Fighting Youth Unemployment

Brussels 2014-02-19

The Situation

A long range of austerity measures hitting young people hard:

• Dismantled unemployment insurance• Lower standards of certain upper secondary

class education – do not qualify for higher education

• Less places of higher education

Jobs for young people

• Parttime jobs• Fixed term employment contracts• Informal employment relations• Temporary manpower agencies – create no

new jobs – but jobs with poorer conditions• Historically high general unemployment – 8,2 %. Age 15 – 24 of age – 23,9 %.

Government measures

• Tax reductions to hope to create increased demand.

• Reduction of social costs for young people with 50%.

Hoping the market will create new jobs also for young people.

DON´T WORK

Trade Union Youth Manifesto

The right to work• Policy with full employment as target must be

introduced. Job-generating investments within infrastructure, housing and welfare system.

• Young people must have the same rights to economic compensation in case of unemployment. No discrimination!

• Direct access to job guarantee programme.

Trade Union Youth Manifesto

• A right to a ”second chance” – giving young people competence and experience.

• More training posts in municipal adult education and vocational schools.

• Improved education in upper secondary school and qualify for further studies.

Trade Union Youth Manifesto

Decent employment• All young adults offered decent employment contracts

and wages according to the collective agreement in force.

• The permanent, full-time employment must be established as the norm on the entire labour market.

• Misuse of fixed-term employment contracts must be prevented.

• Must be easier for employees of manpower agencies to forsee their work situation.

Trade Union Youth Manifesto

A salary to live on• A collective agreement at all places of work.• That probationary periods without pay is

eradicated.• That minimum wages in collective agreements

must be raised.• The principle of equal pay for equal work must

apply – not excluding young people.

Trade Union Youth Manifesto

A progressive working environment• Young adults are offered the right to personal

and professional enhancemant irrespective of form of employment.

• That the employer takes issues regarding stress seriously.

• The employer are to encourage the election of trade union representatives at places of work.

Trade Union Youth Manifesto

• The employer organizes the work and supply adequate equipment to avoid risks as robbery, threats and violence at their places of work.

• That dangerous and perilous solitary work shall not occur.

• That the employer´s organisations should train their members in ”The Act on CO-determination” to improve the dialogue and grant young adults more influence at their places of work.

Agreements on employment integration

Tri – partite: Government, Employer´s organisations, LO-Trade Unions

• A subvention of social costs• Support to tutors at the workplace• National support structure forthe education• Certain support to the social partners

Agreement on employment integration

• With some changes LO –TU agreed• Business Sweden withdraw from the triparty discussions• 4 TU have signed agreements with employers

organisations at branch level• 13 of 14 LO Trade Unions are discussing,

negotiating agreements.