Flexicurity

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Flexicurity

• An offensive approach

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What is flexicurity?
Social dialogueetc.
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Current debate I

• Employers
• Focus on flexibility Hire and fire
• Trade unions
• Focus on security Job- and social
• Governments/EU
• Flexibility is great
• Security is mainly unemployment benefit and it
  should be appropriate

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Current debate II

• The Danish model is the only one, and it works
  only in Denmark
• Flexicurity is a closed package. You need to
  increase flexibility in all areas, or it will not
  work.

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Types of flexibility
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Percentage who think it is good for people to
change jobs every few years
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Voluntary external mobility - an exampleTurnover
on the Danish Labour Market2001
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External MobilityVoluntary mobility - security

• Reliable unemployment insurance
• Life long learning
• Appropriate job offers

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External Mobility Voluntary mobility - offensive
elements

• Training also non enterprise relevant
• Preparedness of employers to hire on good non
  precarious - contracts
• Collective agreement to ensure good wages in
  general
• No non-hiring and other employment limiting
  agreements
• Minimum wage

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External MobilityInvoluntary mobility - security

• Reliable unemployment insurance
• Active labour market policy
• Life long learning

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External Mobility Involuntary mobility -
offensive elements

• Social partners representation in labour market
  policy bodies nationally and locally
• Preparedness of employers to hire on good non
  precarious - contracts
• Collective agreement to ensure good wages in
  general
• Minimum wage

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Internal numerical flexibility - Security

• Strong enterprise based workers/union
  representation
• To ensure voluntary nature
• To prevent abuse

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Internal numerical flexibility Offensive
elements

• Climate of trust in enterprise
• Based on clear collective agreement framework
• Protection of enterprise representation against
  political attacks

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Functional flexibility - security

• Life long learning
• Career possibilities in enterprise or between
  enterprises

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Functional flexibility offensive elements

• Right for training - also non-enterprise
  relevant
• Training must be easily available

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Wage flexibility - Security

• Strong area agreements
• Agreed decentralisation

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Wage flexibility offensive elements

• Strong workers/union representation in enterprise

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Underlying conditionsSocial security independent
from employment status

• Strong argument for solidarity/state based systems

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Underlying conditionsStrong social dialogue

• No political initiatives to limit workers
  representation and weaken trade unions
• Strengthening of collective bargaining

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Underlying conditionsLimitation of risks for
workers

• Collective agreements and other limitations of
  precarious elements in employment contracts,
  employment conditions and society as a whole

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Questions for debate

• For each of the different aspects of flexibility
  define examples of possible offensive trade union
  demands
• Which are the trade union strong - and weak
  points in this debate?
• For a balanced definition of flexicurity and a
  reform of labour law, what do you consider to be
  priorities?

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What will happen now?

• EU presidency Flexicurity is part of revision of
  Lisbon process which should happen at European
  council in December
• Council Green book is on back back burner not to
  confuse the issue. We will make a communication.
• EP draft report on Flexicurity
• ETUC is trying to make joint paper with Business
  Europe.