Thursday, March 31, 2005
[IWS] EU: WOMEN & SCIENCE: GENDER EQUALITY & INDICATORS [29 March 2005]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
Women and Science: Excellence and Innovation - Gender Equality in Science [29 March 2005]
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/science-society/pdf/documents_women_sec_en.pdf
[full-text, 15 pages]
Annex
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/science-society/pdf/documents_women_sec2_en.pdf
[full-text, 11 pages]
Women and Science Indicators
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/science-society/women/wssi/downindi_en.html
Press Release
Brussels, 29 March 2005
Gender gap in top levels of science closing, but too slowly
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/press/2005/pr2903en.cfm
The number of women in top positions in science is growing, but only slowly. At EU level, women only make up 14% of top academics, but constitute 44% of graduates in science and technology subjects. In a report on Gender Equality in Science, the European Commission sets out the actions on-going and under preparation at European level to promote the role of women in science. Increasing the number of women engaged in science is a crucial element in achieving the EUs target of 3% of GDP invested in Research and Development.
In its 2005 report Women and Science: Excellence and Innovation -- Gender Equality in Science the Commission details some of the major statistics relating to the position of women in science, as well as on-going work to counter the gender imbalance.
Some of the current initiatives include:
* Development of a range of gender-sensitive indicators to measure and compare success rate of women and men in senior positions. Targets should be formulated and adopted at EU as well as at national, regional and institutional level.
* Working with industry to improve the situation of women in industrial research. A new expert group on Women in science and technology the business perspective started its work in February 2005
* Supporting projects to promote gender research, analyse existing measures, creating ambassadors for women in science,
* Setting targets for participation in Commission programme (40% female participation in committees, groups and panels, amongst project coordinators and receiving Marie Curie Fellowships)
* Establishing the Gender Watch System to monitor progress towards a more balanced participation of women and men in the Framework Programme Support tools include a guide to gender mainstreaming for scientific officers and evaluators.
* A network on gender aspects in food quality and safety, examining how gender differences in susceptibility to disease, risk assessment and consumer behaviour can have an impact on food quality and safety measures.
* Working with academic institutions to minimise gender bias in the definition and measurement of scientific excellence
* Research projects and programmes should include measures to improve gender equality following the aims addressed in the Code of Conduct for researchers.
For the future, a further ¬5.7m has been earmarked for Women and Science in 2005-2006, bringing the total in the Sixth Framework Programme to around ¬20m. The Commission will give ¬2m to start up the European Platform of Women Scientists, which will establish networks of women scientists and organisations working towards gender equality in scientific research. The Commission is also proposing the creation of a European award on excellence in gender research, to raise awareness of the importance of such research.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/science-society/women-science/women-science_en.html
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
[IWS] New! MONITORING Freedom of Association TRAINING PROGRAM May 23 through 25, 2005 in New York City
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
[Please pass this information to others who may benefit from knowing about it].
Monitoring Freedom of Association Training Program
May 23 through 25, 2005 in New York City
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/international/Programs/seminars/default.html
[excerpts]
What Is the Goal?
This program aims to prepare participants for practical application of freedom of association principles in the field of labor standards monitoring. The overall goal is to build an understanding and knowledge base for Strategic Monitoring in this most difficult area of labor standards monitoring compared with, for example, monitoring for child labor or for health and safety standards.
Strategic monitoring creates a system for instilling best practices on freedom of association to get it right from the start and to correct practices that got it wrong. Strategic monitoring aims to protect and advance workers' freedom of association while maintaining growth, productivity, investment, and employment goals.
Full participants in this path breaking program will receive a certificate of completion and a set of materials for permanent reference. This certificate in international standards on freedom of association will serve as a mark of rigorous training and development in the international labor standards field. It will be an asset to anyone moving in a career trajectory related to labor standards.
Who Should Attend?
