Dear readers,
I am very pleased to open this pilot issue of our new online newsletter with a reflection on change and innovation in the world of work. I have to admit that this reflexion is made with the focus on our 2017 Civil Society Prize award ceremony in December. It seems fitting to launch this prototype by concentrating on a forward-looking exercise.
Rapid changes in the structure and organisation of today's economies are opening up new opportunities, but also presenting new risks and difficulties in the labour market. Salaried workers are increasingly being superseded by flexible forms of work and new types of worker, something that is causing concern both among the scientific community and among politicians in Europe.
As a result of technological development and digitisation the changes in the workplace and the new skills required for the workforce are a reality that needs to be faced. As a consequence, many atypical forms of work are emerging, such as part-time work, work with multiple contractors and work involving online platforms that operate as a network of specialised, highly-trained professionals.
Developments in the workplace are a key aspect of the EESC's activities. To illustrate the importance of this, the 2017 Civil Society Prize will be awarded to "innovative projects to promote quality employment and entrepreneurship for the future of work". We wish to reward innovative business ideas that provide a practical example of socially acceptable adaptation to these new forms of work but also different forms of worker inclusion. The EESC is closely monitoring the EU's employment strategy and ways of combating the types of unemployment that are most worrying: youth unemployment and long-term unemployment. Against this backdrop, the prize encourages creativity in European enterprises and highlights examples of best practices for tackling unemployment.
Changes in the forms of employment are giving rise to a critical reflexion on social protection needs in Europe. Policies to address these, however, call for significant financial resources, and guaranteeing such funding is perhaps the greatest challenge now facing European society.
It is my belief that at this time of sweeping change in the world of work, the basic aims and principles of social dialogue are even more important in order to achieve good compromises. Europe already has some good examples of how to deal with the requirements and challenges of the workplace. We saw examples of this in the 111 applications for the award, but there are many more out there to discover and emulate. We have already selected the most outstanding candidates, and in the coming days we will reward the most interesting, innovative and inspiring among them, in the hope that our support will lead to even greater success on their part. Through this prize it is also our intention to showcase and give credit to all those who have risen to the challenge, and to encourage them to forge ahead. We encourage all civil society players to keep up the good work!
Gonçalo Lobo Xavier
EESC Vice-President for Communication
Dear readers,
I am very pleased to open this pilot issue of our new online newsletter with a reflection on change and innovation in the world of work. I have to admit that this reflexion is made with the focus on our 2017 Civil Society Prize award ceremony in December. It seems fitting to launch this prototype by concentrating on a forward-looking exercise.