Cooperation between SMEs and trade unions in Europe on ... - ETUC

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ETUC – UE APME: <strong>Cooperation</strong> betw een <strong>SMEs</strong> <strong>and</strong> Trade Unio ns <strong>in</strong> <strong>Europe</strong> 22 Aga<strong>in</strong>st this, also the EU Commission <strong>in</strong> it’s recent “New Skills for New Jobs” <strong>in</strong>itiative has identified the demographic factor as a key challenge: "Too little is [be<strong>in</strong>g] done to <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>and</strong> adapt the skills of an age<strong>in</strong>g workforce," the Commission states. 19 One major specific challenge many <strong>SMEs</strong> will face dur<strong>in</strong>g the next years is the issue of bus<strong>in</strong>ess transfer due to the departure of the owner of the enterprise. As the EU Commission outl<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> a recent communication on this issue, accord<strong>in</strong>g to estimates one third of EU entrepreneurs <strong>and</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>ly those runn<strong>in</strong>g family bus<strong>in</strong>ess will withdraw from their bus<strong>in</strong>ess with<strong>in</strong> the next then years <strong>and</strong> up to 690 000 small <strong>and</strong> mediumsized enterprises <strong>and</strong> 2.8 million job are affected by bus<strong>in</strong>ess transfer operations every year. 20 Accord<strong>in</strong>g to a survey of “KMU Forschung Austria”, <strong>between</strong> 2001 <strong>and</strong> 2010 approx. 52,000 small <strong>and</strong> medium-sized companies <strong>in</strong> Austria with around 440000 employees are confronted with the task of organis<strong>in</strong>g a smooth bus<strong>in</strong>ess transfer <strong>in</strong> the context of the retirement of the owner. The figure is quite impressive s<strong>in</strong>ce nearly one fourth of all domestic companies are affected <strong>and</strong> approx. 17% of all manufactur<strong>in</strong>g jobs. Also <strong>in</strong> Germany the issue of bus<strong>in</strong>ess transfer is one of the ma<strong>in</strong> challenges for SME development. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to estimates by the German “Institute of SME Research” 21 more than 70000 enterprises with nearly 700,000 employees will have to look for a new owner/director dur<strong>in</strong>g the next five years. Other issues <strong>in</strong> connection with demographic change are challenges aris<strong>in</strong>g from the changes <strong>in</strong> the age structure of the <strong>Europe</strong>an population, the subsequent decrease of the population <strong>in</strong> work<strong>in</strong>g age <strong>and</strong> the age<strong>in</strong>g of the company’s workforce. While measures like the <strong>in</strong>crease of the employment rates of women <strong>and</strong> older employees are important <strong>in</strong> this context, other <strong>and</strong> more pro-active responses are necessary, e.g. the receiv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> better labour market <strong>in</strong>tegration of immigrants, seiz<strong>in</strong>g the opportunities of older employees <strong>and</strong> the ‘silver economy’ <strong>and</strong> adequate social protection measures as the EU Commission has described <strong>in</strong> a respective Communication <strong>in</strong> 2006. 22 Facts <strong>and</strong> challenges <strong>in</strong> the field of tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Accord<strong>in</strong>g to recent studies, there are around 100 million workers who are at risk due to their level of qualifications, <strong>and</strong> 20 million unemployed. At the same time 80 million people are considered low-skilled. <strong>Europe</strong>’s population is age<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> companies face more <strong>and</strong> more skills shortages. To be fit for future jobs, workers need higher skill levels, <strong>and</strong> up-to-date <strong>and</strong> adaptable competences. Also <strong>in</strong> the context of the development of <strong>Europe</strong> towards a more services-oriented economy focused on ICT <strong>and</strong> 'green' technologies, its workforce needs to adapt to new requirements <strong>and</strong> develop new skills: Around 20 million new jobs could be created <strong>in</strong> the EU 25 by 2020, accord<strong>in</strong>g to a study presented by the EU Commission <strong>in</strong> December 2008.. Almost three quarters of these will be <strong>in</strong> the services sector, the study forecasts. As the EU shifts towards a knowledge-based economy, the number of jobs requir<strong>in</strong>g a high level of education will rise from 25% to 31%, forecasts the study compiled by CEDEFOP. 19 Communication of the EU Commission: New Skills for New Jobs Anticipat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> match<strong>in</strong>g labour market <strong>and</strong> skills needs, Brussels, COM(2008) 868/3. 20 Communication of the EU Commission: “Implement<strong>in</strong>g the Lisbon Community Programme for Growth <strong>and</strong> Jobs: Transfer of Bus<strong>in</strong>esses – Cont<strong>in</strong>uity through a new beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g” , COM(2006) 117 f<strong>in</strong>al, p.3. 21 Bundesm<strong>in</strong>isterium für Wirtschaft und Technologie: Der Mittelst<strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> der Bundesrepublik Deutschl<strong>and</strong>. E<strong>in</strong>e volkswirtschaftliche Best<strong>and</strong>saufnahme, Berl<strong>in</strong>, 2007, p. 39 22 See the Communication of the EU Commission on “The demographic future of <strong>Europe</strong> – from challenge to opportunity”, 12 October 2006, COM(2006)571.