- Labor standards monitors who work for independent monitoring organizations
- Corporate social responsibility staff and investment fund screeners involved in corporate codes of conduct
- Trade unionists responsible for international affairs and labor rights
- Advocates from human rights organizations and other non-governmental organizations that deal with workersrights and labor standards
- Government and international organization officials involved in labor standards matters
- Business and labor journalists
What Will the Program Cover?
Key questions: Freedom of association is an abstract concept; how does it relate concretely to workersright to organize and to what the ILOs core labor standards declaration calls the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining?What are the rules and the institutions that apply them? How do monitors get below surface appearances to discern whether workers are truly free to organize and whether genuine collective bargaining is taking place? Where and how are 'complaints' raised and dealt with?
Critical national and regional features
Key questions: What is the freedom of association 'landscape' in Latin America, Asia and other regions? What are the essential single-country distinctions?
Country and industry-based case studies
Key questions: What are indicators of violations? What are the most common problems? What are unusual problems? How are problems addressed and resolved?
International business strategies, structural and market issues, and best practices related to labor
Key questions: How can respecting workers freedom of association create marketplace advantage for firms and countries? What are potential risks and liabilities?
Case studies of trade union and NGO strategies and campaigns on labor standards in developing countries
Key question: How do these important social actors seek to accomplish their goals?
Contact Us
For more information please email Robin Remick at rjr4@cornell.edu or phone (607) 254-2950.
AND MORE...including REGISTRATION INFORMATION.....
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
[IWS] 2005 Foreign Trade Barriers Report [30 March 2005]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
2005 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers [30 March 2005]
http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2005/2005_NTE_Report/Section_Index.html
[Use this URL to find individual country reports in pdf]
or
http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2005/2005_NTE_Report/asset_upload_file383_7446.pdf
[full-text, 684 pages]
The 2005 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE) is the twentieth in an annual series that surveys significant foreign barriers to U.S. exports. The report provides, where feasible, quantitative estimates of the impact of these foreign practices on the value of U.S. exports. Information is also included on actions taken to eliminate barriers.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
Monday, March 28, 2005
[IWS] UNECE: STATISTICS for EUROPE & NORTH AMERICA Database
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
STATISTICS FOR EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA
Statistical Division's database
<http://w3.unece.org/pxweb/database/STAT/databasetree.asp>
Statistical Division's database currently presents a structured set of economic indicators for countries of the UNECE region. The statistics provided by this service are the empirical basis for the Economic Survey of Europe and other analyses carried out by the Secretariat of the Economic Commission for Europe. Emphasis has been placed on making the data ready for international comparison and immediate analytical use, as well as on making them easy to find. Users may be particularly interested in the statistics on CIS and central and eastern European countries, which are difficult to find elsewhere in a single integrated database. Data are updated on a daily basis and the content will progressively be increased to cover more domains.
Internationally comparable statistics (in US dollars where appropriate)
http://w3.unece.org/pxweb/database/STAT/2-ME/1-MECC/1-MECC.asp
* Macroeconomic overview by Country, Year and Indicator.
* GDP per capita (in US$) by Country, Expenditure, Year and Measurement.
* GDP (in US$) by Country, Expenditure, Year and Measurement.
* GDP: output approach (in US$) by Country, Activity, Year and Measurement.
Country statistics (in national currency where appropriate)
http://w3.unece.org/pxweb/database/STAT/2-ME/2-MECP/2-MECP.asp
* Macroeconomic overview by Country, Year and Indicator.
* GDP per capita by Country, Expenditure, Year and Measurement.
* GDP by Country, Expenditure, Year and Measurement.
* GDP: output approach by Country, Activity, Year and Measurement.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
[IWS] NON-ENGLISH SOURCES of U.S. LAW [27 March 2005]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
from LLRX.com
Sources of United States of America Legal Information in Languages Other than English [Published March 27, 2005]
http://www.llrx.com/features/otherthanenglish.htm
By Mark E. Poorman
This detailed guide identifies a range of web resources, services and print publications available from state and federal government agencies, courts, and academic institutions.
