PES Manifesto

Ania Skrzypek: Young European Socialists and new social jobs

Published Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at 15:04
by ania_skrzypek (1342 views and 3 comments)

Not a long time ago, by November 2007, ECOSY celebrated its 15 years anniversary. For that occasion we asked our members why they joined the movement. Among many answers the leading one was undoubtedly: because I wanted to make a difference, because I wanted to change… Naïve? I would not say so – I’d rather claim ‘refreshing to remember’, inspiring! Now “New” usually stands for something that is different from everything we know, that can give a potential hope – which is why the "New Social Europe" seem to be the hope to re-boost the discussion on what is the absolutely unique project of Socialists and Social Democrats for Europe.

We know that the world has changed – we read that in every paper, together with acknowledgements of all the threats that not only hide in every corner, but even enter our houses; like globalization that we voluntarily participate in each day when switching the TV on. Everything is unstable, insecure, questionable – and Superman or Spiderman seem up to date enough to save us.

I am convinced that instead of a bunch of Armageddon tricks, we need a vision that appeals to people, that gives them a feeling of social human security, that allows them to entrust. And as young people in Europe, people who are now and the future of the European Union, who have to struggle with youth unemployment, imposed life style, discrimination, poverty. Nonetheless we need this vision to let us believe that Europe and its labour market can and will offer us good life opportunities.

Opportunities of European Labour Market for young people often combine with the ‘Active Labour Market Policies’ – as mentioned in the PES discussion paper. These are huge words, but for 'Generation P' (as we are named after the statistics pointing the amount of young people in precarious jobs) this does not have a meaning yet. And in order to have young people on board, to have their support and enthusiasm, one has to be clear and comprehensive, and this is why we wish to see in the PES manifesto a clear statement on the youth unemployment gap between education and labour market and clear content of active labour market policies.

We believe that the first job experience is very important; it should be both giving and motivating. It should allow us to believe that the period of professional activism has to be the most exciting phase in people’s lives. This is why we demand to act together against youth unemployment, which equals trapping our own potential, as also against new forms of exploitation, unlike the unpaid internships. There shall be no difference in code of conduct; every work, contracted temporarily or indefinite, being a full time or an internship has to be offered with full rights and social protection. There is no ‘better’ or ‘worse’ exploitation – so there can be no difference in better or worse rights to social protection and decent payment!

There should be a clear PES vision for the European Charter of Internships promised by the European Commission in September 2007 in the “New Social Europe” part of the PES manifesto for the 2009 elections. As a way to support the struggle of the Generation P – brave young trade unionists, students activists – who every day fight in the name of exploited interns. And there are many of them – in France and Germany only there are more than 2 milions…

And in Brussels? Once I had a discussion with a colleague from the liberals, who said that our struggle against unpaid internships is a way of not opening the door of our own offices to young people, who ‘could work for free for a while and then maybe get a job in Brussels by someone else’. The ‘maybe hope’ is an illusion – I replied – as socialists we offer a sustainable vision, based on decent work and social security. Not for ‘a while’ – but for a life time, which is why we can carry the hopes entrusted in us.

Tags: blogger of the week, education, employment, wages, welfare, youth