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CONCLUSIONS OF THE COUNCIL

OF 7 JUNE 1984

ON TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT

( 84/C 184/01 )

THE COUNCIL ,

NOTING THE COMMISSION COMMUNICATION ON TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT ;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE DISCUSSIONS OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT ON THIS COMMUNICATION AT ITS MEETING ON 10 MAY 1984 ;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE COUNCIL AND OF THE MINISTERS OF EDUCATION , MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL , ON THIS COMMUNICATION AT THEIR MEETING ON 4 JUNE 1984 ,

ARRIVED AT THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS :

A . THE COUNCIL CONSIDERS THAT A COMMON STRATEGY ON THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES SHOULD BE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES :

1 . THE COUNCIL RECOGNIZES THE UNAVOIDABLE NATURE OF THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE STRENGTHENING OF COMPETITIVENESS OF EUROPEAN UNDERTAKINGS AND RESTORING ECONOMIC GROWTH . IT AFFIRMS THE NEED FOR AN OVERALL COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO THE NEW INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION . A MARCO-ECONOMIC POLICY AIMED AT A STRONGER RESUMPTION OF GROWTH WILL FACILITATE THE PROCESS OF ADJUSTMENT BETWEEN SECTORS , AS WELL AS THE OCCUPATIONAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL MOBILITY OF THE LABOUR FORCE .

2 . THE COUNCIL CONSIDERS THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO THIS END TO UTILIZE THE POTENTIAL AFFORDED BY TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION AND BY THE STRENGTHENING OF INVESTMENT IN ORDER TO CREATE THE CONDITIONS FOR BETTER EMPLOYMENT AND AN IMPROVEMENT IN WORKING CONDITIONS . THIS MEANS AN ACCEPTANCE OF THE NECESSARY CHANGES WHICH COULD IN DUE COURSE MAKE FOR THE CREATION OF NEW JOBS . IT IS NECESSARY , HOWEVER , TO MASTER THESE CHANGES IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE SOCIAL EQUILIBRIUM FOR BEING SERIOUSLY UNDERMINED .

3 . KEY CONDITIONS FOR THE SUCCESS OF THESE CHANGES ARE THE TRAINING AND INFORMATION OF WORKERS .

4 . THE COUNCIL CONSIDERS THAT EDUCATION AND TRAINING HAVE A VITAL ROLE TO PLAY IN A COMMUNITY STRATEGY DESIGNED TO REINFORCE THE CAPACITY FOR INNOVATION AND THE COMPETITIVE POSITION OF EUROPEAN UNDERTAKINGS . INVESTMENT , EMPLOYMENT , LABOUR AND TRAINING POLICIES FORM A WHOLE . ALTHOUGH INVESTMENT CONSTITUTES THE PRIMARY CONDITION FOR THE SUCCESS OF THIS STRATEGY , EDUCATION AND TRAINING HAVE A DECISIVE ROLE TO PLAY HERE . IT WOULD SERVE AS A REMINDER THAT A MAJOR INITIAL STEP IN THIS DIRECTION WAS TAKEN WITH THE ADOPTION OF A NUMBER OF RESOLUTIONS AFFORDING THE BASIS FOR COMMUNITY ACTION IN THIS AREA DESIGNED TO SUPPLEMENT AND SUPPORT ACTION UNDERTAKEN BY THE MEMBER STATES THEMSELVES .

A PARTICULAR EFFORT MUST BE MADE FOR THE TRAINING AND RETRAINING OF THE CATEGORIES OF WORKERS WHO ARE MOST AFFECTED BY THE EMPLOYMENT CRISIS AND BY TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE . INITIAL AND ONGOING TRAINING TOGETHER WITH RETRAINING MEASURES WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO ADAPT THE SKILLS OF WORKERS TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES . THIS SHOULD GO HAND IN HAND WITH FORWARD LABOUR MANAGEMENT .

5 . THE COUNCIL RECOGNIZES THAT TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATIONS ARE GREATLY ASSISTED IF WORKERS ARE FULLY INVOLVED ; THEY AND/OR THEIR REPRESENTATIVES OUGHT THEREFORE TO BE INFORMED AND CONSULTED BEFOREHAND WITH A VIEW TO ARRIVING AT AGREEMENTS .

