Presentatie Labour Market Seminar 26/4/2012

The Precariatsome critical remarks Jan DenysRandstad Labour Market Seminar Brussels April 26 2012

General remarks Ambitious (global perspective) Relevant (dealing with important issues) Challenging Innovative (new concept of class) Bold Critical (for almost everybody, unions included)3

General remark: (too) negative perspective Negative view on globalisation, labour market developments and labour in general The world is changing, change creates always fear, difficulties, insecurity but offers challenges, possibilities, creativity The focus is clearly on fear, insecurity and difficulties Because of that, a lot of opportunities of changes are missed or neglected (new world of work) Anglo-Saxon perspective4

Who enters the Precariat? (Almost) Everybody But in each group ‘grinners’ and ‘groaners’5

Who enters the Precariat? Only one exception: As long as he is not too fat or small …6

The Precariat is diffuse concept7

The Precariat is growing ? Not confused by the facts: ‘The trend towards temporary labour is strong’ (p. 34) Temporary work Agency work 1985 11,5 2000 2,4 2000 12,2 2010 1,8 2010 14,08

The Precariat is growing ? (2) Own account workers 2004 7,4 2010 8,0 What about part time work? 1985 12,5 2000 17,5 2010 21,6 In majority of countries employee driven development.9

The Precariat is growing ? Working part time is mostly a preferred choice10 Source: Bridging the Gap - Randstad

The Precariat is growing after 2008? ‘The recession that followed gave firms an excuse to rid themselves of ‘permanent’ employees and to welcome more temps.’ (p.34) Temporary employment Agency work 2008 14,1 2008 1,9 2009 13,4 2010 1,611

The social value of labour

Latent functions of labour Jobs are often not the road to Nirvana (p. 162) Agree, but they are not only instrumental either Time structure Social contacts Part of collective goal (social integration) Status and identity Activity

Other kinds of work are overestimatedDomestic work has same inconveniences as paid work Dissatisfaction with content of the job Underqualification Routinisation Fragmentation Lack of autonomy Long hours Low status Source: Oakley, The sociology of housework, 1974

Poor statistical evidence In the 1960’s, a worker entering the labour market could have anticipated having four employers by the time he retired. Now a typical worker can anticipate having nine employers before reaching the age of 30 (p. 36) Average tenure in Belgium is 12,2 years (OECD 10). 11% has tenure of less than 1 year, 46 of more than 10 years (OECD is 14 and 38%).15

Poor statistical evidence (2) A Gallup survey in Germany in 2009 found that only 13 per cent of all employed felt committed to their job. (p. 24) Commitment to working organisations in Flanders: 6,2 (on a scale of 10) ‘It’s important for me that I can do a contribution to the goal of this organisation’: 77,5 of respondents say YES.16 Source: H.De Witte (2010) Werken in Vlaanderen, Acco

Poor statistical evidence (3) Recovery need Low High High 60,1% (pleasant) 27,9% (challenging) Pleasure Low 4,9% (boring) 7,1% (debilitating)17

The role of temporary work • If temporary work is not chosen and dead end, then it can be a social problem • Where is the fundamental segmentation on labour market? Between work and unemployment (insider/outsider)? Between unemployment/temporary work and ‘permanent’ work (dead end)?18

Temporary work is in most cases atransition on the labour market Evolution of the work status of the temporary workers ’05 on the 6 count moments 100% 90% 27,40% 25,30% 25,40% 24,40% 24,40% 30,30% 80% 70% 11,70% 21% 17,50% 18,40% 60% 22,80% 23,50% 50% 40% 61,4% 28% 28% 35% 35% 41,30% 41,3% 47,60% 47,6% 54,7 61,40% 30% 29,4% 20% 10% 18,20% 14,80% 12,40% 9,50% 0% 2,50% 1,30% mei-06 nov-06 mei-07 nov-07 mei-08 nov-08 temporary work uitzendarbeid indefinite contract onbepaalde duur other types of contract ander contract type geen contract no contract Source: Federgon

The role of private employment services • PRES play an important role in the shift to temporary labour (Standing) • But very little attention is given to them (1 page) • Total lack of analysis • Sergio Ricca (ILO) described already in the nineties why PRES were important for the labour market • Labour markets became too complex to be managed alone by public employment services20

The solution of Guy Standing: The BasicIncome Deserves more research Underestimates latent functions of labour A part of underclass will be disconnected of society Bad for social cohesion

What about the other solution? Flexicurity! Mysterious absence of the flexicurity concept of European Commission. Flexicurity is, until now, the best concept to deal with the dilemma that society (workers and employers) needs both flexibility and security. Flexibility keeps labour force participation at high level and long term unemployment at low level, it also generates underemployment and insecurity (*p. 160) * Source: The Global Employment Challenge by Ghose, Majid, Ernst, ILO, 201022

Conclusion Case of ‘the emergence of the precariat’ is not convincing. • Choice of data is too selective • Interpretation of data and developments is debatable and sometimes just wrong • Story was more important than facts • Ambition is not fulfilled Another, more positive story: Free to work23

Traditional & modern view on labour market Traditional ModernVision on the labour Closed OpenmarketWorld perspective Company Labour marketPower play Uneven: in the advantage More equal and also of the employer changingResponsibility Employer Shared responsibility worker/employerEmotion Negative, threat Positive, opportunitiesSocial protection Permanent contract, notice Mobility, employability periods, closing fee 2 jobsSecurity Job security WorksecurityBasic characteristics Homogeneous Diversity

Thanks for listening!25

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Presentatie Labour Market Seminar 26/4/2012

by Randstad Group Belgium on May 09, 2012

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Presentatie Labour Market Seminar 26/4/2012 Presentation Transcript