Member states need to take radical measures to cushion the
employment and social shock caused by the pandemic, says the
resolution on the EU
Employment Guidelines, drafted by José
Gusmão (GUE/NGL, PT) and adopted on Wednesday by the
Employment and Social Affairs Committee. The text calls on the
Commission to revise the Employment Guidelines to take account of
the consequences of the pandemic and better respond to future
crises.
Measures proposed by MEPs include wage subsidies, income support,
extending unemployment benefit schemes and paid sick leave as
well as carers’ leave and arrangements to work from home. The
fight against youth unemployment, homelessness and poverty must
be prioritised through a reinforced Youth
Guarantee, a strong Child
Guarantee for tackling child poverty and
the Housing
First approach, they say.
Support labour mobility and financial assistance for EU
firms
The text asks that only companies that are not registered in tax
havens, that respect the applicable collective agreements and
that do not pay dividends or bonuses can apply for financial
assistance from the SURE mechanism for
short-time work, and welcomes a proposal for a European permanent
unemployment reinsurance scheme, expected towards the end of
2020. MEPs consider that the length of time that the ‘General
escape clause’ will apply, which gives member states
fiscal flexibility during severe economic shocks, has to “reflect
the dimension and duration of the COVID-19- crisis”.
To create new job opportunities, MEPs propose that member states
support fair labour mobility throughout Europe and further
strengthen the ERASMUS+ mobility
programme. Public services should be digitalised more
quickly, particularly those linked to the coordination of social security
systems.
The report was adopted with 46 votes in favour, 5 votes against
and 3 abstentions.
Next Steps
The full house is expected to vote during the September plenary
session on the draft report adopted in committee today.
Background
The Employment Guidelines (Article
148 of the TFEU) present strategic objectives for national
employment policies and policy priorities in the fields of
employment, education and social inclusion. The Council will
adopt the act after consulting the European Parliament. The
Guidelines serve as a basis for country-specific
recommendations in the different areas concerned.
The European Commission presented this year’s revision of the
Employment Guidelines in February 2020, before the COVID-19
outbreak, in order to integrate the four dimensions of
the Annual
Strategy for Sustainable Growth (ASGS) and, in
particular, the dimension of environmental sustainability, to
reflect the vision of a strong
social Europe for just transitions and to take into
account the UN Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
