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COM (84) 006 
 
 
 
Vol. 1984/0 002 
  
 
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concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
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In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Communit y and the European Atom ic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
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file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
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Februa r 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(84)  6 final  
Brussels, 26 January 1984
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT
(Commission Communication to the Council)
COM(84) 6 final

TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND  
SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT
COMMISSION COMMUNICATION TO THE COUNCIL

SUMMARY
The purpose of this Communication is to propose a Community strategy  
for new technologies which, complementing those already launched in  
the sphere of industry, research, development and innovation,  
will bring a positive response to the social challenges.
After reviewing briefly the social implications of technolgical  
change and the need for joint action, it sets out a certain number  
of proposals on the development of existing activities and new  
measures.
These proposals come under three priority headings:
I.  Education and training
The Council Resolutions of June 1983 concerning the introduction  
of new information technologies into education and vocational  
training for new information technologies already provide a basis  
for Community action. However, the most determined efforts in  
the fields of research, development and industrial policy will  
be hampered and might even fail unless they are matched by similar  
efforts in initial and continuing training for high level specialists  
and technicians. The Commission envisages new measures to set  
ip and help finance "partnership programmes" between industry and  
higher education, training and research establishments tailored  
to local or regional needs, in order to expand high level training  
and help it to adapt to the changing needs of industry.
In order to supplement current actions in the educational field  
whilst establishing a link with the partnership programmes the  
Commission proposes the launching of demonstration operations  
at Community level to increase awareness of and familiarity with  
the new technologies, whether in schools or among the general  
publi c.
II. Management of working time and organisation of working  
and living conditions
In the context of technological innovation the reduction and  
reorganisation of working time and the promotion of forward looking  
manpower policies, especially at local level, take on particular  
importance.
The Commission intends to give priority to the development of  
knowledge concerning the impact of new technologiesat enterprise  
and sectoral level on employment, working time, remuneration and  
other elements of working and living conditions.
It also proposes concerted action aimed at improving the ergonomic  
aspects of equipment and its methods of use a^ well as the development  
of Community standards for health and safety.

Ill.  Participation in technological change in the firm
Following through the conclusions of the Standing Committee on  
Employment of November 1981, the Commission intends to carry out  
further research and to promote the formulation by the social  
partners at European level of common principles which should enable  
agreements to be concluded between them on procedures for the  
implementation of new technologies consequent upon their introduction  
in the firm. It also intends to support initiatives to enhance  
the expertise of the social partners in matters of technological  
innovation.
The actions in these three fields should be reinforced by the  
promotion and dissemination of innovatory projects and by more  
systematic use of existing funds and financial instruments, of  
which the aspects most relevant to reconversion and technological  
innovation are described.
The innovatory projects should relate in particular to the development  
of local employment initiatives involving new technologies and  
neu goods and services based on these technologies which me ft  
social needs, for example those concerning handicapped or elderly  
people.
The points of reflection on which the Commission drew and which  
form a contribution to the debate which it considers essential  
to develop at a European level are given in the annex.

TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT
CONTENTS
PROPOSALS FOR ACTION Paragraphs;
I OBJECTIVES 1-3
II THE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGICAL 4-5
CHANGE
III THE NEED FOR COMMON ACTION 6-11
IV NEW DEVELOPMENTS, NEW MEASURES 12
IV.1. First field of action: education and 13-16
training
IV.2. Second field of action: management of 17-18working time and organisation of  
working conditions
IV.3. Third field of action: participation in 19-21
technological change
IV.4. Supporting actions:
- promotion and dissemination of 22-23
experimental projects
- the contribution of Community financial 24-28  
instruments
ANNEX: POINTS OF REFLECTION
I NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND EMPLOYMENT 1-2
1.1. The effects on employment levels 3-12
1.2. The effects on the structure and operation 13-17  
of the labour market
1.3. The groups most affected 18-20
1.4. New technologies and working time 21-23
II TRAINING, QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION 24-37AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
III NEW TECHNOLOGIES, WORKING AND LIVING  CONDITIONS
111.1. Working conditions 38-42
111.2. Living conditions 43-47
IV THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN 48-59
THE FIRM: THE INFORMATION AND
CONSULTATION OF WORKERS

