The Future of Work, Employment and Social Protection
The search for new securities in a world of growing uncertainties
An international conference organized jointly by the French Ministry of Employment and Solidarity and the International Institute for Labour Studies of the ILO
Twenty-five years of economic, social and technological change have made it necessary to re-examine the terms of the debate on work,
employment and the social protection systems in industrialized countries. The role of work as a source of economic
security and social cohesion needs to be reconsidered and be put in the broader framework of
economic, political and social changes.
Major transformations are occurring in national economies and production systems, which are becoming increasingly global, more flexible,
more service-oriented, and more dependent on fluctuations in the international market for goods, services and capital. Technological
progress is
advancing rapidly and new information and communication possibilities are at the core of the flexible labour markets of the "New
Economy", while at the same time deregulation and privatization policies have had a substantial impact on work and employment.
Demographic ageing, rising female labour force participation, the shift towards service and knowledge industries, and changed family
structures bring new challenges to policy makers. However, in parallel with these structural factors the business cycle also affects work,
employment and social protection, thus complicating the diagnosis of change.
The implications of these changes for work and employment are subject to controversy: while some argue that the developments are a
major source of job creation, others contend that they impact negatively on the quantity and the quality of jobs. There are also arguments
about whether labour markets need more flexibility and whether or not rising inequalities are a necessary corollary of job growth. In fact,
an active debate on the effects of the transformation of work on both the quantity and quality of jobs continues: each day we are confronted
with alarming news on the increasing precariousness of jobs, on job losses, social exclusion and a generally rising perception of insecurity.
Employment security declines, and a greater emphasis is given to employability in a fast changing labour market.
These developments go together with debates and policy changes in social protection, some of which further increase feelings of insecurity.
Besides changes in retirement systems, we also face a radical change as more and more countries lean towards an "active" welfare state in
which more and more benefits are conditional on participation in work or training or in which services and benefits are restructured in order
to support increasing participation in paid work.
The speed of change, especially within the service sector in general and in particular within the New (global) Economy, is such that the
threat of becoming an outsider is rather pervasive, and the delivery of solutions to the problems of employment, income and social security
becomes vital even for the survival of governments. Rising insecurity and inequality poses a threat to democracy. This means that "change
management" aimed at reducing uncertainty is not only an economic imperative but a pre-eminent political question and the question of the
regulation of the market has returned to the policy agenda.
While globalization and technological change seem to be irreversible, institutions and policies can be altered in order to promote economic
prosperity, flexibility and security in economic adjustments and a degree of equality which ensures social cohesion.
The discussions in this Conference will seek to identify the various changes that have been taking place, and try to forecast likely future
trends. They should result in proposals for policy solutions which ensure the integration of social and economic concerns.
These analyses must take into account all aspects of work: not only social protection and income security, but also the quality of inclusion
in the labour market and in society. This is what the ILO means by the term "decent work", which seeks to encompass the various
dimensions of work - its quality, the rights pertaining to it, protection, representation and economic security.
About this conference:
The conference was planned within the general framework of an agreement between the French Government and the ILO. It was initiated personally during a first pilot
workshop in March 2000 in Paris by the French Minster of Employment and Solidarity, Martine Aubry and by the Director-General of the ILO, Juan Somavia. The
objective of the conference is to discuss the transformation of work, employment and social protection and how this affects policies, politics and society in general. The
international aspect of the conference is important; it should not only permit an exchange between different European views but also compare the European debate with
US and Japanese experiences. The conclusions of these discussions should give clues as to how to grasp the opportunities of these transformations and to minimize
their negative impacts. It is the first of a series of meetings that are planned on these themes. Future workshops may extend the debate, both in regional terms (the first
being devoted to industrialized countries) and in thematic coverage.
We attach particular attention to the format of the workshop, which will involve about 60 personalities from academia, trade unions and employers' organizations,
companies and governments. They are invited not to represent particular organizations but because of their expertise on the questions discussed. In each session some
participants have been requested to act as speakers, panellists and synthesizers, but our goal is active debate rather than extended presentations. The sessions have
therefore been organized for open discussion and all participants are invited to contribute their insights and experiences. We also encourage participants to stay for the
duration of the conference (one and a half days on Thursday and Friday, 18-19 January 2001) and invite them to join us on Wednesday evening for dinner. The meeting
will be held in the Imperial Hotel in Annecy. The location has been chosen to promote an atmosphere of debate and exchange between participants.
The timing of the conference falls just before the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland. While there is no connection between the two events, we hope that our conclusions will inform this other high-level meeting on how to address the social aspects of the economic transformation that industrial countries face today.
| 
