Working conditions in Europe: Contrasts and convergences
Proust, Sarah
Working conditions in Europe: Contrasts and convergences - 2023.
74
After several months of intense social tensions over pension reform, the French government has decided to re-open the debate on working conditions and the place of work in France. In late April 2023, in the wake of its so-called Assizes of Work, President Macrons’ National Council for Refoundation published a report entitled “Re-considérer le travail” (“Re-considering Work”). As the title suggests, this report centered around the observation that the relationship employees have toward their work, their career aspirations, and so on, is very much contingent on the “consideration” accorded to them in the workplace. Since the pandemic and successive lockdowns of 2020–21, the situation has evolved, both in France and in Europe, particularly for those who are able to do their jobs remotely. To what extent have working conditions changed? And how are these changes perceived and evaluated by workers? Sarah Proust, who has coordinated several studies on the subject, among others for the Fondation Jean Jaurès, sums up how working conditions and the organization of work have evolved in recent years in France and five other European countries: we have born witness to a fragmentation of the workplace and working hours, the distinction between personal and professional life has become increasingly blurred, work has become more individualized, and the employer-employee relationship has been overturned. While generally seen as a feat of social advancement, achieved through no great struggle, people appear to regard teleworking more as an improvement in living rather than working conditions; but it also sparks new questions about the organization of work, management, and the restructuring/reorganization of working schedules. And, as Sarah Proust emphasizes toward the end of her article, other questions are emerging or gaining ground that are set to turn work into a far more political issue, from the spread of artificial intelligence within certain occupations to the constraints ensuing from the fight against climate change. S.D.
Working conditions in Europe: Contrasts and convergences - 2023.
74
After several months of intense social tensions over pension reform, the French government has decided to re-open the debate on working conditions and the place of work in France. In late April 2023, in the wake of its so-called Assizes of Work, President Macrons’ National Council for Refoundation published a report entitled “Re-considérer le travail” (“Re-considering Work”). As the title suggests, this report centered around the observation that the relationship employees have toward their work, their career aspirations, and so on, is very much contingent on the “consideration” accorded to them in the workplace. Since the pandemic and successive lockdowns of 2020–21, the situation has evolved, both in France and in Europe, particularly for those who are able to do their jobs remotely. To what extent have working conditions changed? And how are these changes perceived and evaluated by workers? Sarah Proust, who has coordinated several studies on the subject, among others for the Fondation Jean Jaurès, sums up how working conditions and the organization of work have evolved in recent years in France and five other European countries: we have born witness to a fragmentation of the workplace and working hours, the distinction between personal and professional life has become increasingly blurred, work has become more individualized, and the employer-employee relationship has been overturned. While generally seen as a feat of social advancement, achieved through no great struggle, people appear to regard teleworking more as an improvement in living rather than working conditions; but it also sparks new questions about the organization of work, management, and the restructuring/reorganization of working schedules. And, as Sarah Proust emphasizes toward the end of her article, other questions are emerging or gaining ground that are set to turn work into a far more political issue, from the spread of artificial intelligence within certain occupations to the constraints ensuing from the fight against climate change. S.D.
Réseaux sociaux