Brussels / Helsinki, 06/07/2006 (Agence Europe) - Representatives of European social partners (UNICE/UEAPME for employers, CEEP for enterprises with public participation and enterprises of general economic interest, and ETUC for employees) and, for the first time, those of the Platform of European Social NGOs met the Social Troika (ministers for social policy of the Finnish, German and Portuguese Presidencies), in Helsinki on 6 July, in the presence of Commissioner Vladimir Spidla (see EUROPE 9219). Improving the quality of professional life, ensuring flexicurity on the labour market, investing in innovation and advanced technology: these are the priority actions requested of ministers to allow Europe to survive in a globalised world.
Anne-Sophie Parent, President of the Platform of European Social NGOs, considers priority should be given to improving the life of workers and ensuring the quality of employment, in a concern for their and their families' dignity and well-being, not just in the aim of increasing productivity. Ms Parent above all calls for the promotion of gender equality, an end to discrimination in the workplace and a link to be established between the quality of work and flexicurity, promoting access for all to life-long learning or ensuring that workers benefit from good health in the workplace by allowing them access to quality healthcare, among other things.
On the trade union side, ETUC Deputy General Secretary Maria Helena Andre called for more investment in research and development, training and life-long learning in order to make the EU a genuine and inclusive knowledge-based economy with a highly-skilled and diverse workforce, better able to sustain its competitiveness at a global level while developing its social model. Also, the EU must promote decent work in other countries and take a stand against global competition based on racial discrimination, bad working conditions and weaker workers' rights.
How can the innovation efforts of companies be supported to improve the working and business environment? This is the question that UNICE General Secretary Philippe de Buck hopes to tackle with the Finnish Presidency. The debate on flexicurity, to be held on 20 October during the Tripartite Social Summit and the informal EU Summit, is very important, Mr de Buck said, going on to point out that flexicurity aims to ensure the sustainability of the European social model by restoring a positive link between competitiveness and social protection. He placed emphasis on the social partners' joint dialogue work programme for 2006-2008 (see EUROPE 9158).
Rauno Vanhanen, Finnish UEAPME member (speaking on behalf of President Paul Reckinger and UEAPME Secretary General Hans-Werner Müller, who was delayed in Rome, noted that productivity, like the quality of work, has always been essential for small and medium-sized companies. He said it is therefore crucial to invest in innovation, technology, applied research, the knowledge economy and the creation of high added value jobs (for example, in services).
Charles Nolda, Chair of CEEP Social Affairs Committee, said that companies competing in a global market can survive only if they innovate. “In the public service (…), we need … to embrace the concept of flexicurity”, he said, also stressing the need for territorial cohesion. “Sometimes it is right to move people to where jobs are, but sometimes it is better to encourage entrepreneurs and investors to move jobs to where people are”, he commented.
After the meeting, Commissioner Vladimir Spidla asserted that social partners are in the front line as it is a question of improving the quality of professional life. Many studies have shown that there is a positive link between the quality of work and productivity, something that the social partners have recognised by launching several activities in this field, such as an autonomous agreement on work-related stress, Mr Spidla added. The debate on the quality of professional life is closely linked to the debate on flexicurity (balance between flexicurity and security at work), the Commissioner noted, announcing a communication on this subject next spring, and welcoming the commitment shown by social partners to be represented within the expert group that the Commission is setting up on this question.