-1-
A. PROPOSALS FOR ACTION  
I. OBJECTIVES
1. The European Community must Lay the foundations for new economic  
growth by using the potential offered by innovation. In a free  
trade economy, the survival of European industry and the essential  
strengthening of its competitiveness depend on the ability to  
adjust to new forms of demand and new technologies, especially
in the field of information.
2. Economic recovery, however, does not depend solely on our  
capacity to develop new products and services or, more generally,  
to free a growth potential whether in terms of gains in product­
ivity or new markets. It also calls for the optimization of
the social consequences of technological change. It means that  
a positive response must be found to the social challenges:  
first unemployment and also aspirations for a better distribution  
of activities in time (problem of work organisation), in space  
(regional disparities) and between individuals (access to  
employment).
3. The purpose of this Communication is to propose a Community  
strategy, complementary to those already launched in the fields of  
industry, R & D and innovation which will be capable of meeting  
these challenges. The Communication considers the social  
implications of technological change and the need for common  
action; it then presents certain proposals on the development
of existing activities and new measures. The Commission intends  
the Community to play its part to the full in fostering, the  
emergence of a social consensus on new technology and contributing  
to greater innovation and industrial competitiveness. In so  
doing, the Commission shares the concern expressed, in  
particular, by the European Parliament and the two sides of  
industry.

-2-
II SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
4. With the mapy studies and research work in the field, this is  
far from being a new subject. Without repeating the analysis  
which is given in the Annex to this Communication, it is clear  
that new technology modifies and could even revolutionise the  
characteristics of employment and living conditions. The  
nature and extent of such changes depends largely on the  
decisions that must now be taken in the light of the following  
factors:
(i) the effects of technological innovation on the  
volume and structure of employment depend  
primarily on the actual nature of the innovation:  
new processes, by reducing production costs and  
making the product more competitive, are usually  
the essential prerequisite to the maintaining
if not the redeployment of economic activity.  
However, in many cases they lead to job losses,  
especially when there is economic stagnation.
On the other hand, innovatory products and  
services create new markets and, usually, new  
jobs;
(ii) the accelerating spread of new technologies  
results in a realignment of employment sectors  
which in turn produces intersectoral transfers  
of workers, of whomrcertain categories are  
more affected than others;
(iii) the introduction of new technologies accentuates  
changes in the structure of jobs: a drop in  
industrial employment, relative increase in  
employment in the service sector and, more  
generally, greater "tertiarisation1  of production

-3-
functions (increase in design, control,  
maintenance and management tasks). Already  
some 65 to 70% of active Europeans are in the  
tertiary sector;
(iv) by changing the content of work in an  
increasing number of areas, new technologies  
create new demands for skills and thus for  
training, especially in the new development  
fields; one of the obstacles to the full  
development of new technology is still, in  
spite of the efforts made, the considerable  
quantitative and qualitative Shortcomings  
of education and training in the new  
technologies;
(v) new technologies, especially information  
technology, can facilitate the  
decentralisation of occupational activities,  
although the regions where employment needs  
the most stimulation are those which have,  
until now, attracted the least investment in  
job-creating technology. Furthermore, these  
technologies encourage the externalisation  
of certain activities (eg, sub-contracting)  
which favour the growth of small or medium­
sized enterprises, although the resulting  
jobs are often precarious;
(vi) the introduction of new technology in a firm  
changes the data relating to the distribution,  
duration and organisation of working time.
It can create more leisure time which could  
have a beneficial effect on the demand for goods  
and services in the leisure sector. The first

