kok report is a "good basis to reconcile flexibility and job security". In order to move these dossiers on, he said, we must "strengthen contact between the Presidency of the EU, the Commission and the social partners".