Mark E. Poorman is an attorney licensed to practice law by the State Bars of Texas and California and a recent graduate of the University of North Texas, School of Library and Information Sciences with a Masters Degree in Law Librarianship and Legal Informatics. He credits Lynn K. Sanchez, Victoria Corona and Isabel Rivas, the director and staff of the Hon. Robert J. Galvan County Law Library, El Paso, Texas, where he interned with suggesting the need for more sources of legal information in languages other than English.
[excerpt]
Introduction
Sources for United States of America Legal information abound. The U.S. Constitution and Statutes are available from the <http://www.gpoaccess.gov/>Government Printing Office and annotated versions from West, Lexis and others. Online versions of these publications link to the Code of Federal Regulations, statutes, regulations and case law from all States as well as the Federal Courts. With the increasing number of state and federal statutes, regulations, reported cases, and access to unreported cases, the need for compellation and annotation has lead to many topical publications in formats ranging from advanced sheets, through electronic publications to hardbound books. Even with the recent consolidation in the U.S. legal publishing industry, the number of titles available on any jurisdiction, or legal topic, generally provide adequate coverage for any practice area. Yet, by in large, none of this vast store of legal information is readily available in any language other than English. The purpose of this article is to uncover the hidden sources for U.S. legal information in languages other than English and promote the publication of more readily accessible sources.
Justification
A justification for publishing sources of United States legal information in languages other than English appears appropriate in light of traditional beliefs about the U.S. legal system. The opinion, once held by many, was that English is the language of the U.S. and that all legal information should be published only in English. This view was supported by the theory that the United States is a melting pot in which ethnic and cultural characteristics are submerged and English is the common language, and dominant culture, of the U.S.
AND MUCH MORE.....
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
Friday, March 25, 2005
[IWS] ILO Bangkok: LABOUR MIGRATION POLICY & MANAGEMENT
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
ILO Library, Bangkok
Report on the ILO Sub-regional Training Workshop on Labour Migration Policy and Management
http://www.ilo.org/asia/library/download/pub04-20.pdf
[full-text, 142 pages]
edited by Elizabeth Morris
Bangkok: ILO, 2004. viii, 132 p.
ISBN 92-2-116701-1 (Print)
ISBN 92-2-116702-X (Web)
ISBN 92-2-116703-8 (CD-ROM)
Report on the ILO Sub-regional Training Workshop on Labour Migration Policy and Management, Ayutthaya, Thailand, 2-6 August 2004 is part of the endeavour to strengthen the capacity of governments, employers and workers in formulating policies and managing programmes for labour migration in order to maximize the potential benefits while protecting migrant workers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
1. Introduction
2. Opening session
3. Defreeze and icebreaker
4. Background and current issues and responses in global and regional migration
5. International Labour Conference 2004: general discussion on migrant workers
6. Development of national labour migration policies and structures
7. Review of the first day
8. Models for managing migration
9. Sending workers abroad: the Vietnamese experience
10. Employing foreign workers
11. Review of the second day
12. International labour standards for migrant workers
13. The roles of employersorganizations and workers organizations in labour migration policy and management
14. Review of the third day
15. Irregular migration and migration management
16. Migration and GEMS: gender equality promotion through gender mainstreaming strategies
17. Thailands experience and migration management
18. Trafficking in children and women
19. Review of the fourth day
20. Migration information and statistics
21. Follow-up plans or re-entry strategies
22. Closing ceremony
Annexes
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
[IWS] ILO Bangkok: REDUCING POVERTY: TRADE UNION/EMPLOYER ORG Guide & Manual
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
ILO Library, Bangkok (2 Documents below)
Positive Action: Reducing Poverty Through Social Dialogue - a Guidebook for Trade Unions and Employers' Organizations
http://www.ilo.org/asia/library/download/pub05-03.pdf
[full-text, 96 pages]
by Rosalind Harvey and edited by Chang-Hee Lee
Bangkok: ILO, 2005. 88 p.
ISBN 92-2-116151-X
[excerpt]
This guidebook is aimed at helping trade unions and employers' organizations take an active role in the PRSP process through social
dialogue.