-4-
to benefit would be the electronics industry  
and tourism which has particularly high  
manpower requirements;
(vii) new technology can, with the help of good
ergonomic design and a reorganisation of tasks,  
help to improve working conditions, eg, by  
increasing the flexibility of working hours;
Cviii) the introduction of new technologies into
undertakings increases the need for a dialogue  
between the parties concerned; one of the obstacles  
being that the solutions which produce a consensus  
within the firm can mean an increase in costs  
in the short term.
5. These data and the considerations developed in the Annex are the  
reasons why the Commission considers that priority should be  
given to a series of measures on the social effects of  
technological change, which would form an interface between  
industrial, R & D and innovation policies and social policies.
III. THE NEED FOR COMMON ACTION
6.  To assign the same responsibilities to the Community as to the  
Member States would be not only to forget the'.limits of its  
jurisdiction and its means, but also to create pointless  
duplication of work. Even:though the Community's contribution  
to the field in question is only partial, it is nevertheless  
essential. It has already taken certain steps in the field
of technological development and social policy, especially  
as regards employment, labour,„training, education, industrial  
innovation and research. The table on page 5 gives a  
necessarily brief picture of the main current activities in these  
fields.

-5-
7. The development of activities already underway and of new  
measures is necessary, as it is becoming increasingly  
difficult to obtain the technological conditions and the  
conditions as to market size, etc. that are essential if  
innovatory technological and industrial development is to  
meet challenges at world levelj it is even more difficult  
to meet all these conditions at the national level.  
Similarly, with the Member States facing growing economic  
difficulties, the contribution which the Community can make  
is even more decisive: Community action can prevent economic  
and social fragmentation from increasing within the  
Community^ it can also reduce our handicaps in world  
competition.
PRINCIPAL COMMUNITY MEASURES AND INITIATIVES CONCERNING  
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT
(see following page)

TECHNOLOGICAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
Stimulation of the Community's scientific and  
technical potential, C0M(82)808 final
Framework programme 1984-1987, C0M(83)260 final
ESPRIT, C0M(83)258 final
Biotechnology, C0M(83)672 final
Telecommunications, C0M(83)573 final
Multiannual programme of R&D: basic and applied  
technologies, C0M(83)350 final
Multiannual dataprocessing programme, C0M(82)356  
and COM(83)658
Community strategy for European industrial  
development, C0M(81)639 final
INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFER
Industrial development and innovation,
C0M(80)755 final
A policy for industrial innovation: strategic  
lines of a Community approach, COM(81>620 final
Use of the results of Community financed R&D,  
C0M(83)18 final
Plan for transnational development of the  
infrastructure for assistance to innovation,
COM(83)277 final
Proposal for a Decision on the financing  
of innovation, C0M(83)241 finalEMPLOYMENT, LABOUR AND TRAINING POLICIES
New information technologies and social change,  
COM(81)578 final
Vocational training in the European Community  
for the 1980s, 0J C193, 11.7.83
Vocational training and new information  
technologies, 0J C166, 25.6.83
New information technologies and education,
0J C256, 24.9.83
Action programme to promote equal opportunities  
for women, C0M(81)758 final
Youth employment, C0M(83)211 final
Draft Recommendation on the reduction and  
reorganisation of working time, C0M(83)543 final
Local employment initiatives, COM(83)662 final
Decision on the role of the Social Fund, 0J L289,  
22.10.83
Guidelines for the management of the Social Fund,  
1984-86, 0J
MAIN COMMUNITY ACTIONS AND INITIATIVES  
ON TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT

8. It is no Longer necessary to demonstrate the importance of  
education, training and retraining systems as a factor of  
the success of social change. Suffice it to repeat that  
Europe needs high-level scientific and technical skills.
Three prerequisites must be considered:
(i) adaptation of the content of education and  
initial and continuous training to the new  
demands of scientific progress;
(ii) removal of the barriers between initial  
training and adult training;
(iii) post-secondary training should be regarded as  
one stage in a process of training, retraining  
and further training lasting a whole lifetime.
9. The management of working time and the organisation of living  
and working conditions impinge on the process of economic  
adjustment in several ways;
(i) the reorganisation and reduction of working time,  
ie, its management in the broadest sense, can  
assist the introduction of new technology and,  
provided it does not detract from the  
competitiveness of firms, can help to maintain  
employment levels;
<ii) new technologies can fulfil personal aspirations  
for more flexibility in working time;-6-
(iii)the successful introduction of new technology
and the general economic and social success of
technological change depend on substantial

