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Press Information from Euro-Telework

European Parliament Plays Host to Euro-Telework

The Euro-Telework project to launch its four final reports at seminar in Brussels

Dateline: BRUSSELS, 18 October 2000. Euro-Telework, the international project steered by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and supported by the European Commission, will unveil four major research reports on the state of teleworking in Europe on Thursday, 9 November, at a multilingual seminar to be held at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event will be hosted by Stephen Hughes MEP, in his capacity as chair of the European Parliamentary inter-group trade union liaison committee, and will be addressed by Hughes himself, Willy Buschak, political secretary of the ETUC, and the authors of the four reports.

The reports will cover telework regulation and social dialogue, vocational training in telework, equal opportunities in telework, and call centres. They are being written by leading experts from France, Italy, Germany and the UK as a major output of the 18 month Euro-Telework project, which involves organizations from 14 different European countries contributing information and documents concerning telework in their countries.

The Euro-Telework project is committed to the idea that teleworking can benefit workers, employers and society as a whole only if all there is a dialogue involving all the parties concerned with the introduction of telework solutions. Through imaginative approaches to the location and management of work, good telework projects can encourage better working conditions, family-friendly employment, environmental improvements and decreased costs to the employer. The project was established to investigate and promote best practice in telework across Europe, and addresses its subject in relation to two key European policy priorities:

• Combating social exclusion
• Securing full employment
  
  These issues provide the background to the reports and their presentation at the forthcoming seminar. European decision-makers, trade union representatives and academics with an interest in telework are invited to attend the seminar. There will be time at the seminar for questions and open discussion.

  Euro-Telework Seminar
  Thursday 9 November 2000, Brussels
  Draft Programme (subject to confirmation)

  14.30	Registration
  15.00 - 15.30	Euro-Telework: Welcome and introduction: Stephen Hughes MEP, Willy Buschak ETUC, Speaker from European Commission DG Employment & Social Affairs
  15.30 -16.45	Telework, ICT Mediated Forms of Work Organisation, and Social Exclusion Moderator: Willy Buschak Speakers: Ursula Huws, Hans-Jurgen Weissbach
  16.45 - 17.00	Break
  17.00 - 18.15	Full Employment - What Type of Jobs and For Whom? Moderator: Stephen Hughes Speakers: Sebastiano Bagnara, Nicole Turbé-Suetens
  18.15 -18.30	Concluding Remarks Stephen Hughes, Willy Buschak

  
  Please e-mail euro-telework@KeywordsAssociates.com or fax Euro-Telework at KeywordsAssociates, +44 161 860 7746, for more information on the forthcoming seminar. If you wish to attend, please supply your name and the organisation you will be representing.

  Press enquiries should be directed to Robert Beck (robert.beck@mcr1.poptel.org.uk) with your request.

  For more information on Euro-Telework, visit the web site:
  http://www.euro-telework.org

  
  -ends-

  To go from any of the central city hotels to the European Parliament:

  Taxis will cost 300 - 500BF and at travel to work times will take 20 -25 minutes. You should ask the driver for the rue Wiertz entrance of the European Parliament.

  By public transport, go to Metro Rogier on Place Rogier (about six minutes by foot from the Gare du Nord) and take the line going to Clemenceau. Get off at Metro Trône/Troon, turning left as you leave the train. Once you are on the street, turn left down rue Luxembourg. You will see the European Parliament building in front of you.

  At the end of rue Luxembourg, cross the Square and go through the Gare Leopold Railway Station. At the rear of the railway station, go through the arches in the European Parliament building. At the bottom of the steps, you will find the main entrance to Parliament which is the Altiero Spinelli Building on rue Wiertz.

  Metro tickets cost 50BF. During travel to work times, there will be attendants to sell tickets; at other times, you may need exact change to use the machines. From any of the Hotels to Parliament, the journey ought not to take over 30 minutes.

  Joining instructions
  Anyone attending the meeting should arrive at the entrance to the Altiero Spinelli building by 14.30 on 9 November. A Euro-Telework representative should be there to meet you, or you should follow directions for access to the meeting room itself. Look for signs reading 'Euro-Telework' or 'Inter-group TU liaison committee meeting'.