Project of Chemical Industry Social Partners on Restructuring

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Project of Chemical Industry Social Partners on
Restructuring

• William Keag
• DG EMPL
• Working Conditions
• Adaptation to Change

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• Restructuring generally
• Statistics
• Issues for Chemical Sector

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• Lisbon strategy
• seeks
• strong and lasting growth
• with
• more and better jobs

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Enterprises need to strengthen competitiveness

• Within enlarged EU
• Increased access to and from developing economies

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Workforce key asset of any organisation (EU)

• Preserve employability
• Facilitate transition to jobs of equivalent
  quality
• Maintain quality of workforce to guarantee future
  growth

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• Change hits most vulnerable
• social cohesion issue for EU
• State authorities need to
• Take appropriate action
• Effectively co-ordinate players concerned

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Strengthen partnership between all players

• Pinpoint the potential comparative advantage
• Estimate the changes
• Seize all available opportunities and prevent
  restructuring from turning into a human and
  social drama

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Challenges for social partners

• Reference guidelines
• How to implement
• Develop best practice
• Consultation on revising EWC
• Promote best practice
• Training, mobility, anticipatory aspects

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Policy should not

• Block or freeze change
• Lead to slow down of innovation and loss of
  competitiveness
• Make workers less employable
• Will impact on growth potential and social
  cohesion

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Studies Expert networks Call of proposals
(1.800.000 )? Exchanges of good practices (Art
6 Equal-...)? European social
dialogue National seminars (2008)? Restructuring
Forum Restructuring Taskforce Annual Report on
Restructuring (2008)? Spécific seminars (ex
Defense industry)? EGF Follow-up ESF Follow-up
(adaptability)?
ANTICIPATION PREPARATION ACCOMPANYI
NG
Knowledge
cooperation dissimination
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• Sectoral studies
• Anticipedia (July 2008)
• Forum environment-climate change (December 2008)

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• Statistics

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Major trends

• Globalisation
• Technology
• Demographics

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During the last 40 years, industry reduced from
40 to 25. Services have increased from 40 to
more than 70. Between 2000 and 2006,
creation of 11 million new jobs in EUR 27 (-1,6
for agriculture and -2,1 in industry).
Employment Report, EC
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Lisbon Strategy

• Targets for 2010
• 1.Empl Rate (15-64)
• 70
• 2.Empl Rate (15-64) Women 60
• 3.Empl Rate (55-64)
• 50

• 2000 2006
• 1. 62.2 64.4
• 53.7 57.2
• 36.9 43.5

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• 5000 to 15,000 jobs created and destroyed every
  day in each MS
• EMCC 1st quarter 2007
• 420 restructuring cases reported
• 132,762 job losses
• 184,511 job gains

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Demographics

• EU total fertility rate 1.5
• EU life expectancy increasing (78)
• EU workforce is ageing (39)
• EU workforce peak 2011
• Dependency ratio projected to rise
• Working age population needs to be working

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• Issues for the sector

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Key issues for Chemical Industry

• Asia (low-cost commodities)
• Middle East (petrochemicals)
• Regulatory erosion of competitiveness (REACH /
  Climate Change)
• EU chemicals facing a difficult market for
  foreseeable future

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Perception

• Low public esteem
• Long-term brain drain
• Lack of awareness of contribution to living
  standards

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Watch the links!

• Metals
• Mechanical and electrical industries
• Textiles and clothing
• Paper and printing products
• Automotive industry
• Others

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Conclusions

• National characteristics are important
• Invest in building confidence and attitudes to
  prevent or limit negative social consequences
  associated with change

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Ladies and GentlemenThank you for your kind
attention!

• http//ec.europa.eu/employment_social/restructurin
  g/index_en.htm