Speaking at ILO's regional conference in Oslo, Norwegian Priem Minister Jens Stoltenberg said the crisis in Europe is dramatic. A financial crisis has now turned into a jobs crisis.
- The level of unemployment in the Europe is now at record levels, Stoltenberg said, and went on:
In some countries there is now a lost generation of young people:Out of work, out of training and out of the market. More people are becoming permanently inactive and unemployable.
Even with renewed economic growth, many people will find themselves without work – maybe for their whole life.
Therefore, Stoltenberg said, we need to implement measures now to avoid a major social crisis and political backlash. This is the main political challenge we face in Europe today.
The International Labour Organization has a crucial role to play in formulating a response, both globally and in Europe.
Norway is a strong supporter of the ILO. And we are proud to contribute by hosting this event.
Stoltenberg went on to say that we need open labour markets. And at the same time we must fight social dumping.
Most of the increase in labour market participation in Norway is due to migrant workers. This has benefitted the Norwegian economy enormously. We need migrant and posted workers to meet increasing labour demand.
This may challenge the Norwegian model of working life by undermining established rights and standards. We have therefore introduced several measures to prevent exploitation and reduce unfair competition. We have allowed collective agreements to be made generally applicable to all workers within a sector or a branch.
Labour inspection authorities have received more resources to ensure decent working conditions.
No country can copy another. But we can inspire each other and share useful lessons. This conference is important to share experiences and to learn from each other. We must do what we can to improve the joint efforts to promote jobs, growth and social justice, the Norwegian Prime Minister said.
(NRK/Aftenposten/Press release)
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