7 July 2005 - Europe must speed reform to get people into work – Blunkett
Europe must pick up the pace of labour market reform if it is to achieve its ambitious 70 per cent employment target over the next five years, David Blunkett warned today.
The UK Work and Pensions Secretary said there were successful schemes across the continent to tackle the twin blights of joblessness and inactivity so we can ensure delivery of the Lisbon agenda of employment and growth.
Mr Blunkett, chairing the two-day meeting of European Social and Employment Ministers in Belfast, said:
“Jobs and growth must be Europe’s top priority. It is a human tragedy and a terrible waste that 20 million Europeans are unemployed - the main cause of poverty in Europe.
“But unemployment is only part of the story. There are almost five times more people of working age who are economically inactive as there are unemployed – a total of 92 million. Many would like to work but they need help because of long term illness or incapacity or because of lack of skills.
“It is by tackling unemployment and poor economic growth that we can show Europe and its institutions are focused on what matters to people.
“We need to identify successful policies and programmes. We need to learn from each other what works and doesn’t work and we need to apply the lessons quickly so that we can get Europe back on to the path of economic and employment growth.
“Belfast is the right place for this meeting because Northern Ireland is a good example of how a community can work together to overcome problems and create a prosperous and inclusive society.
“Northern Ireland has overcome the double problem of a decline in traditional industries particularly ship-building and the legacy of religious division. Over the last five years since the Good Friday agreement, enormous progress has been made both in terms of revitalising the economy and of ensuring a genuine feeling of inclusivity for the people.
“The Prime Minister has announced that the UK Presidency will host a special summit of European Prime Ministers this autumn to discuss the need to modernise the European Social Model to meet the challenges of demographic change and globalisation.
The meeting of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers in Belfast is the first major Ministerial event of both the UK Presidency and the DWP's schedule of key events. A series of conferences in the UK covering social inclusion, health and safety, employment, inactivity and rehabilitation and occupational health will drive forward an active reform programme over the next six months.
EU Ministers in Belfast will take part in practical workshops and share the best ideas from across the continent. They will also visit innovative employment offices and projects which are helping young people and the unemployed learn new skills and overcome barriers to work, so they can get into a wide variety of jobs including IT, construction, engineering and hospitality.
They will also see extra help for disabled people, victim support for those who’ve suffered traumas and school projects to introduce 14 and 15 year olds to the world of work.
Mr Blunkett continued: "Ministers from across Europe will be seeing for themselves some of the innovative projects, together with the regeneration - some of which are funded by European money - that have been getting people in Northern Ireland back to work. We will be sharing best practice, learning about models of success and looking at practical steps we can all take starting right now.
"Belfast is an inspiration to the rest of Europe when it comes to tackling employment difficulties – people are overcoming everyday adversity with their determination to take advantage of the practical support on offer.
"Working together across Europe is crucial. The success of the Lisbon Agenda depends on building partnerships between workers, employers and social interest groups across international boundaries. The US, Japan, China and India compete across frontiers in the 21st century - and so must we.”
The two-day working meeting of European Social and Employment Ministers in Belfast will start today with a Troika meeting involving the social partners. Mr Blunkett and Commissioner Spidla will set out the challenges of the Presidency for ministers and stress the need for rapid reform and progress.
Notes to editors
- The UK took over the Presidency of the European Union on July 1st 2005.
- Events on the employment and social affairs during the six month Presidency include: EMPL (Employment Committee) - Brussels – 11 July.; FEMM (Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality) –13/14 July; ESPHCA Councils – 3/4 November and 8/9 December; European Social Fund Conference – 14 October – Manchester; Social Inclusion Round Table/The Employment Committee/Social Protection Committee – 17/18/19 October – Edinburgh, Glasgow; Mutual Information Systems on Social Security – 27/28 October - Oxford; Health and Safety Executive’s Hazardous Installations Directorate (HID) CCA meeting – 25/26/27 October; Informed Choices: Pensions Meeting – 9 October – Brussels; Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs – 3/4 November.;Improving Life Chances of Disabled People – 8/9 November – London; Health and Safety Executive Senior Labour Inspectors Committee (SLIC) Conference – 9/10 November – London; Inactivity and Rehabilitation Conference – 23/24 November – Cardiff; HSE Occupational Health and Safety Conference – 11 December or 18/19 October; Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs – 8/9 December, Brussels; Heads of Public Employment Service/Jobcentre Plus Conference – 31 November and 1/2 December – Birmingham.
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