Newsletter 2000/2 InFocus Programme on Socio-Economic Security Seeking Distributive Justice – Basic Security for All The end of Unemployment Benefits? In the 20th century, the assumptions of receiving unemployment benefits. He Dalmer Hoskins, Secretary General of the full employment and full-time well-paid concluded that work insurance (i.e., insur- International Social Security Association, jobs were the cornerstone in the design ing against fluctuations in work opportunity) chaired the session. A point made by Theo of unemployment benefit systems. and citizenship-based rights, rather than Papadopoulous was that data from Euro- However, in recent years high labour-based entitlements, were more vi- pean Union countries showed a strong in- unemployment, more flexible labour able means of ensuring income security. verse correlation between level of ben- market and more informal working have Other participants in the debate were efits and poverty and income inequality. contributed to changes in the design of un- Theo Papadopoulous, University of Bath; While most speakers thought a rapid employment benefit systems. The re- Aystein Gjelsvik, Chief Economist, demise of unemployment benefits was sponses have not only undermined exist- Norwegian Confederation of Trade Un- unlikely, it was generally concluded that ing delivery mechanisms, but have also re- ions; Alan Leather, Deputy General Sec- a major rethinking of policies for provid- sulted in the exclusion of many more from retary, Public Services International; and ing the unemployed with income security income support. Steve Marshall, former Chief Executive deserved high priority in the sphere of so- To debate the paradigms representing of the New Zealand Employers Federation cial protection. A major conference will a clash of thinking around the restructur- and member of the ILO Governing Body. be organized on this in the near future. ing of unemployment benefits, the Pro- gramme organized a public debate as part of the activities of the Geneva 2000 summit. The main speakers were Robert Holzmann, Director of World Bank's Social Protection Division, and , Director of the InFocus Pro- gramme on Socio-Economic Security. Robert Holzmann outlined options as- sociated with unemployment benefits. He criticized unemployment insurance as be- Combating Controls: ing ineffective with regard to poverty alle- viation, subject to abuse, lacking political The Base of Decent Work sustainability and being unsuited for struc- tural shocks. He argued that unemployment Overcoming controls exercised The Programme has developed a assistance was more viable, and concluded over people in several ways is a crucial methodology for identifying control that for a system to be successful, it should part of a strategy for providing basic mechanisms, and following a presentation satisfy the criteria of distributive effective- security and for creating “decent work” at a conference of women organizers and ness, allocative efficiency, financial conditions. Controls limit freedom. Yet researchers in Harvard University, a col- affordability and be in consonance with we have only a hazy idea of what is laborative project has been launched with cyclical and structural economic shocks. meant by control, and practically no sta- the global network of WIEGO (Women Guy Standing pointed out that the inter- tistical information on mechanisms or in Informal Employment: Globalising and national trend was towards means-tested patterns of control. It is believed these Organising) on reconceptualising work. unemployment assistance, which suffered are particularly severe impediments for The project will be linked closely with our from low take-up rates, poverty traps and women in developing countries. People’s Security Surveys. unemployment traps. This had contributed to the drift to workfare. He emphasized that the fiscal, moral and legitimation concerns In this issue: around the restructuring had resulted in nu- n Indonesian Country Review ...... 2 merous, and often arbitrary, changes in en- titlement conditions, which had led to the n Video on Women Outworkers ...... 3 fact that even in industrialized countries th only a minority of the unemployed were n 8 BIEN Congress ...... 4

