Forest Sector Workforce in the UNECE Region

UNECE/FAO Workshop on Forest Products Markets and Forest Sector

Workforce in the Balkans 9 December 2015, Podgorica, Montenegro

Elina Warsta, UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section

Where are we now?

• Workshop in Geneva, Switzerland, March 2015: Threats to Sustainability of the Forest Sector Workforce

• Side event in Durban, South Africa, September 2015: Promoting Decent Work in Forest Certification – Moving Beyond ILO Conventions

• UNECE region (North America, Europe, the Russian

Federation, Central Asia and Caucasus) • Limited view of stakeholders and countries, only one

part of the story to initiate discussion and a study

Major threats

• ageing workforce

• lack of young entrants to the forestry professions particularly for forest operations, enforced by the demographic change

• continuing gender imbalance in forestry professions

• insufficient training and education of forest workers in parts of Europe

• persisting high accident risks and emerging health risks for operators of forest machines

• low profitability of forest operation services

Woodworking industry and employment

• Major employer in the EU, especially in rural areas

• More than 2,3 million in 380.000 companies • Woodworking industry in EU: 1.0 million workers

• Furniture industry : 1.2 million workers

• -30% compared to 2008

Source: Wagner / State Forest Service of North Rhine-Westphalia

Mechanization of timber harvesting in Germany

Fully mechanized (%) Not / partly mechanized (%) Number of harvesters

Role of data and information

Recent analysis shows • Data on social aspects are weak in terms of accuracy

and consistency • Data not available at all or sufficient in several

countries (e.g. accident statistics) Better information is needed • to understand the relevance and dimension of the

actual and emerging problems • to enable coherent politial decisions and action

planning

Aging workforce

• Not an easy situation: improvement of working conditions, better age management, and promotion of work ability over the person’s entire working life • Prevention of workplace accidents, work- related symptoms and diseases in all age groups should be a high priority

Action and policies needed to

• sustain worklife-long employability of ageing workers

• increase attractiveness to motivate young entrants into forestry professions

• foster employment of women and men in all forestry careers

• facilitate vocational training and education of forest workers

• improve safety and health

• increase profitability of forest operation services

What is needed in reporting?

• Improved indicators • Improved data collection instruments • Identification of reliable information sources

on national level • e.g. in collaboration with health insurance,

national labour inspection • Collabaration with labour representatives

• Capacities for improved reporting on social indicators • national: research capacities on social aspects • pan-European: Resources for co-ordination and

review • Capacities for data review and monitoring

What about Balkans, Central Asia and the Caucasus?

• What is the current situation with forest sector workforce?

• Is forest sector attractive enough for students and workers?

• Is the quality of education (vocational, university) sufficient?

• Are there possibilities for new jobs in the forest sector (forestry, wood processing, reacreation, etc.)?

• Mechanization of forest operations vs. corporate social responsibility – role of policies?

Thank you!

For more information contact:

elina.warsta@unece.org

SWOT analysis of forest sector workforce

Strengths related to forest sector

workforce

Weaknesses related to forest sector

workforce

Opportunities within the broader enabling environment + (e.g. international trends, market forces, other sectors, policies etc.)

Threats within the broader context -(e.g. market forces, other sectors, politics etc.)

Feasible recommendations to develop forest sector workforce

Feasible recommendations to develop forest sector workforce in the

enabling environment

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis procedure