Tripartite task forces set up to promote employment

The Ministerial Working Group on Promoting Employment on Friday at its first meeting decided to appoint seven task forces to prepare proposals for measures to implement the policies set out in the Government Programme, said a government press release.

Presided over by Minister of Employment Timo Harakka, the Working Group will direct the implementation of the Government Programme in different areas including promotion of employment, labour market issues and better employment legislation.

Regulatory initiatives for raising the employment rate are being prepared by a regulatory task force on labour law.

The task forces may present their first proposals for measures in time for the government budget session taking place in the autumn.

The task forces will also have to consider long-term needs for change. These include the need to increase labour productivity due to the transformation of work and demographic structure. Other new needs relate to skills, training, and the diversification of work.

The seven task forces will cover seven different themes. They are Service structure of labour market policy

Pay subsidies and other benefits, including unemployment security, Promotion of fitness for work and employment of persons with partial work ability, Matching skills and labour market needs, Labour migration and integration, Labour law, Local collective bargaining.

Based on the decision of the Ministerial Working Group on Promoting Employment, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will invite key ministries and stakeholders to put forward their candidates for these task forces to enable them to start their work as soon as possible.

The preparatory work will take place on a tripartite basis: the labour market organisations and the Federation of Finnish Enterprises will be represented on all seven task forces.

The Ministerial Working Group will also welcome employment promotion proposals from other stakeholders. More specific instructions on how to present such proposals will be issued later.