Report World Employment Conference 2011

 

'Flexicurity is the solution'

 

The European labour market’s future, challenges and solutions took centre stage at the World Employment Conference 2011, held on 19 and 20 May in Rotterdam. The conference of the international umbrella organisation of worldwide temporary employment agencies, CIETT, was held in honour of the 50th anniversary of the ABU (Dutch Association of Temporary Employment Agencies). The conference devoted special attention to Dutch lessons learned and new prospects of the Dutch 'Polder Model’.

 

Divergent factors, interests and trends on the future labour market were the central theme of the two-day conference. Numerous specialists and approximately 500 visitors from throughout Europe converged on the SS Rotterdam conference ship for this purpose. The conference first reviewed the changes in the world and the looming ‘demographic disaster’.

 

Due to the greying population, shortages on the labour market will sharply rise over the coming years in many European countries. “If we don’t do anything, the European labour market will be faced with a shortage of 170 million workers by 2050,” explains Austrian economist and demographer Rainer Münz. “We have to tap the internal potential of the European labour market – women and extending the working age of older employees – but immigration is essential as well. All of these themes are politically sensitive, but there is no alternative if we want to maintain our standard of living.”

 

Kitchen table agreement

Employers, trade unions, employees, governments, user companies (Heineken), experts and temporary employment agencies presented their views on the trends. Primarily focused on the labour market of the coming ten years. With a great deal of international interest in the success of the unique Dutch ‘Polder Model’: the close collaboration between employers and employees as social partners.

 

In 1996 they signed an agreement concerning flexibility and security at the kitchen table of trade union chairman Lodewijk de Waal. The three parties involved at the time – in addition to the trade union leader there was also the director of the VNO-NCW employer organisation and the chairman of the Collective Labour Agreement Committee on behalf of temporary employment agencies – looked back to the 1996 agreement in Rotterdam. “We ultimately found a simple solution to a complex problem together,” said De Waal. “Of course we sometimes hit on disappointments with our polder model, but based on mutual trust, the social partners repeatedly get back together.”

 

According to the involved parties at the time, the current times demand a new 'kitchen table agreement’ with a new set of labour relationships.

 

Photo report - World Employment Conference 2011 (Rotterdam)

 

A good future

The conference also extensively focused on the new generations of employees, leveraging (cultural) differences and of course the role that temporary employment agencies can play as the 'co-designer' of the future labour market. .

 

The consultancy The Bridge business innovators presented a research into possible new business models in a changing world. With temporary employment agencies such as 'flex development partner' for companies, 'wholesaler of small jobs', 'personal talent manager' to 'working & learning specialist' for example. “There are many possible models. This way the temporary agency work sector can play a key role and there is a great future in the offing,” says Frans Pigeaud, Director of The Bridge.

 

Trend watcher and international author Jonas Ridderstrale emphasised the importance of adapting and changing for temporary employment agencies. This is not only about the ‘survival of the fittest’, but also about appeal, or ‘survival of the sexiest’. “Like a sorting machine, the market ultimately determines what is efficient and inefficient. No matter whether you input Lady Gaga or Greece.”

 

Photo: André Timmermans and Frits Goldschmeding

 

Ruggenberg Award

The Ruggenberg Award was also presented for the first time during the conference. This is a new Dutch prize for an exceptional contribution to the labour market and the temporary agency work sector. The award went to Director André Timmermans of the Employment Insurance Agency (UWV), following the turnaround of this organisation in 2010, which resulted in a breakthrough in the public-private partnership with the temporary agency work sector.

During one of the many master classes at the conference, Ton Wilthagen, Professor of Labour Markets (University of Tilburg) nicely summarised the major collective interest. “The labour market is the Achilles heel of our economy. Flexicurity is the solution. There is no alternative. This means collectively creating increased flexibility, greater job security for employees and more opportunities for newcomers on the labour market. That is the challenge.”