The PRSP (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper) process has become a major decision-making mechanism in
the development of social and economic policy geared toward reducing
poverty in developing countries. It emphasizes the importance of all
stakeholders throughout its formulation, implementation and monitoring.
Through their participation, workers and employers can make a worthy
contribution to poverty reduction, economic development and social jus-
tice.
The International Labour Office (ILO) has been working not only with the
international community, but also helping tripartite constituents in member
states develop an effective strategy for reducing poverty and contributing
to the goal of decent work for all.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
1. Introduction
2. The ILO's decent work agenda and PRSPs
3. Taking part in a PRSP consultative process
4. Making an impact
5. Trade unions and PRSPs
6. Employer organizations and PRSPs
7. Making sure women are heard
8. Useful resources
9. Appendixes
Positive Action: Reducing Poverty Through Social Dialogue - a Training Manual for Trade Unions
http://www.ilo.org/asia/library/download/pub05-02.pdf
[full-text, 95 pages]
by Rosalind Harvey and edited by Raghwan
Bangkok: ILO, 2005. 94 p.
ISBN 92-2-116177-3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
Module 1: What is a PRSP and why should unions be involved?
Module 2: Determining union priorities for a PRSP process
Module 3: Influencing the PRSP process
Module 4: Implementation, monitoring and evaluation phases of a PRSP
Module 5: Common union issues in the PRSP process
(Thanks to Chanitda Wiwatchanon, Regional Librarian, ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific for the tip)
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
Thursday, March 24, 2005
[IWS] POOR BENEFIT MOST from ECONOMIC GROWTH (Cornell/ILR Study) [24 March 2005]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
Poor benefit most from economic growth, study from ILR School shows [24 March 2005]
http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle//05/3.24.05/poor_benefit_most.html
Ain't nothing surer. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer," sang the Tin Pan Alley lyricists who wrote "Ain't We Got Fun" in 1921. Some economists think that's still true, but Cornell researchers Gary Fields and Maria Laura Sanchez Puerta aren't among them.
Their just-released study compared how the incomes of all sectors of Argentina's workforce changed over time. Their finding: The poor did better than the rich in both good and bad times.
Argentina's poorest workers enjoyed the largest changes in actual pesos -- not just in percentages -- compared with the wealthiest workers, their study showed. And the poor not only did better than the rich during the country's boom years from the mid-1990s to 1998, but also did better during the recession that lasted until 2002 and the recovery that followed. The findings will be useful to other developing countries in Latin America and around the world.
Fields is a professor of labor economics at Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations and chair of the ILR School's Department of International and Comparative Labor. Sanchez Puerta is a Cornell doctoral student in economics from Argentina who will join the professional staff of the World Bank after she gains her degree.
Economists argue among themselves about whether economic booms benefit, bypass or harm the poor, said Fields. "In our study, 'Earnings Mobility in Argentina,' we looked at the changes for the same people from one year to the next from 1996 through 2003. The people whose income rose the most in pesos were the lower-income people, who benefited through better job opportunities and high self-employment earnings. It wasn't only certain poor people who benefited. It was widespread. The pattern found in our earnings mobility study was much more progressive than earlier inequality studies suggested."
The study also showed that the type of economic growth matters as much as the rate of growth, in terms of raising the incomes of the poor. "The faster growth takes place, the more the poor benefit," said Fields.
AND MORE....
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
[IWS] OECD: TACKLING NURSE SHORTAGES IN OECD COUNTRIES [14 March 2005]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
OECD HEALTH WORKING PAPERS NO. 19
TACKLING NURSE SHORTAGES IN OECD COUNTRIES [14 March 2005]
Steven Simoens, Mike Villeneuve and Jeremy Hurst
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/11/10/34571365.pdf
[full-text, 58 pages]
SUMMARY
1. There are reports of current nurse shortages in all but a few OECD countries. With further
increases in demand for nurses expected and nurse workforce ageing predicted to reduce the supply of
nurses, shortages are likely to persist or even increase in the future, unless action is taken to increase flows
into and reduce flows out of the workforce or to raise the productivity of nurses.