-7-
improvements in working conditions brought  
about by new technology and the reduction in  
risks and constraints due to certain uses of  
these technologies;
Civ) new technologies can have a positive impact on  
living conditions, for example by increasing  
leisure time, improving the utilisation of  
public services and facilities and helping  
the social integration of handicapped people.
10. As regards participation in technological changes, experience  
has shown that the competitiveness of European industry often  
depends on the adaptation of industrial relations. Where the  
staff concerned have been consulted and their knowhow and  
commitment used, technological innovation and the protection  
of employment has taken place efficiently, without jeopardising  
the decision-making powers of the entrepreneurs regarding the  
introduction of new technologies.
11. A Community effort along these lines can contribute both to  
the development of social policies and to that of industrial,  
R & D and innovation policies, as shown in the table below:
Education &  
TrainingINDUSTRIAL, R&D,  
INNOVATION POLICY
- higher productivity
- development capacity  
of leading sectorsSOCIAL POLICY
-flexibility of  
labour market
- personal fulfilment
- more priviledged  
social life
Management of  
working time
Participation in
technological
changes-greater flexibility of  
production system
-greater mastery of  production system- response to quality  
of life aspirations
- distribution of  
employment
- change in attitudes
- clearer definition  
of needs

-8-
IV. NEW DEVELOPMENTS, NEW MEASURES
12. The Commission intends to develop action already started as  
a follow-up to the conclusions of the Standing Committee on  
Employment of November 1981 and to present new measures, the  
following three fields having priority:  
education and training  
management of working time and the  
organisation of working conditions  
participation in technological change in the  
firm.
The Commission considers that, to be fully effective, such  
action should be backed up by:
measures to promote and disseminate innovatory  
projects in these fields  
more use of existing funds and financial  
instruments (ESF, ERDF, NCI, EIB, etc.).
IV. 1. FIRST FIELD OF ACTION: EDUCATION AND TRAINING
1.3. The Resolution adopted in June 1983 by the Council and the
Ministers for Education meeting within the Council on measures  
relating to the introduction of new information technology  
in education^ovides the framework allowing the Community  
to supplement action by Member States. On this basis, the  
Commission can now initiate or support Community level  
initiatives to introduce new information technology into  
education, teacher training, the development of software and  
hardware systems, the exchange of experimental data. Member  
States should rapidly implement the proposals for action  
resulting from the Resolution and communicated to the  
Committee on Education (2).
(1) OJ no C256, 24.9.1983 (2) OJ

-9-
14. The Council Resolution concerning vocational training measures  
relating to new information technologies ( 1) is another element  
of the Community action, as the major points concern:-.
the implementation.of demonstration projects;  
a review of the format and content of certain  
training sectors with a view to better matching  
of qualifications. The Council should adopt  
without delay the draft Decision under  
examination ( 2).
Thes activities form part of the more general framework  
provided by the Council Resolution on vocational training  
policy in the European Community in the 1980s (3).
15. In view of the lack of inter-disciplinary qualifications in  
the new developing fiélds, the Commission envisages new  
measures to improve and increase training and retraining for  
skilled technicians and specialists. The intention is, in  
prolongation of the activities to stimulate the scientific  
and technical potential of the Community (4), to promote and  
set up "partnership programmes" between industry and higher  
education, training and research institutions, in order to  
expand high level training and help it to adapt to the  
changing needs of industry. The Community would participate  
in the financing. The programmes would cater to local or  
regional needs and would be started simultaneously in several  
Member States. Emphasis would be on participation by  
innovatory small and medium-sized firms, thus laying the  
foundations, in terms of manpower, for technology-oriented  
local and regional development. The technical content of the  
programme should be based on that used in Community-level
(1) 0J no. C 166, 25.6.1983
(2)(3) 0J no. C 193, 11.7.1983
(4) C0M(82)808final

