Documents Sarfati, Hedva 18 results

"Since the 1970s, Europe has been plagued by a chronic unemployment crisis, which has escalated with the current Great Recession. The author discusses a number of relevant elements in this regard, including the extent to which social dialogue and social pacts have been successful in reforming labour markets and pension systems, the effect of active labour market policies and the characteristics of “resilient” economies. She concludes with the need to rethink social dialogue, social safety nets, the granting of loans – especially to SMEs – and the coordination of macroeconomic policies to increase labour demand."

"This paper examines the political economy of pension reforms in times of economic crisis and its impact on social dialogue and tripartite institutions. It focuses on the issue of social dialogue and social security governance. Indeed, amongst all the topics addressed in the world of work, perhaps none reflect the principles of tripartism and social dialogue better than social security. The paper analyses the process of pension reform and the role of social dialogue in ten countries, namely: China, France, Greece, Jordan, the Netherlands, Mauritius, Slovenia,Spain, Sweden and Uruguay. It also refers to other relevant country experiences, including those of Australia, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The authors examine the economic and political situation during the pre-crisis period and the subsequent measures, notably fiscal consolidation and explicit pension reforms,implemented in response to the crisis."

"This article examines the challenges raised for the social partners and collective bargaining by recent and planned reforms of the welfare state, necessitated by major changes in the labour market and the socio-economic context over the past three decades. The article highlights thesechanges as well as their policy implications. It shows how government policy has been constrained by a broad range of factors: notably, high unemployment, low labour force activity rates, growing female participation in the labour market, changes in family structures, demographic ageing, the shift to a post-industrial economy, thespread of economic liberalism and the European Growth and Stability Pact. Whilethere is no unique formula to address the complex issues involved in welfare reform, a comprehensive policy mix is required and seems feasible only through patient consensus building among all stakeholders, particularly the social partners. This is the lesson of successful reforms and appears to be the major challenge for preserving social cohesion and reviving collective bargaining."

"While long life society constitutes progress in terms of healthier, better and longer lives, it is also associated with higher pension and health expenditures to an extent that threatens the long term adequacy and sustainability of existing welfare systems. It therefore requires adaptation on the part of society and of social institutions and policies, in particular the labour market and the welfare systems, in order to stem or even reduce the growing dependency ratios of the population. In this context, the gender dimension is crucial for any policies that aim at improving the effectiveness of labour markets and social and economic inclusion. This article thus starts by signalling the six main changes that have occurred in the European Union and US labour markets and the workforce, which concern in particular women in all age groups. It then highlights the main responses of the welfare systems to these changes, emphasizing activation measures and indicating their successes and shortcomings—as illustrated by the Danish and UK experience. The article concludes by suggesting policies that may enhance female activity and employment rates, from both the labour supply and demand perspectives."

"La tendance actuelle consistant à « flexibiliser » l'économie en Europe (suivant le modèle des États-Unis) pourrait bien se révéler contre-productive selon Richard Layard, chercheur à la London School of Economics, dans son ouvrage Happiness (New York : Penguin Press, 2005, 310 p.) que commente ici Hedva Sarfati. En effet, selon lui, cela risque d'altérer le sentiment de confiance des individus dans leur système socio-économique ; or, le degré de confiance mutuelle est une donnée essentielle pour le bien-être d'une société et, partant, pour ses progrès économiques.Militant pour la prise en compte du bien-être effectif (individuel et collectif) dans l'économie, Richard Layard précise, dans cet ouvrage, quels sont les principes de base pour stimuler le bonheur dans une société et formule un certain nombre de recommandations pour les appliquer. Hedva Sarfati nous les résume, rappelant au passage que l'auteur, de par le rôle actif qu'il a joué auprès du gouvernement britannique, de 1997 à 2001, mérite attention."