This, the second volume on labour flexibility, deals with how it can be reconciled with social cohesion. Following the Council of Europe's Forum 2005: Reconciling labour flexibility with social cohesion, it aims to present ideas useful for political action for integration with the European social model. It is divided into three parts. The first looks at the framework of reconciliation and describes the complexity of uncertainty and changes in the structure of labour markets. The second part is entitled the space for reconciliation and covers mobility, social protection, the quality of transitions and the quality of family life. The final part covers the methodology of reconciliation, including the model proposed by the Council of Europe.

This volume on labour flexibility invites readers to question the effects of labour market institutional and organisational reforms on social cohesion. The Council of Europe suggests reconciling social cohesion with the inevitable changes wrought by globalisation, namely the reorganisation of the parameters governing competition. This reconciliation should take into account the essential political value of democratic security, to be found firstly in employment; the high social and societal cost of precariousness attests to this. However, security should not imply rigidity. It should rather translate into societal recognition of a "right to transition" which calls for co-responsibility on the part of all social actors and stakeholders. Reconciliation is more than a political duty, it is a prerequisite for the stability necessary for social sustainability. It should therefore raise awareness of the need to find new ways of fairly sharing the costs and benefits such transitions create. -- Council of Europe.

Dans la recherche de cohésion sociale, les auteurs préconisent l'action à long terme recherchant la synergie entre acteurs locaux, population et institutions afin d'encourager la responsabilité mutuelle et les valeurs de solidarité.

Ce volume contient des pistes de réflexion concernant deux questions relatives aux effets du sentiment d'insécurité sur la cohésion sociale : pourquoi la société européenne d'aujourd'hui - porteuse dans son patrimoine des gènes de la solidarité et d'identité collective - est-elle créatrice d'une demande sécuritaire pouvant parfois paraître irrationnelle ? Y a-t-il des moyens institutionnels et politiques pour déconstruire ces sentiments d'insécurité et la peur qui s'installe dans nos sociétés, parallèlement à la mondialisation ? Les textes présentés invitent à éviter de stigmatiser, de criminaliser, de " ghettoïser ", de désigner des boucs émissaires, et lancent un appel à rechercher les voies qui permettront de déconstruire la peur (d'autrui) qui cloisonne et d'ouvrir nos sociétés à des initiatives menant à la mondialisation de la solidarité, dans la reconnaissance des droits de tous, au-delà de tout stéréotype.

All European countries are currently facing major social challenges. Population ageing, persistent unemployment and rising expenditure on social protection are causing anxiety about the sustainability of social security schemes. New trends, emphasising the role of the private sector and individual responsibility in responding to social risks, are radically altering the role of the state and directly affect the benefits paid to recipients. This volume focuses on the consequences of the recent reforms of old-age pension schemes in Europe and takes a closer look at the repercussions of private funding of old-age pensions on social cohesion and equality between women and men.

This publication contains four papers which explore topics discussed at the Forum on "New social responsibilities in a globalising world", held in Strasbourg in October 2002, to consider the implications of globalisation for traditional policy instruments and government measures to promote social cohesion at state, market and civil society levels. Issues discussed include: human rights and the liberalisation of markets; the ability of governments to impose legal frameworks for the exercise of social responsibility; and the importance of the European social model.

A publication that has received political and financial support from the Directorate General of Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the European Commission.