-10-
research and development programmes. These actions will thus  
help participants to play a more active role in the Community  
programmes. Such action would also mean increasing the  
Commission's means of observation and analysis to enable  
it to assess the nature of new demands for highly qualified  
personnel in the fields of technological development on a  
permanent basis.
16. In order to supplement current actions in the educational  
field whilst establishing a link with the "partnership  
programmes", the Commission suggests that demonstration  
operations be introduced at Community level to increase  
awareness and familiarity with the new technologies, either  
in schools, or among the general public. The operations  
will in particular concern the introduction of micro­
computers into education and the development of special  
training in information technology.
IV. 2.SECOND FIELD OF ACTION: MANAGEMENT OF WORKING TIME AND THE
ORGANISATION OF WORKING AND LIVING CONDITIONS
17. The principles concerning the reduction and reorganisation
of working time formulated in the draft Commission Recommend­
ation ( 1) are particularly important in the context of the  
introduction of new technologies, in view of the impact of  
the latter on the level and structure of employment, and  
on the conditions and the organisation of work inside each  
enterprise. Just as agreements on working time should take  
account of the introduction of new technologies, those  
concerning the introduction and use of these technologies  
should provide for the exploiting of the possibilities  
provided by the reduction and reorganisation of working  
time. In this connection, the Commission intends to give  
priority to the development of knowledge on the impact of  
new technologies on the labour market and their social
(1) COM(83)543 final

-11-
effects at sectoral and enterprise level and on the use  
of leisure time.
18. The actions to be developed would be as follows:
(i) to pursue, together with the social partners,  
the search at Community level for approaches  
involving the use of new technologies to  
improve employment conditions, taking account  
of workers' interests and firms' competitive  
requi rements;
(ii) to promote forward-looking labour market policies  
with the active participation of all the parties  
concerned at local and regional levels;
(iii) to increase at the level of the Commission the  
means of idehtifying and observing theishort  
and medium-term impact of technological change  
on employment, working time, remuneration and  
other features of working and living conditions,  
taking account of sectoral trends;.
(iv) to implement at Community level, as an extension  
of the mu Iti annual data-processing programme ( 1), 
joint action to improve working conditions,  
especially as regards the physical working  
environment, the ergomonic aspects of equipment  
and itsrmethods of use;
(v) to complement the action programme on health  
and safety at the work place by drawing
up further Community standards;
(1) C0M(83) 658 final

-12-
(vi) to encourage the parties concerned to foster
better social integration and living conditions  
for handicapped persons by together defining  
suitable equipment which makes use of new  
technology ( 1).
IV.3. THIRD FIELD OF ACTIONS PARTICIPATION IN TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
19. In order to extract the maximum benefits from the introduction  
of new technologies as regards the competitiveness of  
enterprises and their impact on employment, qualifications  
and working conditions, workers and their representatives  
should be involved in the decisions concerning them, consequent  
upon the introduction of such technology.
20. A partial answer to this, problem has already been given in the  
Directives pn informing and consulting employees in the event  
of collective dismissals ( 2)  or transfer of undertakings ( 3). 
Other proposals for directives (4) already forwarded to the  
Council are aimed at protecting workers in more general
cases concerning decisions involving "major organisational  
changes", or "the introduction of new working methods".
21. In this context, and further to the conclusions of the  
Standing Committee on Employment of November 1981, the  
Commission intends to:
(i) step up research and the dissemination of
information on experiments and practices in
forms of worker participation linked to
the introduction of new technologies in firmsj
(1) 0J no. C347, 31.12.81
(2) Directive 75/129/EEC, 17.2.1975
(3) Directive 77/187/EEC, 14.2.1977
(4) 0J no. C 240, 9.9.1983 and

