Issue Two, August 1998
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Issue Two, August 1998 |
An Important
Year For European
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| This is an important year for European Telework, marking the
launch of a European Telework Agenda which brings together the key events and activities
relating to telework at European level, and culminates in the fourth European Telework
Week in November 1998. This year also marks the start of the transition from the 4th to
the 5th Framework Programme, with New Methods of Work and Electronic Commerce as one of
the major actions of the Information Society thematic programme. It was an opportunity to be updated on the European Commission's policy, information and stimulation activities with regard to telework. Particularly, it was the official public launch of Telework Week 1998, at which ambitious plans were revealed for an even bigger and more comprehensive programme than the record-setting 1997 Telework Week. The first part of the day consisted of an update on the situation regarding telework and related activities in Europe in mid 1998. This consisted of an introduction and overview of telework in Europe and of the Commission's support for telework; a contribution from the Information Society Forum to the employment debate; a report on the social dialogue on telework within the European policy context; an update on the Fifth Framework Programme; and some headlines from the forthcoming European Telework Status Report 1998. The rest of the day focused explicitly on European Telework Week (ETW). This started with presentations of three of the winners of the 1997 European Telework Awards, followed by a summary of overall results from ETW97. Focussing on ETW98, full briefing and information was given as to how to get involved, including a call for award nominations, an explanation of the ETW rationale, a review of support mechanisms, and an invitation for initiatives. Peter Johnston welcomed the participants and explained that telework and news ways of working are, and will remain, very important aspects of the European Commission's activities. In this context, meetings like this play a crucial role in helping to develop a strong partnership between the Commission, industry, governments and in fact all sectors of society. 1998 marks a turning point in the development of these new working practices in Europe. Although definitions are very difficult in this rapidly changing field, current best estimates indicate that about 4 million Europeans, about 2½% of the workforce, are involved in telework activities of one type or another; approximately a doubling over the last 18 months to 2 years. Thus, new ways of working are now starting to become mainstream features of European employment, and this poses major challenges to society, to business, and to public administrations. Although the changing employment situation in Europe is
actively pushing developments towards new ways of working and of organising work, the
technology itself is arguably the major enabling factor. To an important extent, the
increase in the take up of telework is a consequence of the rapid development of key
technologies, three of which have had a profound impact in the last few years: |
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In This
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Swedish Minister Leads By Example 
Predict The Future &
Win A Prize
KITE Expands Into Phase Two
Online Collaboration Berlin
Information Society Forum Commits Itself To Job Ceation In The Information
Society
Telework Activists
Please Don't Come To Our Conference!
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mobile telephony, mainly GSM, currently with 85
million subscribers globally, and with an increasing number using the systems for data
communications as well as voice