2. This paper analyses shortages of nurses in OECD countries. It defines and describes evidence on
current nurse shortages, and analyses international variability in nurse employment. Additionally, a number
of demand and supply factors that are likely to influence the existence and extent of any future nurse
shortages are examined. In order to resolve nurse shortages, the paper compares and evaluates policy levers
that decision makers can use to increase flows of nurses into the workforce, reduce flows out of the
workforce, and improve nurse retention rates.
3. Although delayed market response may have been responsible for recurring cycles of shortages
and surpluses of nurses in the past, current and future nurse shortages in OECD countries appear to be
driven by a broader set of economic, demographic and sociological factors. In addition to delayed market
response, current nurse shortages seem to be caused by fewer young people entering the workforce, a
greater range of professional opportunities open to young people, the low social value given to nursing,
negative perceptions of nurse working conditions and an ageing nurse workforce. Furthermore, demand for
nurses has continued to increase due to ageing populations, increased consumer activism and rapid
evolution of medical technologies.
4. To date, little is known about the cost-effectiveness of different policies to ensure an adequate
supply of nurses. Both pay and conditions of service seem to influence flows of nurses into and out of the
workforce, and nurse retention. Pay has been shown to influence entry into nursing school, participation of
qualified nurses in the workforce, nurse retention, and exits from the workforce, although more work is
needed to quantify the impacts of pay on these stocks and flows. Improvement in conditions of service,
such as: offering flexible work and retirement arrangements; setting up family care initiatives; improving
workforce management policies; creating a supportive organizational culture; enhancing career
advancement prospects; also seem to have had some success in retaining nurses. Additionally, staffing
levels seem to play a role in recruitment and retention, with evidence emerging that minimum nurse-topatient
ratios are associated with reduced nurse turnover and increased nursing school intake. There is also
some research indicating that nurse shortages may be reduced by raising the proportion of nurses who are
registered, without employing more overall.
5. Although there are signs that nurse shortages are set to worsen in the near future if policy action
is not taken, this is not an inevitable outcome. Traditional policy responses that focus on one specific
aspect of flows in or out of the workforce or retention, however, are unlikely to suffice. Instead, this paper
points to the introduction of mixed policies that initiate innovative approaches to nurse education and
training, offer strong incentives to recruit domestic and foreign nurses, raise productivity and make pay and
conditions of service attractive enough to retain nurses of all ages.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
[IWS] OECD: Extend ROLE of PRIVATE SOCIAL EXPENDITURE? [23 March 2005]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
OECD SOCIAL, EMPLOYMENT AND MIGRATION WORKING PAPERS NO. 23
SHOULD WE EXTEND THE ROLE OF PRIVATE SOCIAL EXPENDITURE? [23 March 2005]
Mark Pearson and John P. Martin*
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/59/22/34621653.pdf
[full-text, 38 pages]
SUMMARY
Some people make great claims about the advantages to be gained from greater reliance on the
private sector for the provision of social protection. Many of the claims for great macroeconomic
advantages do not stand up to scrutiny. However, there is some reason to hope that private provision might
promote microeconomic efficiency and services which are more responsive to consumer preferences than
those provided by a single monopoly public sector provider. Drawing on examples from recent OECD
country experiences with private health insurance, care for children and the elderly, and private pension
provision, three main conclusions can be drawn. First, opening provision to a diversity of providers has
often promoted more choice and innovation. Second, however, efficiency gains have often been limited.
This is due to a number of inter-related reasons: (a) Individualisation of packages of services is expensive.
(b) In order to ensure adequate coverage of the population, cross-subsidisation of particular groups of
people is often mandated on providers, reducing cost-competition and diversity of choice. (c) Informational
asymmetries (how good is this childcare which I cannot personally monitor, or this health care package
which I am not technically able to assess?) cannot be overcome without extensive regulation, which has the
effect of limiting innovation and competition. (d) The fiscal incentives necessary to stimulate private
provision are high, and have welfare costs of their own. Third, and related to this last point, the
distributional effects of private provision raise significant social problems. Private financing and provision
of social benefits is not a magic wand; waving it in the social protection field will not mean that the
economy and voters will be freed from some great deadweight that has been dragging them down.