-13-
(ii) promote at European level the formulation by  
the social partners of common principles which  
should - taking account of existing instruments,
f both legal and collectively agreed, in Member  
States - enable agreements to be concluded  
between them on procedures for the implementation  
of new technologies consequent upon their  
introduction in the firm;
(iii) support initiatives to enhance the expertise  
of both sides of industry in matters of  
technological innovation.
iIV.4, SUPPORTING ACTIONS
22. In order to provide support for its action in the fields  
described above, the Community should implement measures to  
promote and disseminate experimental projects and improve the  
use made of Community financial instruments.
(i) promotion and dissemination of experimental projects
23. The most frequent reason for new technologies being resisted
or even rejected is a negative opinion of their social effects,  
especially when the volume of alternative jobs is inadequate.
In order to help to remedy this, Community actions should  
make it possible to support and disseminate at European level  
the results of innovatory, local projects involving, for  
example:
the creation of enterprises and, more generally,  
the development of initiatives to create jobs  
involving new technologies;
new products and services based on new  
technologies, which fulfil social needs,  
especially those of handicapped and elderly  
people;

-14-
"vilLage-technoLogy-jobs" programmes likely  
to boost employment in rural areas,
access for handicapped people to high-  
technology jobs.
(ii) better use of Community financial instruments
24. The European Social Fund can play a major part in technological  
and social change by supporting training activities. The  
guidelines for the management of the Social Fund in the  
financial years 1984-1986 adopted by the Commission on
21st December 1983 are formulated so as to help the Labour  
force adjust to changes in the Labour market resulting from  
technological developments. They define the Fund's intervention  
priorities, in particular as regards:
operations to develop employment which accompany  
reconversion or restructuring;
vocational training operations for persons  
employed in SMUs who require retraining as  
a result of the introduction of new technologies;
vocational training operations for instructors  
in the new technologies.
25. The Commission asks Member States, on the basis of the  
Guidelines, to submit applications for aid:
aimed at a first-time application in a Member  
State of a new technology likely to benefit  
the sector as a whole;
for training actions involving innovatory  
skills, as part of operations leading to the  
creation of new jobs in expanding sectors,  
where the labour shortage is such that the

introduction of new technologies or production  
techniques is liable to be hampered.
26. As part of its aid to innovatory operations, the Fund can  
also provide support for training projects designed, in  
particular in the field of new information technologies, to  
encourage the development of promising approaches (1) and to  
transfer knowledge capable of enriching the policies and  
practices of Member States, for example in the following areas:
the requirements of enterprises with regard to  
training in new technologies, especially the  
requirements of small and medium-sized enterprises  
including cooperatives and the staff of other  
enterprises particularly affected by the  
application of these technologies?
helping unemployed young people, in particular  
those with inadequate or unsuitable qualifications,  
to enter working life through suitable measures  
of training in new technologies?
helping skilled workers, whether or not  
unemployed, and particularly older workers whose  
employment has been or is likely to be affected  
by industrial restructuring, to remain in  
employment or to find new employment by  
furthering their occupational mobility?
the retraining or re-entry into employment of  
women whose employment is threatened by the  
introduction of new technologies or who want to  
take up work again?
- the training of instructors in the application of  
new technologies in cooperation with the business  
world-15-
(1) OJ no. C 166, 25.6.1983

-16-
27. When the review proposed by the Commission has been approved,  
thé ERDF will be able to act more effectively in the removal  
of obstacles to the development of new economic activities
by facilitating a broader distribution of new technologies  
through Community programmes or national programmes of  
interest to the Community as a whole. Drawing from the  
Regional Fund's past experience, especially as regards its  
non-quota activities, it could not only promote the  
dissemination of innovation in research and oroduction but  
also support, for example:
the creation or development of companies or  
other bodies providing guidance on management  
or organisation, through direct or indirect  
aids. These companies or bodies could  
temporarily help the undertakings to implement  
the advice given;
the creation or development of services shared  
by several undertakings and which involve new  
technologies;
promoting the dissemination of new technologies  
in industry and the service sector, in  
particular by:
o collecting information on new products and  
processes and disseminating it among  
undertakings, including the experimental  
application of such innovations;  
o encouraging the use of innovatory products and  
processes.
28. In order to complement existing financial instruments, the  
Commission has also submitted a proposal, on which the  
Council should decide shortly, concerning Community financing  
for innovation - a "European Innovation Loan" (1).
(1) C0M(83)241 final

-17-
Although modest lin financial terms, by making the New  
Community Investment (NCI) available for the introduction  
of innovatory products or services developed by SMUs, the  
proposal could have an extensive multiplying effect. It  
could improve the general environment for innovation by  
promoting the development and, if necessary, the creation  
of structures specialising in the financing of innovation.

