ILO at the 'Jobs for Europe' conference
The European Commission organized on 6 and 7 September 2012 a major employment policy conference in Brussels. The ILO Director General elect called for an "immediate and urgent change of policy in the EU"
The European Commission organized, on 6 and 7 September 2012, an employment policy conference in Brussels, bringing jobs to the forefront of the EU's political agenda. The International Labour Organization (ILO) actively participated in this conference.
Between 13:00 - 14:30
Video message by Juan Somavia, Director-General of the ILO.
Guy Ryder: "Immediate and urgent change of policy needed"
Press release
'Immediate and urgent change of policy needed', says Guy Ryder, Director-General elect of the International Labour Organization (ILO)
Assessing the employment situation in the EU at the European Commission’s Jobs for Europe conference on 6 and 7 September 2012, the ILO Director-General elect Guy Ryder said that the 'drama of the European unemployment crisis' shows the need for a new policy approach. There is evidence 'that the currently predominant mix of austerity and structural reforms is unacceptable and has produced negative results', he pointed out.
Looking at the dramatic jobless rates among young people that are threatening the stability of European societies, Guy Ryder called for putting growth and decent job creation as top priority of European policy.
According to Guy Ryder, EU-wide solidarity is required. The ILO calculated that if Greece leaves the Eurozone, unemployment rates would increase across the Eurozone, even in Germany, where the unemployment rate would increase by around 25%. "Just looking at this figure shows that solidarity and self-interest come into conjunctions", he urged European policy makers.
Defining the role of the ILO, the Director-General elect pointed out that the ILO should have a more systematic and constructive role in the most crisis-hit European countries. “Should the ILO have been at the table in Greece, we could have made a difference and could have achieved better solutions than we have now. We are ready there, we are ready to help", Guy Ryder stressed a future role of the ILO next to the IMF, ECB and EC.
For more information, please contact the ILO-Brussels Communication Assistant Barbara Janssens: janssens@ilo.org, 0032 484 91 55 59.
Thursday 6 September 2012
Video message by Juan Somavia, Director-General of the ILO.
Friday 7 September 2012
Guy Ryder: "Immediate and urgent change of policy needed"Press release
'Immediate and urgent change of policy needed', says Guy Ryder, Director-General elect of the International Labour Organization (ILO)
Assessing the employment situation in the EU at the European Commission’s Jobs for Europe conference on 6 and 7 September 2012, the ILO Director-General elect Guy Ryder said that the 'drama of the European unemployment crisis' shows the need for a new policy approach. There is evidence 'that the currently predominant mix of austerity and structural reforms is unacceptable and has produced negative results', he pointed out.
Looking at the dramatic jobless rates among young people that are threatening the stability of European societies, Guy Ryder called for putting growth and decent job creation as top priority of European policy.
According to Guy Ryder, EU-wide solidarity is required. The ILO calculated that if Greece leaves the Eurozone, unemployment rates would increase across the Eurozone, even in Germany, where the unemployment rate would increase by around 25%. "Just looking at this figure shows that solidarity and self-interest come into conjunctions", he urged European policy makers.
Defining the role of the ILO, the Director-General elect pointed out that the ILO should have a more systematic and constructive role in the most crisis-hit European countries. “Should the ILO have been at the table in Greece, we could have made a difference and could have achieved better solutions than we have now. We are ready there, we are ready to help", Guy Ryder stressed a future role of the ILO next to the IMF, ECB and EC.
For more information, please contact the ILO-Brussels Communication Assistant Barbara Janssens: janssens@ilo.org, 0032 484 91 55 59.