Academics to analyse current situation of youth's right to employment

30/10/2014

The third edition of the IET Workshop, entitled "La fi del dret a l'ocupació dels joves?" will take place on 28 November. The workshop will take place from 9:15 am to 5:30 pm at the Sala de Vistes of the Faculty of Law. It will include the participation of specialists in employment rights, sociology and other disciplines who will analyse the new emerging model of employment and its effects on both the working rights and the wellbeing of workers. The workshop is organised by the Institute of Employment Studies (IET), the Centre for Sociological Studies on Everyday Life and Work (QUIT), and the research group Working Rights of Spaniards and Foreigners (DRELATES).

The transformations in job availability, the devastating effect of today's economic crisis, are especially tough on young workers. Labour reforms passed in 2010, 2011 and 2012, in addition to the numerous modifications introduced through decrees, have increased the power of business owners to the detriment of workers and their rights, protection and ability to fight collectively for their working conditions.

The employment model imposed by the current crisis and the reforms passed by the current government represent a drastic reduction in working rights: lower wages, more part-time work positions, greater availability, less protection in the workplace, etc. This job insecurity will affect social rights in the long-term, both in unemployment benefits as in future pensions, especially given the low salaries and short duration of contracts which imply less contributions in taxes and, therefore, less money for social security benefits. At the same time, new proposals such as complementary (private) pension plans point to the idea of financing the economy.

The workshop will be divided into three session: "Trajectòries i condicions d'ocupació dels joves", "Dualització de les relacions laborals i els seus efectes sobre el dret" and "Drets socials i perspectives per als joves". The inauguration of the workshop will take place at 9:15am and will include short speeches by Esther Zapater, Dean of the Faculty of Law; Pilar Delunde, Vice-Rector for Research; and Antonio Marín, Director of IET. Before the first opening session, Lluís Franco, President of the Economic and Social Council of Catalonia, will speak on future perspectives in a conference entitled "Perspectives de futur i perspectives de l'ocupació i protecció social per als joves".

More information: Third Workshop of the Institute of Employment Studies: "La fi del dret a l'ocupació dels joves?"