Newsletter
2000/2 InFocus Programme on
Socio-Economic Security
Seeking Distributive Justice – Basic Security for All
The end of Unemployment Benefits?
th
In the 20 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 Guy
Standing, 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
sustainability and being unsuited for struc-
The Base of Decent Work
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
only a minority of the unemployed were n 8th BIEN Congress ................................................. 4
Note: Views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the ILO. 1
Poverty in Russia
Russian Firms Stabilising,
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,
Indonesia: Improving Security notably on a review of policies and
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
A Handbook British Government’s White Paper on
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
give some of them an opportunity to
The message that comes through the
stories of these women is one of dignity
Planned
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
port scheme in Recife in which poor
Global Insecurity
A theme of the Programme’s policy
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
the Basic Income 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 Eduardo Suplicy, 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 ses@ilo.org
799 7326
Telefax: 799 7123
International Labour Office, Route des Morillons 4, Geneva, CH-1211, Switzerland
4 IFP-SES Newsletter, 2000/2