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THE
EU POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR
E-WORK INITIATIVES NEW WORK OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL
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In
1993, the Commission highlighted the relatively low level of participation
in the formal labour market in Europe (60%, compared with 70% in Japan
and 75% in the USA), as well as the disparity between jobs and those
seeking employment (the traditional "unemployment" figures).
The
recent Summit meeting of Heads of state in Lisbon (23-24/03/2000)
has translated this disparity into an economic and social development
goal for Europe - to reach near 70% participation in paid employment
by 2010, notably by increasing the participation of women from
51% to 60%.
Some
progress has been made in reducing "unemployment" - even to record
low levels in the UK and USA; but little progress has yet been made
on the proportion of "working-age" people in formal employment
- after falling to 58% in 1995, the proportion is only now
back to 61%.
In
most EU-countries, the goal of a more inclusive workforce is addressed
through policies to re-integrate the "excluded" - whether through
racism, lack of skills, disability, homelessness or misfortune. It
is clear that we are going to need much more flexible, part-time,
and local work opportunities to get another 10% of the
potential workforce into employment (going from 60-70% of the
total workforce), especially as an ageing workforce will be more conscious
of "quality-of-life" issues and less mobile: we will have 10
million more people over 50 in the workforce by 2010, and the
proportion of people with disability is likely to increase from
11% today to 17% in 2020.
The
transition to a knowledge economy and to new methods of "e-work" which
can be more flexible in time and place provides not only the dynamic
for economic growth which will allow new jobs to be created, but also
the infrastructures necessary for more flexible work organisation.
However, the creation of new e-work opportunities will require greater
investment in "e-work" systems, particularly by small businesses
in Europe.
The
stimulation of this investment is of common interest to governments
and the developers and suppliers of "e-work" technologies. A partnership
in stimulating such investment, and in the re-organisation of working
practices, is the basis for the e-Work Week concept in 2000.
Over 10 million Europeans already benefit from the flexibility of
telework.
The
next generations of wireless and Internet technologies will further
widen the range of jobs that can be made more flexible, and will revolutionise
workplace design for most "office workers" in Europe. "e-Work Week"
in 2000 will therefore also be an opportunity to showcase the
new e-work systems; to raise public and media awareness about the
social benefits of change; and to highlight best practice through
the new focus to the "European e-Work Awards".
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