Nevertheless, the private sector can sometimes deliver either a slightly cheaper, slightly more varied or
slightly more flexible system of social protection.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
[IWS] EU: Europe's AGING POPULATION What to do about it? [16 March 2005]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
Europe's population is getting older. How will this affect us and what should we do about it? [16 March 2005]
http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/news/2005/mar/demog_gp_en.html
Brussels 16/03/2005. The EU is facing unprecedented demographic changes that will have a major impact on the whole of society. Figures in the Green Paper on Demographic Change launched today by the Commission show that from now until 2030 the EU will lack 20.8 million (6.8 per cent) people of working age. In 2030 roughly two active people (15-65) will have to take care of one inactive person (65+). And Europe will have 18 million children and young people fewer than today.
"The issues are much broader than older workers and pension reform. This development will affect almost every aspect of our lives, for example the way businesses operate and work is being organised, our urban planning, the design of flats, public transport, voting behaviour and the infrastructure of shopping possibilities in our cities," said Mr `pidla. "All age groups will be affected as people live longer and enjoy better health, the birth rate falls and our workforce shrinks. It is time to act now. This debate on European level is a first step."
Raising live expectancy
People are living longer and older people are enjoying better health. By 2030, the number of "older workers" (aged 55 to 64) will have risen by 24 million as the baby-boomer generation become senior citizens and the EU will have 34.7 million citizens aged over 80 (compared to 18.8 million today). Average life expectancy at 60 has risen five years since 1960 for women and nearly four years for men. The number of people 80+ will grow by 180% by 2050.
Fertility rate
The EU's fertility rate fell to 1.48 in 2003, below the level needed to replace the population (2.1 children per woman). The paper shows that the EU's population will fall from 469.5 million in 2025 to 468.7 million in 2030. By contrast, the US population will increase by 25.6 per cent between 2000 and 2025. However, demographic decline is already here: in one third of the EU regions and in most of the regions of the new member states the population was already falling in the late 90s.
Ageing work force
From 2005 to 2030 the number of people 65+ will rise by 52,3% (40 mio), while the age group of 15-64 will decrease by 6,8% (20,8 mio).
The ratio of dependent young and old people to people of working age will increase from 49 per cent in 2005 to 66 per cent in 2030. To offset the loss of working-age people, we will need an employment rate of over 70 per cent.
Implications
These demographic changes have major implications for our prosperity, living standards and relations between the generations. Modern Europe has never had economic growth without births. It is the result of constraints on familieschoices: late access to employment, job instability, expensive housing and lack of incentives (family benefits, parental leave, child care, equal pay). Incentives of this kind can have a positive impact on the birth rate and increase employment, especially female employment, as certain countries have shown. However, 84% of men surveyed by Eurobarometer in 2004 said that they had not taken parental leave or did not intend to do so, even when informed of their rights.
Politics alone cannot solve the problem, said Commissioner `pidla, they have to go hand in hand with a picture in society that does not stamp women who re-enter the labour market after maternity leave as bad mothersand men that take care of children as softies.
What should we do?
Many of the issues are the responsibility of the Member States but they concern the whole of the EU. The Commission wants to open a debate on how to tackle them and what role the Union should play. For example, should EU policies for work-life balance and equal opportunities be harnessed to boost the population? How should immigration into the EU be managed?
The Commission will organise European Conference on July 11th in Brussels where it will gather experts, high-level policy makers, civil society, to discuss the follow-up on this Green paper.
AND MORE....