ETUC – UE APME: <strong>Cooperation</strong> betw een <strong>SMEs</strong> <strong>and</strong> Trade Unio ns <strong>in</strong> <strong>Europe</strong> 23 All th<strong>in</strong>gs considered, over 19.6 million additional jobs are expected to be created <strong>between</strong> 2006 <strong>and</strong> 2020 <strong>in</strong> the EU-25 <strong>in</strong> the basel<strong>in</strong>e scenario considered <strong>in</strong> the study. 23 However, the actual number of jobs created will depend on the global economic environment. The current f<strong>in</strong>ancial crisis <strong>and</strong> its impact on the real economy make the pessimistic scenario more probable. The more pessimistic scenario projects the generation of fewer jobs <strong>in</strong> the service sector, but still growth. (see figure). In this scenario, the employment decl<strong>in</strong>e of manufactur<strong>in</strong>g will be stronger. Employment trends by broad sectors accord<strong>in</strong>g to different scenarios, change <strong>in</strong> 000s (2005- 2015) Source: CEDEFOP 2008. The present crisis may accelerate the foreseen restructur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> these sectors. However, even <strong>in</strong> the pessimistic scenario, the manufactur<strong>in</strong>g sector should still account for more than 33 million jobs <strong>in</strong> 2015: this sector would still correspond to an important part of jobs <strong>in</strong> some <strong>Europe</strong>an regions. In addition, some regions would experience positive trends <strong>in</strong> manufactur<strong>in</strong>g as a result of the transfer of jobs from older to newer Member States. Lastly, <strong>in</strong> some <strong>in</strong>dustries (for example eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g), dem<strong>and</strong> will outstrip productivity ga<strong>in</strong>s <strong>and</strong> create new jobs. The primary sector <strong>and</strong> utilities are expected to decl<strong>in</strong>e significantly <strong>in</strong> all cases. Aga<strong>in</strong>st this the issues of tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, adaptation of qualifications <strong>and</strong> skills are a priority of politics both at the <strong>Europe</strong>an level <strong>and</strong> below at national, regional <strong>and</strong> local government levels. The <strong>Europe</strong>an Commission <strong>in</strong> the context of the “Education <strong>and</strong> Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g 2010” 24 work programme which - <strong>in</strong> the context of the Lisbon Strategy - established for the first time a solid framework for <strong>Europe</strong>an cooperation <strong>in</strong> the field of education <strong>and</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, based on common objectives <strong>and</strong> aimed primarily at support<strong>in</strong>g the improvement of national education <strong>and</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g systems through the development of complementary EU-level tools, mutual learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> the exchange of good practice via the open method of coord<strong>in</strong>ation. Basic objectives <strong>and</strong> tasks of <strong>Europe</strong>an cooperation <strong>in</strong> education <strong>and</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g for the period up to 2020 were def<strong>in</strong>ed recently <strong>in</strong> Conclusions of the <strong>Europe</strong>an Council. 25 23 CEDEFOP: Future skill needs <strong>in</strong> <strong>Europe</strong>. Focus on 2020, Thessalonica 2008. 24 See also the recent document of the EU Commission on “An updated strategic framework for EU cooperation <strong>in</strong> education <strong>and</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g” with new targets COM (2008) 865 f<strong>in</strong>al from 16/12/08. 25 “Council Conclusions on a strategic framework for <strong>Europe</strong>an <strong>Cooperation</strong> <strong>in</strong> education <strong>and</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g” ("ET 2020"), Brussels, 12 May 2009.
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