Ireland widens jobs debate

Date: 04/07/1996

By Michael Mann

THE new Irish presidency is wasting no time in translating its commitment to widen the EU debate over ways of combating unemployment into action.

EU social welfare and labour ministers will gather in Dublin Castle next week to consider the specific problems facing the long-term jobless, estimated to make up over 5&percent; of the Union's potential workforce.

Ireland, which has been tasked with drawing the different strands of the unemployment debate together in the single report to be presented at December's Dublin summit, is stressing that the battle to get some of the Union's 18 million unemployed back to work requires better interaction between labour market and social welfare policies.

Next week's three-day meeting will base its deliberations on a 35-page paper which asks member states to consider whether they are giving the long-term unemployed the attention they deserve.

Ireland points out that even if an element of unemployment is a force for 'healthy' competition in the labour market, this is not the case for long-term unemployment, which can have serious effects on both psychological and physical health.

“In addition, the fear of long-term unemployment tends to influence the behaviour of the bulk of workers, reducing their mobility and their readiness to take risks,” it warns.

Ministers will be asked to give special attention to improving links between welfare services and those attempting to get people back to work, and ensuring that the benefits to be gained from returning to work after a long period of unemployment actually make it worthwhile.

The meeting will also examine whether employers' social insurance costs discourage companies from creating or maintaining job opportunities.

As the Commission made clear in its discussion paper on social protection last October, “the task of making social protection spending a positive force in the fight against unemployment” is of crucial importance.

The presidency's research has revealed that some member states' efforts to cut non-wage labour costs for low paid jobs has had a very limited impact.

With the social partners due to discuss the rights of 'atypical' workers, and evidence that this type of work is playing an increasing role in the job market, ministers will be asked whether it is possible to combine income from welfare and work.