Flexicurity

EESC opinion: Flexicurity

Key points

The Committee

  •  welcomes the inputs from the European Parliament, the Council and the European social partners into the flexicurity debate;
  • emphasises that flexicurity should be a part of a response to external and internal trends and pressures such as globalisation and the rapid development of new technologies;
  • emphasises that Europe should focus on its innovation capacity, the high quality of its products and services, its well-trained workforce and its social model and that this should be better reflected in the Employment Guidelines;
  • recommends that the Commission take stock of the different contributions and views, and that it consult Member States social partners at all levels;
  • encourages the Commission to monitor the implementation process and to establish a platform for exchange of good practices that includes the social partners;
  • supports the active involvement of social partners in the design and implementation of flexicurity policies within the Member States in all stages of the process;
  • underlines that sound macroeconomic policies, as well as a favourable business environment supporting the full growth potential, are important preconditions for flexicurity;
  • encourages Member States and the EU to create and maintain a legal framework conducive to adaptability, which is simple, transparent and predictable, as well as to strengthen and uphold employees' rights within a stable legal framework for collective bargaining and social dialogue;
  • points out that general welfare systems can improve mobility by ensuring that workers do not lose out when they are confronted with changes affecting their workplace;
  • underlines the importance of devoting economic resources to flexicurity, including public and private aid for employees in transition to a new job;
  • emphasises that all relevant policies should be mutually reinforcing and wants to see an integrated, multi-level approach;
  • argues that new risks should be taken into account and that transitions should be rewarded in the implementation of flexicurity but also that permanent job contracts should not be systematically abolished;
  • thinks that in five years time the Commission should undertake a review of flexicurity practices in the Member States.