DG Employment, Social Affaires and Equal Opportunities

1
European Commission
DG Employment, Social Affaires and Equal
Opportunities
Social Partner Conference Chemical
Industry Krakow 27 October 2006
Dirk Hadrich Unit Social Dialogue, Industrial
Relations
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Workers Mobility

• Why is this an issue?
• growing pressure of globalisation
• likelihood of further economic restructuring
• flexibility of EU labour markets will increase
• Different types of mobility
• Geographical mobility
• Occupational mobility

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Workers Mobility

• Facts and figures
• Ø 8 moves to another job every year (DK, UK
  13 SE, GR 5)
• 40 stay in the same job gt10 years
• Only 2 work in another MS
• Italians and Portuguese are the largest
  communities residing in another EU country
• DK SE gt70 believe mobility is good
• Employment rates differ significantly between
  regions
• ? Predicted skill and labour shortages for some
  regions
• Majority of cases short term, renewable
  contracts with return

4
Workers Mobility

• 14.9.06 SP Conference
• Interesting examples internet description
  conditions of detachment, passport of
  qualifications
• Very different needs curiosity, personal
  development, economic need, company need
• Differences concerning level of qualification
  (skilled/low qualified workers)
• Duration of stay company needs, personal
  interests
• Sector specific differences

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Workers Mobility

• Benefits
• Get more experiences
• Improve career prospects
• Improve well-being at work
• Create more and better jobs
• Increase flexibility in the labour market
• Manage restructuring and shortages of skills and
  labour
• Create a true EU labour market

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Workers Mobility

• Obstacles
• Information
• Legal and administrative issues (social security)
• Living, languages, family
• Psychological issues (return conditions)
• Employers proper functioning of the labour
  market
• Unions conditions and rules required
• SP should remain a voluntary option

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Workers Mobility

• Questions
• How relevant are geographical and occupational
  mobility for the sector of the Chemical Industry?
• Do companies want to keep workforce by offering
  mobility opportunities?
• What do workers of the sector think about
  mobility?
• Which conditions do you see as important?
• Are there skill requirements or training needs?

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Social Dialogue

• European Commission
• DG Employment, Social Affairs, Equal
  Opportunities
• Unit Social Dialogue, Industrial Relations
• Dirk HADRICH
• Dirk.Hadrich_at_ec.europa.eu
• http//ec.europa.eu/employment_social/social_dialo
  gue