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
Sunday, March 20, 2005
[IWS] New! GENEVA SOCIAL OBSERVATORY & GSO NEWS Vol.1, No. 1 January/February 2004 -- web site
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
GENEVA SOCIAL OBSERVATORY
http://www.hrigeneva.com/gso_home.htm
[excerpt]
The Geneva Social Observatory was established in 2004 to provide a neutral setting for constructive dialogue on social issues. These pages provide details on the activities of the GSO and serve as a clearing house for GSO materials. In particular, you will find the GSO newsletter in these pages. If you would like to learn more about the GSO or subscribe to the GSO newsletter or otherwise contribute to the GSO please click on the buttons below.
GSO News Volume 1 Number 1, January/February 2005
Katherine A. Hagen - Managing Director
Susan Brown - Editor
http://www.hrigeneva.com/gsovol1no1.htm
[excerpt]
This is the inaugural edition of GSO News, a subscription service provided by the Geneva Social Observatory. We report on developments at WHO, WTO, ILO and many other Geneva-based organizations, as well as other selected developments on global social issues. Our IN DEPTH piece in this issue is on
"The GSO Approach to Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance"
http://www.hrigeneva.com/gsovol1no1.htm#In%20Depth
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
Saturday, March 19, 2005
[IWS] Dublin Foundation: WORKING CONDITIONS & GENDER in Enlarged Europe [February 2005]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation)
Working Conditions Publications
Working conditions and gender in an enlarged Europe [February 2005]
http://www.eurofound.eu.int/publications/files/EF04138EN.pdf
[full-text, 88 pages]
Author: Pollert, Anna and Foder, Eva
Summary:
This report presents a comparative study of working conditions for women in 10 central eastern European countries and its purpose is threefold: to bring together the findings of the national reports; to explore in greater detail the Foundation data in terms of comparison between its 2001 survey of the acceding and candidate countries and its 2000 survey of the EU15; and to use the national reports to evaluate the Foundation findings.
Pages: 88
Reference: EF04138
ISBN: 92-897-0907-3
Published: 2005
[excerpt]
Significant socio-economic transition in central and eastern European countries in recent decades
has impacted significantly on the working conditions and quality of life for both women and men.
With the enlargement of the European Union in 2004 which embraced eight of these formerly
communist countries and with Bulgaria and Romania preparing to join the EU in the coming years,
these changes are also set to have implications for policymakers in the new enlarged European
Union. As a result, there is a very real need for a comprehensive overview of the situation in this
domain.
On the basis of national reports and Foundation survey analysis, this report, Working conditions
and gender in an enlarged Europe presents a comparative study of working conditions for women
in these 10 central and eastern European countries (CEECs). The evidence shows that, broadly, the
situation of women in these countries today is similar to that in western Europe in terms of gender
segregation. However, some interesting differences emerge, such as the rapid increase in private
service sector employment for men in all CEECs a far greater increase than for women.
As for the pay gap, few countries have improved on their early 1990s position, which appears to
suggest that the last decade of a market economy has done little for womens progress towards
equal pay.
As this important debate continues across Europe, we trust this report will offer a useful perspective
on working conditions and gender in an enlarged Europe.
Contents
Foreword v
Introduction 1
1 Demographic, economic, and employment trends 3
2 Gender segregation 13
3 Gender inequality in the labour market 31
4 Working and raising a family 39
5 Gender equality policies 43
6 Gender and employment: industrial relations context 51
7 Conclusions 57
Bibliography 61
Appendix 63
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
Friday, March 18, 2005
[IWS] OECD SOCIAL INDICATORS 2005: Society at a Glance [8 March 2005]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
Society at a Glance: OECD Social Indicators - 2005 Edition [8 March 2005]
http://www.oecd.org/document/24/0,2340,en_2649_34487_2671576_1_1_1_1,00.html
See Press Release at
http://www.oecd.org/document/23/0,2340,en_2649_34487_34543191_1_1_1_1,00.html
* Raw data underlying each indicator
* http://www.oecd.org/document/24/0,2340,en_2649_34487_2671576_1_1_1_1,00.html#raw_data
* How to obtain this publication
* http://www.oecd.org/document/24/0,2340,en_2649_34487_2671576_1_1_1_1,00.html#how_to_obtain
* Previous versions of this publication
* http://www.oecd.org/document/24/0,2340,en_2649_34487_2671576_1_1_1_1,00.html#previous
[excerpt]
Social problems are both diverse and interlinked. For example, tackling social exclusion involves simultaneously addressing barriers to labour market integration, health care issues and education. Coping with an ageing society requires new approaches to health care and employment, as well as to pensions. Social indicators have been developed to provide the broad perspective needed for any international comparison and assessment of social trends, outcomes and policies. By linking social status and social response indicators across a broad range of policy areas, social indicators help readers to identify whether and how the broad thrust of social policies and societal actions are addressing key social policy issues.
