Topics

 

Digital Communications: Trends in procurement of contingent labour.

 

By Hans Wanders (CIO, MD business concept development & innovation at Randstad and Chair of SETU) & Etienne Colella (Managing Director Pixid)

 

 

Companies using a contingent workforce increasingly seek to simplify procurement and administration of their contingent workforce and to ensure control and legal and contract compliance. MSP (Master Service Provider) models, originating from the Anglo-Saxon markets, are good at optimizing the procurement process, but fail to achieve process efficiencies throughout the delivery chain. In Europe, MSP models make sense for sourcing Professional and Specialized profiles, where vendors are many and volumes are low. However, in Europe’s general staffing markets, a number of alternative models are emerging that optimize both the buying and administrative processes.

 

These models include transparent master vendor models, use of an industry-wide process integration platform (like Pixid in France) and even true integration of client and vendor administrative processes. These often involve digital communication between client and vendor using (localized versions of) HR-XML. In this master class we will give an overview of various models and discuss their pros and cons. We will specifically look at the situation in France, with the feed-back of more than 6 years of roll-outs and see how digitalization is transforming the contingent workforce market.

 

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How technology is rapidly changing the game. What's going on and what will happen next?

 

By Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten (Founder The Next Web and Technology Trendwatcher of the Year)

 

 

Drawing from his experiences as a successful serial entrepreneur, internet enthusiast and blogger, Boris offers a lively and unique perspective on starting up companies, networking your way to fame and glory (and riches) and current technology trends. His background as an artist, professional juggler, and graphic designer endow him with an interesting combination of technology know-how and creativity.

 

Boris has the unique ability and network to give his audience a look into what's coming. During his masterclass at the World Employment Conference Boris will give you some suprising insights on what's happening online and how it will impact the current employment industry.

 

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How to regulate and facilitate cross border activities for private employment agencies.

 

By Sjoerd Feenstra (European Commission)

 

 

At current only about 2 to 4% of the EU working population temporarily works in another EU member state. Considering the demographic and skills challenges ahead of us, more cross border mobility will be needed to meet future qualitative and quantitative mismatches. The EU Posting of Workers Directive provides for a solid legal framework in order to guarantee workers from other EU countries the basic labour conditions of their temporary work country. At current this Directive is being assessed by the Commission, with a view to a legislative initiative to be presented before 2012. Certainly in the areas of providing better information to workers as well as regarding enforcement, improvements can be made. Rogue temporary work agencies are a major problem to the well regulated and organized staffing industry. In the Netherlands, at current, about 50,000 temporary workers from Poland work for certified agencies, members of ABU and NBBU. However, research has shown that maybe just as many workers are still exploited by rogue agencies. Social partners in the agency work sector in the Netherlands have therefore established the SNCU, the ‘Collective Labour Agreement Police’ in order to better enforce the legal protection of foreign agency workers. How does the SNCU operate and what have they achieved?

 

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Labour markets in the wake of the "Great Recession".

 

By Paul Swaim (Sr. Economist Employment Analysis and Policy Division - OECD)

 

 

This master class will explore how the global economic crisis that erupted in 2008 affected labour markets, as well as what can be learned from the ‘Great Recession’ about how governments and employers can make the labour market more resilient to future shocks. The essential starting point for this discussion is to examine how the economic shock wave generated by financial market turmoil affected workers. In almost all advanced countries, many workers lost their jobs or faced lower hours and earnings.The role of short-time work schemes in reducing job losses has been much discussed, especially the example of Kurzarbeit in Germany. However, the role of the flexible workforce appears to have been much broader since employment flexibility takes many forms that may affect how staffing, working time and compensation adjust to changing business conditions.

 

The discussion will turn to two forward-looking issues. First, what are the prospects for labour market recovery in the coming years? A second longer-term issue is to consider what can be learned from the Great Recession and the early recovery period about ways that governments and employers can increase the resilience of labour markets to future shocks. Can governments be better prepared to scale up re-employment services when a downturn hits, perhaps by partnering with private employment agencies? Which forms of workforce flexibility or human resources policies contribute to labour market resilience? Are there other forms of workforce flexibility that tend to amplify the impact of negative shocks, rather than cushioning them?

 

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Pro's and con's of Flexicurity: how to realise sunstainable flex work

 

By Ton Wilthagen (Professor of labour at University Tilburg)

& Sieto de Leeuw (Managing Director Social & Public affairs Randstad Holding)

& Mariëtte Patijn (Official at FNV Bondgenoten; largest Trade Union in the Netherlands)

 

After an introduction from professor Ton Wilthagen on the flexicurity debate in Europe and the last developments on this issue. Sieto de Leeuw, chair of the ABU 'Collective Agreement' Committee, will reflect on this outline with a special focus on the Dutch collective agreement negotiations. Mariette Patijn, chair of the Union Delegation will contribute to the discussion from her point of view. In the ongoing negotiations, the ABU and the unions created a 'change agenda' with the purpose of filling the Dutch collective agreement with more future proof sustainable flex arrangements. In this master class, you will get an unique insight what is going on in Dutch negotiations and brief view of what the future will bring.

 

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Public-private cooperation.

 

By André Timmermans (Director UWV-Werkbedrijf; Dutch Public Employment Service)

 

 

Historically, public and private employment services maintain a delicate mutual relationship in nearly all countries of the world. Over the past three decades, once dominant antagonism has gradually been replaced by a better understanding of complementary roles and of the gains that can be reaped from various kinds of cooperation. A landmark has been the adoption of ILO Convention 181 in 1997, in which the value of mutual cooperation is given formal expression in international law.

