1. PRECARIOUS WORK IN THE CRISIS
Kristin Carls
(external collaborator ACTRAV/ITCILO)

2. Precarious work in the crisis
Three issues:
quantitative development: temporary + part time + own account work
regulations: legislation + social dialogue + collective bargaining
union activities
Definition:
precarious work = fewer rights + protections

3. (A) Potentially precarious employment in Europe in 2010
EU 27 average
all workers
EU27 Youth (15-24)
Part time
18.5%
29%
Temporary
13.9%
42.2%
Own account
10.2%
3.6%

4. Who is most precarious youth
 but also oldest workforce fractions
low paid and low skilled jobs & less educated workers
 but also highly qualified + managerial positions
women
men = physically hard working conditions
women = low pay

5. Regional patterns (2010) shares above EU-average:
part time = only old member states
temporary employment = old member states & Poland + Slovenia
own account labour = southern + central-eastern + anglo-saxon countries
lowest shares for all categories: Baltic States

9. Labour market developments during the crisis
Unemployment in Europe
annual increase in unemployment ( )
unemployment rate in 2010
annual increase in youth unemployment ( )
youth unemployment rate in 2010
EU27
+1.9%points
9.7%
+4.5%points
20.8%
highest country values
3x EE + LT
2x IR + LV
+6%-points: ES+DK
17-20%:
ES + LV+EE+LT
+15-20%-points: LV+EE+LT;
+10-15%-points: ES+IR
> 30%:
& SL+EL

12. Potentially precarious employment during the crisis
Pre-crisis years
Early crisis year(s)
Later crisis years
(EU27, annual growth in %-points)
Temporary employment
slow-down: +0.8/2005
+0.5/2006
+0.1/2007
step fall:
-0.5/2008
-0.5/2009
reincrease:
+0.3/2010
Part time
slow-down:
+0.6/2005
+0.2/2006
growth stop in 2008
re-accelerated growth:
+0.5%/2009
+0.4%/2010
Own account labour
very moderate decrease
-0.07/2006
-0.09/2007)
slightly accelerated decrease:
-0.19%/2008
moderate reincrease: +0.13/2009
+0.29/2010

13. Potentially precarious youth employment during the crisis
Pre-crisis years
Early crisis year(s)
Later crisis years
(EU27, annual growth in %-points)
Temporary youth employment
slow-down: +3.5/ /
step fall:
-1.1/2008
immediate re-increase + re-acceleration:
+0.3/2009
+1.7/2010
Part time youth employment
slow-down
only 2007:
+0.7%/2005
+0.6/2006
+0.3%/2007
back to long-term growth rate:
+0.6/2008
accelerated growth:
+1.2/2009
+1.2/2010
Own acount youth labour
nearly stable:
-0.05/2006
+0.02/2007
moderate decrease:
-0.2%p/ 2008
moderate reincrease:
+0.12/2009
+0.14/2010

15. Country patterns
<-> Initial levels of potentially precarious employment:
Temp: largest annual crisis increases // lowest initial levels
ES+SE+PL+SI+FI+PT
& strongest temporary decreases // higher initial levels
LV+SL+EE+HU+LT
Part time + Own account: strong annual increases // high+low initial levels
part time low: LT+LV+EE+RO+SI
& part time high: AU+SE+DK+SE+AU+IR
own account low: LU+SI+NL
& own account high: SL+CZ+RO
Own account: strong annual decreases own account // low initial levels
LT+EE

16. Country patterns 2 <-> Crisis affection: Temporary + Part time:
strongest annual changes // strongest crisis affection
strong annual increases temporary employment: LV+EE+HU+LT
strong annual decreases temporary employment: ES+SI+PT
strong annual increases part time employment: LV+LT+EE+IR+SI+RO+DK
Own account:
strongest annual decreases // strongest crisis affection: LT+EE

19. changes in the share of own account labour 2007 - 2010 in % (Eurostat / Labour Force Survey)

20. (B) Labour market regulations during the crisis
flexibilisation and welfare policies
reregulation of precarious work
restrictions
enhancement of rights + protections
survey results from 20 EU-countries

21. Flexibilisation nearly all survey countries (but HU + CY) issues:
<-> strongest in LT, PL, RO, BU, CZ, SI, EL, IT, PT, ES, IR
issues:
flexibilisation of working times
& easier use of part time + short-time work
easier use of temporary employment
& new forms of flexible employment
experienced as imposed deregulation

22. Welfare policies Two phases:
early crisis reactions: pointed extensions
esp. unemployment + short-time working schemes
extension of unemployment benefits in 17 EU-countries: LV, LT, PL, CZ, BU, RO, FI, SE, GE, AU, NL, BE, FR, IT, PT, ES, UK
since 2009/2010: heavy retrenchment
esp. social assistance + unemployment + maternity benefits
nearly all survey countries (but BE, LU, CY)
<-> strongest in LT, LV, CZ, RO, BU, EL, IT, ES, PT, IR, UK

23. Reregulation of potentially precarious employment
some new restriction in 11 countries
LT, EL, IT, PT, SI, IR, UK, PL, LU, BE, NL
issues:
maximum duration
accepted reasons
transformation
working time flexibility
some enhancements of rights+protections in 10 countries:
EL, PT, IT, GE, CY, UK, SI, PL, BE, NL
inclusion in short-time working schemes
access to unemployment benefits
equal treatment

24. Youth related measures:
focus = ALMP + flexibilisation
less initiatives to enhance rights+protections
increased social security coverage: SI+EL+IT+ES & UK+AU+FR
better transition opportunities: EL+PT
 counter examples:
reduced minimum wages: SE+EL
reduced legal protections: SE+ES+NL
restriction of unemployment benefits: FI+IR

25. Decent work outcomes?!
limited efforts if compared to simultaneous flexibilisation
all restricting countries // strong flexibilisation policies (besides SI)
limited scope of enhancements of rights+protections
temporary character  austerity policies

26. (C) Unions‘ activities
recognition of precarioius work as policy issue:
priorities: transformation + restrictions + rights/protections + ALMP
less concrete activities:
specific support structures versus universal approach
organising: low-paid services & TAW + bogus self-employed + youth
awareness raising + public opinion campaigns

27. Activities for young workers
Activities for young workers in precarious employment:
awareness raising + communication campaigns:
topics: working+living conditions (SI/ZSSS) + internships (UK/TUC + IR/ICTU)
methods: web-campaign (IT/CGIL) + action week (PT/CGTP)

28. Evaluations: examples for strong commitment:
SI/ZSSS, IR/ICTU, UK/TUC, IT/CGIL, PT/CGTP, BE/ACV-CSC, NL/FNV
 high shares or growth rates of potentially precarious employment
 crisis = increased sensibility
strong + weak points:
reregulation of flexibility through social dialogue
<-> but: degrading social dialogue
campaigning on rights + protections
<-> but: lacking effectiveness
need for more attention + concrete action + organising

29. THANK YOU