Brussels, 08/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - In Luxembourg on Monday 8 June, the employment and social affairs ministers of the EU adopted conclusions on flexicurity in times of crisis. In its conclusions, the Council suggests "a set of measures which, as a balanced policy mix, can help member states, and the social partners when and where relevant, to manage the impact of the global crisis through the application of the security principles".
These measures are as follows: - maintaining employment, where at all possible, for example through helping companies operate alternatives to redundancy such as flexible working patterns and the temporary adjustment of working time, where applicable, and other forms of internal flexibility measures (…). Amongst other things, the ministers take the view that it is preferable to avoid measures aiming to preserve from structural changes jobs and sectors which are not viable; - creation of a better entrepreneurial environment through a labour market which insures at the same time the necessary flexibility and security, benefits systems which provide work incentives, appropriate levels of non-wage labour costs, especially for the low-skilled and other vulnerable groups, as well as through better regulation and the reduction of the administrative burden on business; - enhancing and improving activation measures and providing adequate income support and access to quality services to people who are hit by the impacts of the crisis, through full utilisation of modern social protection systems in line with the principles of flexicurity, subsidiarity and sustainability of public finances. At the same time, the ministers insist, it is necessary to maintain the incentives for access and return to employment and to focus on the support and motivation of vulnerable groups such as young people with fewer opportunities, in line with the active inclusion strategies; - increased investment in human capital, especially retraining, skills upgrading and labour market needs-matching, including the persons working part-time or other flexible forms of employment and low-skilled workers. The ministers believe that training can preferably be focused on the future demands of the labour market, such as job opportunities in the eco-efficient economy as well as in the social and health service sectors; - improving the effectiveness of the public employment services in order to be able to tackle the increased levels of unemployment; - adhering to the principle of gender mainstreaming in all responses to implementing flexicurity principles in order to tackle the crisis; - facilitating the free movement of workers, in accordance with the Treaties and the Community acquis, and promoting mobility within the EU single market; - implementing adequate responses with a view to adapting, if relevant, employment and labour market provisions in the framework of the flexicurity approach; - integrating all flexicurity elements and pillars should focus on reducing segmentation and improving the functioning of the labour market; - further attention needs to be paid to enhancing the quality of working life and to increasing productivity. (G.B./transl.fl)