 

In many ways, the Netherlands has been a forerunner in the development of synergy between public and private services providers in the labour market. After a stepwise development over a period of three decades, and sometimes trial and error, the collaborative approach has become firmly rooted over a wide spectrum of service provisions. This has clearly been to the benefit of a flexible and well performing Dutch labour market.

 

This masterclass will present the themes, modalities and experiences of public-private cooperation in the Netherlands, and also some remaining challenges still to be met. It will serve as a starting point for exchange and discussion between all workshop participants about opportunities for increased synergy.

 

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Regulating the triangular employment relationshop trough labour law and social dialogue?

 

By Corinne Vargha (Sr. Labour Lawyer at International Labour Office - ILO)

 

 

“Regulation on temporary agency work (TAW) varies significantly around the world, ranging from countries where the triangular relationship is banned to countries where the regulatory framework is mainly organised by legislation to some other countries where social dialogue plays a key role in defining the standards for TAW to operate. As a result, there is heterogeneous regulation on TAW. However, some international instruments provides some clear guidelines on what could be the right level of regulation for the triangular employment relationship. Adopted in 1997, the International Labour Organisation Convention n°181 on private employment agencies sets the general parameters for the regulation of workers' placement and employment by these agencies. Through this convention, the ILO seeks to assist its member States to establish clear policies, legislation and implementing mechanisms for the effective registration and licensing of private employment agencies, thereby helping them play a constructive role in contributing to a labour market free from exploitative conditions.

 

At the EU level, it took almost 10 years for Member States to agree on common minimum standards for the temporary agency work industry. In December 2008, the Directive on temporary agency work (2008/104/EC) was finally adopted, paving the way for its implementation at national level within the next 3 years. The main provisions of Directive are, on the one hand, that existing unjustified restrictions on temporary agency work should be assessed and reviewed by Member States - or by relevant social partners if such restrictions and prohibitions are laid down by collective labour agreements. On the other hand, the Directive sets the principle of equal treatment between agency workers and permanent workers within the user-companies, with the possibility to derogate to the principle if national social partners agree on such an exemption, provided that adequate protection is guaranteed.

 

 

This masterclass will review and debate what should be the relevant level of regulation for temporary agency work and how to best involve the social partners in defining the regulatory framework for private employment agencies. Issues related to control and enforcement of existing regulations will also be addressed. “

 

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The Network Society and what it means for the Employment Industry.

 

By Martijn Aslander (Founder at Lifehacking Academy)

 

 

Talk to Martijn Aslander for ten minutes and he’ll have your head spinning. He talks fast and enthusiastically about many things at once. His whirlwind of words, ideas and unexpected links seems to open up all sorts of drawers inside your head.

 

The basic drift of his account is that the current information society and knowledge economy offer way more opportunities than we realise. We have come to regard old habits and fixed ideas as incontestable patterns; that the economy is always about shortages, for example, or that time is money. Aslander states that the knowledge economy has new rules. Smart players are flexible, commit themselves to many people and pour their talents out onto the world in a confident manner. It’s about daring to give rather than just wan ting to receive; about sharing what you have and being generous to others. In his Masterclass Martijn will show you what's happening with information and it's impact on society.

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The private employment: from outlaw to trendsetter in employment law.

 

By Ferdinand Grapperhaus (Dutch Lawyer and partner with Allen & Overy)

 

 

A look at the recent history of temping and what we can learn from it for the future It is not so long ago that the temping agency was found to be a fiend of the labour market and especially the well being of the workers on that market. In many countries temping was restricted to an extent it became virtually unattractive from a commercial point of view - or it was simply not allowed. Agencies were considered to be illegal contractors, strike-breakers, and "wagedumpers". Nowadays they play an effective role in oiling the labour market, allocating the right persons to the right place in the right time, but also helping many people with their first introduction to a job, reintroducing people to the labour market and managing workers pools. Where did it all go right? In other words: what is the story behind this success taking into account the complex machinery that the labour market is? And what can the temping industry still do better? In this master class the prevailing issues of temp work are debated - from a very wide legal and labour market perspective. We look at the opportunities in the high and mid levels of the market, but we do not avoid to take a closer look at the recurring problems of groups at the bottom of the employment market - are they really suffering from flexible labour, and more important: how can flexible labour give them a stronger position on the labour market?

 

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Which partnerships between labour market actors and which role for private employment agency in making transitions pay in the EU labour market?

 

By Wallis Goelen (European Commission - G employment)

 

 

Rapid technological, demographic, environmental and societal changes are triggering frequent, faster and more complex labour market transitions between different jobs, occupations, sectors and employment status. Against this background, making transitions pay is necessary to the proper functioning of modern labour markets and to reach the 75% employment rate target set by the EU2020 strategy.

 

A policy of "making transitions pay" puts the emphasis on the quality of transitions seen from the angle of competences accumulation, long-term consequences of training and placement decisions as well as of job and life quality. It fosters a simultaneous and explicit management of all kind of transitions along life cycle approach and thus goes beyond making work pay strategies (which focus on incentives to take up work or to stay in work).

 

It is crucial to act on all the various determinants of making transitions pay in a coherent way. Hence cooperation with all relevant labour market actors is vital to develop coordinated implementation policy strategies and promote coordinated service provision. In this respect, the European Commission will launch PARES, the European Partnership between Employment Services which will be a first step to promote and develop a closer dialogue among all employment service providers - public, private and third sectors.

 

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