Social indicators provide a concise overview of social trends and policies while paying due attention to the different national conditions in which such policies are being pursued. The social indicators in Society at a Glance may be represented along a two-dimensional classification. The first dimension corresponds to three main goals of social policy, i.e. self-sufficiency, equity and social cohesion. The second dimension corresponds to the nature of the indicators, i.e. social context, social status, and societal responses.
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
[IWS] CANADA: RECENT CHANGES in the LABOUR MARKET 1991-2004 [18 March 2005]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
New York, NY 10016
________________________________________________________________________
Statistics Canada
RECENT CHANGES IN THE LABOUR MARKET [1991 to 2004]
http://www.statcan.ca/english/ads/11-010-XPB/pdf/mar05.pdf
[full-text, 10 pages]
The article "Recent changes in the labour market" is now available free online. It is also available in the March 2005 issue of Canadian Economic Observer, Vol. 18, no. 3 (11-010-XIB, $19/$182). The monthly paper version of Canadian Economic Observer, Volume 18, no. 3 (11-010-XPB, $25/$243) will soon be available.
Press Release (18 March 2005)
Study: Recent changes in the labour market
1991 to 2004
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050318/d050318a.htm
Labour demand since 2000 has been in many ways the reverse of the 1990s, shifting from high-tech to housing and resources, according to a new assessment of changes in Canada's labour market.
This new pattern of industrial growth has profound implications for the urban-rural distribution of jobs as well as the education required of workers, their occupation and even the size distribution of employers, according to a report in Canadian Economic Observer.
Changes in labour demand have been met by important shifts in the supply of labour. In particular, workers aged 55 and over have contributed one-third of all labour force growth in the last decade, reversing several decades of decline.
Still, the recovery in mining and construction jobs has allowed these industries to rejuvenate their labour force. As well, job prospects for youths in rural areas are now better than for their urban counterparts.
The economy has been subjected to a number of shocks since 2000. The collapse of demand for information and communications technology goods, notably telecom equipment and fiber optics, punctured the stock market bubble in 2000.
The ensuing downward trend in interest rates accelerated after the September 11, 2001 attacks, sparking a surge in household spending, especially for housing.
Meanwhile, the restoration of government surpluses allowed a re-investment in public services, notably hospitals. Finally, the increasing integration of China into the world economy sparked a surge in commodity prices, which helped send the loonie soaring.
Employment growth in 2004 was spearheaded by mining, construction and real estate, all with gains of about 5%. So far this decade, these three industries have driven job growth. Employment rose 17% in mining, 18% in construction and 10% in real estate.
The job increases in these three industries follow a decade in which they all cut jobs. The turnaround reflects booming commodity and housing markets.
Conversely, some of the fastest-growing industries in the 1990s have lagged so far this decade. The biggest turnarounds have been in manufacturing. Computers and electronic products led this reversal, giving back all of the 45,000 jobs added in the 1990s. The auto industry (including parts) has stalled after growing by 69,000 in the previous decade. The rapid growth of computer services, the fastest growing industry in the 1990s, has slowed to a crawl.
The new patterns of employment were reflected in unemployment. Mining posted its lowest-ever unemployment rate of just 4.5%. Similarly, the boom in housing sent unemployment in construction to a 30-year low of 8.6%.
AND MORE...
(Thanks to Gary Price at Resourceshelf.com for the tip)
_____________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