Note: Views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the ILO. 1 Russian Firms Stabilising, Poverty in Russia The impoverishment of the vast ma- but Workers at Risk jority of the Russian population was a major tragedy of the 1990s. Policies and The latest round of the Russian En- ration with the Centre for Labour Market institutions for dealing with the crisis terprise Labour Flexibility and Security Research in Moscow. This round has were scarcely developed. At the invitation Survey (RLFS) conducted in June 2000 given special emphasis to the insecuri- of the Ministry of Labour and Social De- indicates that the chaotic downsizing ties of women workers. velopment and the ILO office in Moscow, shown in previous rounds has slowed, but A feature of interest for labour ana- the Programme director addressed gov- that growing numbers of workers suffer lysts is that we have collected detailed data ernment officials, representatives of from precarious employment and uncer- on labour and employment practices for other international agencies, academics tain pay and access to enterprise benefits. a sample of firms regularly throughout the and embassy officials on policy options The survey, covering hundreds of firms past decade, giving a unique panel data for overcoming the chronic economic in Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod and set that is available for use by researchers insecurity in the country. A review of the Ivanova, has been conducted in collabo- wishing to work with the Programme. state of the unemployment benefits sys- tem was launched, and agreement was reached on several other activities, notably on a review of policies and Indonesia: Improving Security institutions of care work. after the Crisis African Regional The crisis that hit Indonesia in 1998 terprise Labour Flexibility and Security left millions of people struggling to sur- Survey is being carried out to document Meeting, Dakar vive on much reduced incomes. The new developments in a sample of 1,000 democratic government has been trying to large and medium-sized firms and create institutions and policies that can 1,000 small-scale ‘informal’ firms. A strategy for promoting economic restore economic growth and reduce the This is being conducted in collabora- security in African countries was discussed extent of poverty and economic insecu- tion with the Government’s statistical at a meeting of ILO regional and country rity. In this context, the Programme is office, and should be completed early office directors in Dakar in September. conducting a comprehensive review of in 2001. At the same time, a People’s As a result, several technical projects labour and social policy trends in order Security Survey is being carried out in were launched. The meeting was a valuable to recommend reforms that would several types of rural and low-income opportunity to strengthen working strengthen social and economic security urban areas, collecting information on relationships with our African offices. in the country. The project is being con- a representative sample of 3,000 per- ducted by an international team of special- sons and households. While these sur- ists working with the Programme, and is veys are in the field, reviews of social UK Globalisation involving close working relationships with protection policies and assessments of a large team of Indonesian colleagues. macro-economic policies will be car- White Paper As a first part of the project, an En- ried out by the team. Clare Short, the UK Minister of Overseas Development, invited the Measuring Voluntary Work: Programme’s director to participate in a two-day round table on ideas for the British Government’s White Paper on A Handbook policy responses to globalisation. Participants included Government We know that many civil society or- development of a Handbook on meth- Ministers from several African ganizations exist, and that many mil- ods of measuring the contribution of countries as well as distinguished lions of people work for them. We have non-governmental organizations and economists from Africa, Asia, Latin few statistics to show that. If we believe other non-profit ventures, and on how America and Eastern Europe. that all forms of work should be recog- that could be integrated in the system The White Paper should be a major nized and be provided with protection, of national accounts. The Programme contribution to the international response we must develop the means of identi- is assisting in the drafting of a technical to the pressures and challenges of fying and measuring that work. Accord- paper on a statistical data base on globalisation. Its publication will coin- ingly, the Programme is collaborating NGOs and is providing support for the cide with a substantial enlargement in the with the Centre for Civil Society at the testing of a methodology for estimat- position of the UK’s Department for London School of Economics in the ing their contribution to national income. International Development (DFID).

2 IFP-SES Newsletter, 2000/2 Dorcelina Folador Prize

Workers on Unpaid Leave The Socio-Economic Security Pro- gramme is launching an annual prize for in Ukraine the best piece of empirical research sub- mitted to it consistent with the princi- The plight of workers in Ukrainian in- The findings will be presented at a tri- ples of universal economic security pro- dustry has continued to be catastrophic, partite conference to be convened in Kiev moted by the Programme. The prize is according to the latest enterprise survey in early 2001. They show that nearly one to be named after Dorcelina Folador, a conducted in collaboration with the Gov- in every five workers is on unpaid leave, disabled Brazilian woman, a leader of ernment’s statistical office in June 2000. or is laid off, and that many more are ex- landless agricultural labourers and a Covering 1,684 firms employing over one pected to turn up for work but are not be- strong proponent of universal income million workers, this is the largest survey ing paid their wages. This pattern is per- security, who was gunned down recently of its kind carried out, and demonstrates sisting even though there have also been while sitting on her veranda with her chil- that the methodology developed by the substantial cuts in employment levels – dren. She was known to several of us, and Programme is ready for application in which have not been adequately recognized was a woman of fine principles. many other member countries. by the official unemployment statistics. The prize will be decided in June each year, with a jury selected from the International Advisory Board of the Programme. It will be marked by a pres- entation and seminar in the ILO. Women Outworkers on Video Further details are available on request.

