Finnish social partners issue statement on European employment strategy reform
Published: 16 June 2002
In June 2002, the Finnish social partners drew up a joint statement expressing their viewpoint on the review of the European employment strategy which is currently under preparation. They unanimously support the reinforcement and simplification of the strategy, and a significant decrease in the number of EU guidelines.
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In June 2002, the Finnish social partners drew up a joint statement expressing their viewpoint on the review of the European employment strategy which is currently under preparation. They unanimously support the reinforcement and simplification of the strategy, and a significant decrease in the number of EU guidelines.
During 2002, the European Commission has been reviewing the European employment strategy (EES), five years after its launch at the Luxembourg European Council 'jobs summit' in November 1997 (EU9711168F). The EES involves the annual cycle of EU Employment Guidelines and Member States' National Action Plans (NAPs) for employment (EU0109236F).
On 13 June 2002, the Finnish social partners issued a joint statement on the EES review currently being prepared. The joint statement was signed by the central trade union confederations - the Confederation of Finnish Trade Unions (Suomen Ammattiliittojen Keskusjärjestö, SAK), Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees (Toimihenkilökeskusjärjestö, STTK) and Confederation of Salaried Employees (AKAVA) - and employers' organisations - the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers (Teollisuuden ja Työnantajain Keskusliitto, TT), Employers' Confederation of Service Industries (Palvelutyönantajat, PT) and Commission for Local Authority Employers (Kunnallinen Työmarkkinalaitos, KT). It was delivered to Anna Diamantopoulou, the EU Commissioner for employment and social affairs, and the members of the EU Employment Committee.
The Finnish social partners unanimously support the reinforcement and simplification of the EES, and a significant decrease in the number of EU guidelines. They take the view that the general strategic goals of the EES should not be checked every year, as at present. They also propose a consideration of whether the aims of the measures concerned could be decided at national level. The partners are especially satisfied that employment policy issues are now being given a more central role in tripartite cooperation at all levels of activity. With the advent of the EES, statistical comparisons across Member States have become more standardised, comprehensive and reliable. According to the Finnish organisations, it is important to monitor developments in employment and unemployment and, in particular, qualitative change in working life, at the EU level.
The social partners agree that the EU's goal of full employment is good and will strengthen its economic growth and competitiveness. They emphasises that the EES must be compatible with economic policy and a 'knowledge-based Europe'. Further, the Finnish organisations consider that the social partners in the candidate countries for EU membership should be granted the right to participate in drawing up the EES.
The Finnish unions and employers' organisations hope that the statement will influence the reform and development of the EES. The Commission is due to issue a Communication containing proposals for amending the strategy in July 2002, and the Council of Ministers should give its views on these proposals during the autumn.
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