SUCH INFORMATION AND CONSULTATION SHOULD BE AS EXACT AND AS FULL AS POSSIBLE AND REGULARLY ACCOMPANY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TECHNOLOGICAL OPTIONS . TO THIS END , THE PARTIES CONCERNED SHOULD BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM EXPERT ADVICE .

6 . SINCE TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE HAS CONSEQUENCES FOR EMPLOYMENT , THE ORGANIZATION OF WORK AND PRODUCTION , THESE OUGHT TO FORM THE SUBJECT OF DIALOGUE BETWEEN LABOUR AND MANAGEMENT . WHILE THE COMPETITIVE POSITION OF UNDERTAKINGS SHOULD BE PRESERVED , PARTICULAR ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID TO IMPROVED UTILIZATION OF PLANT AND EQUIPMENT , TO EMPLOYMENT PROBLEMS , TO WORKING CONDITIONS AND SAFETY AT WORK , AS WELL AS TO THE LENGTH OF WORKING HOURS .

7 . THE MAGNITUDE AND THE URGENCY OF THE EFFORT TO BE UNDERTAKEN MAKE IT MORE NECESSARY THAN EVER TO MOBILIZE ALL OF EUROPE'S ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL STRENGTHS .

B . ON THESE BASES , THE COUNCIL REQUESTS THE COMMISSION TO DEVELOP ( 1 ) AND , WHERE NECESSARY , TO INITIATE WORK IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS :

1 . TO DEFINE THE PRINCIPLES OF , AND DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS FOR , FORWARD LABOUR MANAGEMENT , IN PARTICULAR THROUGH THE REINFORCEMENT OF THE MEANS OF OBSERVING AND ANALYZING NEW SKILLED PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS ;

2 . TO IDENTIFY AND ANALYZE , IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MEMBER STATES AND BOTH SIDES OF INDUSTRY , SHORT - AND MEDIUM-TERM SECTORAL TRENDS WITH A VIEW TO PINPOINTING IN PARTICULAR THE PROSPECTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMPLOYMENT WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THE INTRODUTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES ;

3 . TO EXTEND ACTION TO FAMILIARIZE PEOPLE WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES , PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM ;

4 . TO INITIATE OR STRENGTHEN COOPERATION BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS , IN PARTICULAR ADVANCED TRAINING INSTITUTIONS , WITH A VIEW TO IMPROVING THE PROVISION OF INITIAL TRAINING AND THE IMPARTING OF NEW SKILLS TO THOSE WHOSE EMPLOYMENT IS AFFECTED BY TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS ;

5 . TO ENCOURAGE , STARTING AT THE STAGE OF CONCEPTION AND PLANNING OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS , THE SYSTEMATIC TAKING INTO ACCOUNT OF THEIR ERGONOMIC IMPLICATIONS WITH A VIEW TO IMPROVING WORKING CONDITIONS . IT IS ALSO NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE OCCUPATIONAL AND SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF VULNERABLE CATEGORIES OF WORKERS , IN PARTICULAR THE HANDICAPPED ;

6 . TO EXAMINE THE FULL IMPLICATIONS OF THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCE ON THE DECENTRALIZATION OF PRODUCTION , INCLUDING WORK PERFORMED AT HOME AND DISTANCE WORKING ;

7 . TO ELICIT AT COMMUNITY LEVEL THE PRINCIPLES COMMON TO THE PARTICULAR LEGISLATIVE AND CONTRACTUAL INSTRUMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES CONCERNING INFORMATION , CONSULTATION AND NEGOTIATION ON THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES ; TO PROMOTE TO THIS END THE TRAINING OF EXPERTS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION FROM WORKERS' AND EMPLOYERS' ORGANIZATIONS ;

8 . TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES FOR THE PROMOTION AND DISSEMINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND TO IMPROVE THE UTILIZATION OF THE COMMUNITY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS - EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND , EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND AND EUROPEAN INNOVATION LOAN - IN SUCH A WAY AS TO ASSIST THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INNOVATORY COMMUNITY STRATEGY CALCULATED TO RESPOND TO THE SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE .

( 1 ) IN THE CONTEXT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION IN PARTICULAR OF THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES , THE RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL AND OF THE MINISTERS FOR EDUCATION ON THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN EDUCATION , AND THE SECOND PROGRAMME ON SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK , AND ALSO IN THE UTILIZATION OF THE VARIOUS COMMUNITY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS , AND IN PARTICULAR IN THE APPLICATION OF THE GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND , 1984 TO 1986 .