|
|
|
|
| |
|
Global Employment Trends 2014: Weak economic recovery fails to create jobs
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On January 21, the ILO launched its Global Employment Trends 2014 report, which stresses that despite signs of recovery in economic activity in the EU and other industrialized economies throughout 2013, improvements have not yet been strong enough to make a difference to the still large and rising employment gap.
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
 |
| |
|
|
Global Employment Trends 2014: Weak economic recovery fails to create jobs
On January 21, the ILO launched its Global Employment Trends 2014 report, which stresses that despite signs of recovery in economic activity in the EU and other industrialized economies throughout 2013, improvements have not yet been strong enough to make a difference to the still large and rising employment gap.
The report finds that global employment growth remains weak, unemployment continues to rise, especially among young people, and large numbers of discouraged potential workers are still outside the labour market. It calls for a ‘re-think' of the current approaches and for a new set of policies aimed at boosting the job market. In the Developed Economies and European Union region, the unemployment rate remained in 2013 at 8.6 per cent or 45.2 million people. It is expected to gradually decline to below 8 per cent around 2018, still significantly above the rate in 2008.
The increase in long-term unemployment and the related acceleration of skills mismatch remain major concerns. The overall quality of employment keeps deteriorating as the incidence of involuntary temporary and part-time employment, in-work poverty, informal work, job and wage polarization and income inequality has further increased.
The report’s Snapshot of Europe indicates that the lacklustre nature of the economic recovery in the region is caused, in part, by the continued pursuit of fiscal consolidation policies in the region.
|
 |
|
| |
|
|
Guy Ryder at 2014 World Economic Forum
ILO Director-General Guy Ryder spoke at the session on youth unemployment at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Underlining that the worsening youth unemployment situation demands an urgent rethink, the ILO Director-General stressed that business and governments should look carefully into the nature of the skills mismatch and its possible solutions. In the margins of the Forum, Guy Ryder gave several interviews.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Ageing is seriously affecting Europe, says ILO Deputy Director-General Sandra Polaski
In an interview with Euronews, ILO Deputy Director-General Sandra Polaski says that ageing is a problem that is seriously affecting Europe. Topics of this interview include: how to cope with Europe's ageing population and how to make use of the advantages brought by the "silver economy"?
|
|
|
| |
|
|
ILO welcomes EU Council Decision authorising Member States to ratify Domestic Workers Convention
The ILO welcomes the adoption by the Council of Ministers of the EU of a Decision authorising EU Member States to ratify the ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189).
So far, two EU Member States – Italy and Germany – have ratified the landmark Domestic Workers Convention, which protects the rights of domestic workers, promotes equality of opportunity and treatment and improves their working and living conditions. Belgium is expected to notify its ratification to the ILO very soon. Other EU countries are in the ratification process.
The Council Decision was proposed by the European Commission in March 2013, and endorsed by the European Parliament. The European Commission already welcomed the EU Council Decision.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
“Consequences of EU financial assistance programmes have been underestimated”, said ILO’s Raymond Torres
On the 9th of January 2014, at a European Parliament’s public hearing on the employment and social aspects of the role of the Troika in euro area programme countries, Raymond Torres, the head of the ILO Research Department, said that the negative effects of Financial Assistance Programmes in EU crisis-hit countries have been underestimated.
“Financial Assistance Programmes led to increased unemployment, the collapse of investment and a decline of SME’s. Austerity has affected young people disproportionally, scarring a whole generation, and the risk of poverty has increased in countries like Greece and Portugal – especially for children”, he said. Torres concluded by suggesting that an alternative would require a growth strategy, balanced structural reforms and more consultation and coordination inside the EU.
Professor Petros Stangos of the Council of Europe, for his part, referred to the decisions of the European Committee of Social Rights, which found that certain measures taken in Greece are in contradiction with the 1961 Charter.
On January 27th, the European Social Partners were also heard at the European Parliament on the impact of the Troika measures in Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Cyprus. James Watson, Business Europe’s Director and Veronica Nielson, ETUC Confederal Secretary exposed their respective views to Members of the European Parliament.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
New ILO-Netherlands partnership signed
The Minister for Trade and Development of the Netherlands, Lilianne Ploumen, and the ILO Director General, Guy Ryder, signed a new Netherlands-ILO Partnership Programme 2014-2017, on 23 January at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The new four-year programme will provide € 2.5 million a year as an unearmarked core contribution that will allow the ILO to respond flexibly to the demands of developing countries for ILO assistance.
The Partnership will further continue to support the joint programme of the ILO and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) “Better Work”, which aimed at improving working conditions and productivity in the garment sector in several countries, including Bangladesh and Indonesia. With this new Partnership, the Netherlands confirm its role as a key ILO partner and leading donor.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Netherlands will ratify ILO Convention on the use of Chemicals at Work
The Dutch government has agreed upon an opinion of the Dutch Social and Economic Council (SER) of 30 September 2013, declaring that it is desirable for the Netherlands to ratify the ILO Chemicals Convention No. 170.
The government agrees with the Social and Economic Council (SER) that the Netherlands already comply with the obligations under this Convention, in particular article 12, regarding the determination of exposure to chemicals and article 19, regarding the information of third countries about regulations in the exporting country.
The purpose of Convention No. 170 is to protect employees, third parties and the environment from harmful effects of the use of hazardous substances at work. Previously, the Dutch government already decided to ratify both Conventions No. 139 (Occupational Cancer Convention) and No. 148 (Working Environment).
|
|
|
| |
|
|
EU Delegation in Geneva hosted meeting with ILO Director-General
On 3 December 2013, an EU-hosted meeting invited ILO Director-General Guy Ryder and the Heads of the EU Member States Missions in Geneva. Guy Ryder gave an update on the progress of the ILO reform and on the ILO’s current priority issues.
Ambassador Mariangela Zappia, Head of the EU Delegation to the UN in Geneva, stated that "EU policies and law refer directly to ILO Standards: the ratification and effective implementation of ILO conventions is promoted by the EU and is used explicitly in EU trade relations, partnership agreements and enlargement conditions.”
Guy Ryder praised the importance of the EU Youth Guarantee scheme which aims to ensure that young people under 25 get a good-quality, concrete offer within four months of leaving formal education or becoming unemployed. He further expressed the willingness of the ILO to join forces with the EU to support EU Member States in implementing these youth guarantees.
Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General and Mariangela Zappia, Head of the EU Delegation in Geneva
© European Union, 2013
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Finland ratified the Chemicals Convention No. 170
The Government of Finland deposited the instrument of ratification of the Chemicals Convention, 1990 (No. 170) with the ILO, thereby becoming the 18th member State to ratify the Convention.
Ambassador Päivi Kairamo, Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, stated that “Through this convention Finland commits itself to international co-operation on the safe use of chemicals.”
ILO Director-General Guy Ryder responding by saying that “This is a true testimony to the Government’s commitment to prevent and reduce the incidence of chemically induced illnesses and injuries at work as well as to ensure the effective control of chemical risks at the workplace.”
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
New catalogue of trainings of the ILO Training Centre
The new 2014 catalogue of the standard courses offered by the ILO’s International Training Centre is now available online.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
