Documents welfare facilities 73 results

"The newly emerging concept of sustainable welfare refers to welfare systems which aim to satisfy everyone's needs within planetary boundaries and to decouple the welfare-growth nexus. Both Universal Basic Income (UBI) and Universal Basic Services (UBS) have been discussed as suitable, but potentially competing, approaches that could support sustainable welfare. This paper contributes to this debate by asking how UBI and UBS compare in relation to four sustainable welfare criteria: a) planetary boundaries, b) needs satisfaction, c) fair distribution, and d) democratic governance. The paper argues that UBI and UBS are not so much conflicting but complementary approaches for supporting sustainable welfare. UBI focuses on the consumption side of the economy while UBS addresses the production side more directly, both of which would be relevant in any sustainable welfare system. Sustainable welfare outcomes of UBI and UBS would be shaped by the institutional contexts within which they operate, especially by the governance of markets, collective provisioning systems and decision-making at all levels. More attention needs to be paid to these institutional contexts when discussing potential sustainable welfare outcomes of UBI and UBS."

"Large-scale migration of workers from new EU member states to the Nordic countries, mostly to fill relatively low-skilled jobs in construction, manufacturing and services, has raised concerns of low-wage competition and the ability of the Nordic social model to uphold labour standards. This article explores variations in wages and working conditions among Polish migrant workers in Oslo, Copenhagen and Reykjavik. The analysis highlights how different institutional configurations within the Nordic labour markets shape the outcomes for migrant workers, and raises questions regarding the ability of the different variations of the Nordic labour market regime to protect workers in an open, unequal and mobile European labour market."

"Measures that help people extend their working years and maintain their work ability have risen to the fore in the social welfare and health policies of many European countries. Improving the quality of work life, prolonging work careers, and promoting health at work are all preconditions for achieving a sustainable, stable and productive society, thus furthering the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy.
Prolonging careers and health promotion at workplaces were among the themes discussed at the Informal Ministerial Meeting on Employment, Social Policy and Health during Finland's EU Presidency in July 2006. The meeting also discussed more generally how to meet the challenges posed by globalisation and ageing, and what measures Member States and the EU should take to develop work life.
To provide background material for the ministerial meeting, the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health launched a joint project in 2005, “Health in the World of Work – Prolonging Healthy Working Years”. The goal of the project was to draw up an expert recommendation concerning the extension of working years and the promotion of occupational health. The European Network for Workplace Health Promotion participated in the project as a cooperation partner. The project was supported by the WHO, the ILO, the relevant Directorates-General of the European Commission, and the Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work under the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. Financial support was received from the European Commission's public health programme, from the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and from the Finnish Work Environment Fund."