Women in Gujarat are participating in ous work activities, and is highlighting the a survey to determine the causes and na- collective strength gained by belonging to ture of their insecurities and the impact an association in which they can learn of government policies. As part of that from sharing knowledge and experience. Workfare Workshop project it was decided to make a video to The message that comes through the Planned give some of them an opportunity to stories of these women is one of dignity explain the difficulties that they have to under stressful conditions, in which overcome simply in order to survive with innovative collective action is essential. minimal dignity. Also featured in the video is a special In April 2001 a technical meeting will The project is being conducted by the statement made by the ILO Director Gen- be organized on workfare, to examine Programme in partnership with the Self- eral, Juan Somavia, who highlights the international trends and arguments for and Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) need to overcome fear as a prerequisite against linking labour obligations to of India. The video is capturing the strong for social justice in any type of commu- social protection benefits. Among the views of women doing a variety of oner- nity in any part of the world. papers will be studies of reforms in the US, Canada, Brazil, UK, Scandinavia and Germany. Information can be obtained from the Programme Secretariat. Reduce Child Labour: Give Women Income Security Responding to Global Insecurity A theme of the Programme’s policy port scheme in Recife in which poor work is that a way of reducing child la- women were given a basic income if they bour is by improving the income secu- agreed to send their children to school. rity of women whose children are drawn Government agencies, national unions rep- A paper on global economic insecu- into child labour. This is why we have been resenting domestic service workers, civil rity will be presented by the taking an active interest in the renda society organizations, local authority offi- Programme at the plenary session of minima and bolsa escola schemes being cials and researchers from across the coun- the annual meeting of the Brazilian Na- introduced on a semi-experimental basis try participated in the meeting, which was tional Association on Social Sciences in many Brazilian cities and in several organized by the ILO’s IPEC office in Brazil. (ANPOCS), to be held near Rio de other parts of Latin America. The results of the evaluation are to be Janeiro in late October. There will also In June 2000, a technical meeting was published, showing that a minimum income be a debate on basic income schemes, held in Brasilia to consider a national strat- programme linked to school attendance and a report by the Programme on some egy to combat child labour. The Programme would be an effective way of improving the bolsa escola experiments in Brazil. It contributed by presenting the results of an welfare of women and children in poor is expected that over 1,000 people will evaluation of the effects of an income sup- districts of developing countries. attend the ANPOCS meeting.

3 Income Security Needed for Citizenship — 8th BIEN Congress, Berlin Michel Rocard, former Prime Min- to ensure basic income security as a right reforms in Brazil. ister of France, warned of the danger of of citizenship. Among those invited were BIEN was set up to consider alter- civil violence unless the income secu- Andrea Fischer, Minister of Health in the native options for promoting basic in- rity needs of ordinary people were ad- German Government, Osmo Soininvaara, come security for all, and is a non-po- dressed as a matter of urgency. He was Finland’s Minister of Health and Social litical network for sharing knowledge speaking during the eighth Congress of Affairs, and Lord Raymond Plant, whose of policies and evaluative research. As European Network address focused on philosophical foun- there are members from Africa, Asia (BIEN), held in Berlin, and chaired by the dations of a guaranteed income. Bruce and the Americas, it was proposed IFP/SES Director. Over 200 social Ackerman gave a provocative keynote ad- formally that the name should be policy specialists from over 20 countries dress on his proposals for an inheritance amended to replace the word Earth for participated in the Congress. In all, over capital income, based on his recent book, European in BIEN; this will be consid- 50 technical papers were presented. and , Senator of Sao ered by the Executive Committee, and The organizing theme was the need Paulo, spoke about the minimum income a vote taken by members in due course.

New Staff Engaging Workers The IFP/SES welcomes Maria Caceres and Florence Bonnet, who have in Poverty Reduction joined the programme as Head of Sta- tistics and Statistical Assistant respec- Workers need to be involved in together on basic security issues as a tively. It also welcomes Carl Afford to protecting their own health and safety means of increasing the participation of Geneva. Carl has been assisting in the as well as the health of the communities workers in trade unions of the 21st development of the database from the around their workplaces. But when century. SES’s focus on basic security start of the Programme, but had done workers feel insecure about their jobs is a long-awaited context for increasing so from Copenhagen or their livelihood they do not give worker involvement in “sustainable Ellen Rosskam has joined the team importance to workplace health and workplaces”, supporting worker and to work on work security issues, and safety. The ICFTU and SES are working community health. will link up with the ILO Programme SAFEWORK. Igor Chernyshev has joined on a part-time basis and will rep- resent our formal link with the ILO Publications Statistics Bureau. We also thank several other ILO colleagues for their SES Papers ¨ “Unemployment Benefits and Income involvement in the setting-up phase of ¨ “Psychological approaches to work Security” the Programme. insecurity”, by Rosamund Stock. ¨ “The Appeal of Minimum Income Journal articles Programmes in Latin America”, by ¨ “Social dumping”, Journal of IFP-SES on the Web Lena Lavinas. European Social Policy, Special Issue, ¨ “Workfare Schemes in Brazil”, by March 2000. The IFP-SES is publishing the sum- Sonia Rocha. ¨ Guy Standing “Brave New Words? A mary report and discussion paper of the ¨ “Workfare Tendencies in Scandinavian Critique of Stiglitz’s World Bank Geneva 2000 Debate with the World Welfare Policies”, by Nanna Kildal. Rethink” in Development and Bank on Unemployment Benefits on its ¨ “Globalization and Flexibility: Dancing Change, vol.31,no.4, September site under the EVENTS section. around Pensions”, by Guy Standing. 2000.

InFocus Programme on Socio-Economic Security Telephone: (+41 22)799 6455 http://www.ilo.org/ses 799 8893 [email protected] 799 7326 Telefax: 799 7123

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4 IFP-SES Newsletter, 2000/2