ANNEX :  POINTS OF REFLECTION
I. NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND EMPLOYMENT
1. The quesiton of the impact of technological chance on employment 
is by no means new, yet it remains at the heart of the debate 
on the social acceptability of new technologies. Two conclusions 
which emerge from the numerous studies which have been carried 
out need no further demonstration:
- the relationships between employment and technological change 
are complex and cannot be isolated from the overall economic 
context;
- the consequences of failure to adopt the new technologies would 
be far more serious in the medium and long term than those 
directly arising from their application.
2. In the light of these observations the purpose of this annex is
to present some growing trends and forecasts concerning employment, 
in both user sectors and the sectors producing new technologies, 
as well as reflecting on the responses to be made to changes in 
the structure of the labour market brought about by technological 
innovation. It also presents some elements of reflection and 
analysis on the social implications of technological change other 
than employment: education and training, working and living
conditions, participation in technological change.
I.1 The effect on employment levels 
(a) The user sectors
3. The first observation which should perhaps be made is that the 
research carried out in this area leads to different conclusions 
depending on the level at which it is carried out - firm, sector, 
multi-sector - and on whether the new technology is incorporated 
primarily in products or in production processes.
4. At the level of the individual firm, those using new technologies 
in new products report in general a slight increase in employment 
due to increased demand for the new product. In cases where the 
technology relates to production processes, the impact on employ­
ment is more uncertain and appears to depend on whether increased 
sales of the product, through reduced costs or improved quality, 
are enough to compensate for the labour saving effects of the new 
process, or whether the jobs released are absorbed in new design, 
supervision and maintenance posts.
5. At the sectoral level it becomes more difficult to judge the 
direct and indirect effects of new technologies to the extent 
that the firms which do not adopt these technologies may lose 
their market share, without the resulting negative effects being 
necessarily compensated by a growth in employment in the more 
competitive firms.
6.  Again, the prospects are more positive in sectors where new
technologies can be incorporated into products :  it has been
estimated, for example, that the introduction of microprocessors 
into domestic appliances could lead to a net increase of 75 000 
to 165 000 jobs by 1995 in the Community. This increase is high 
in relation to the present level of employment (100% to 500% 
depending on the product) but modest in absolute terms.

- 2 -
7.  In the metalworking and mechanical engineering industry, on
the other hand, where the main innovations have been in production 
processes - robots, numerically controlled machine tools, 
computer aided design, flexible manufacturing systems - forecasts 
indicate a possible direct loss of 160 000 to 400 ODD jobs due 
to the introduction of robots and automated machinery.^The 
same tendency can be found in an increasing number of other 
industrial sectors where more and more operations are being 
automated (chemicals, textiles and clothing, pharmaceuticals, 
etc). The same could apply too in the service sector and office 
work, where the introduction of new information technologies 
can lead to considerable productivity increases.
8.  Although the direct effects in these sectors could be negative,
the overall impact on employment levels will depend on a number 
of factors:  the' way in which the technology is applied, the
level of demand and the competitive position of the companies 
involved on national and international markets. The efforts
of some companies, in response to the recession, to operate 
viably at lower rates of capacity use - in many cases through 
application of new technologies - may mean that they can respond 
to an upturn in demand with relatively low increases in either 
fixed capital investment or manpower.
(b) The sectors producing new technologies
9.  In the industries which are directly related to the new technologies, 
the pace of change is so rapid and the competition so intense
that long term and even medium term employment is not guaranteed 
in any area, despite generally strong demand and growth prospects.
For example in the very competitive components and microprocessor 
sectors job losses have been recorded following the closure 
of a number of firms which had fallen behind in research and 
development. At the same time other firms of this type spring 
up, stimulating local development and wealth creation in general, 
although the impact on employment levels remains uncertain.
10. Similarly there are considerable prospects in microcomputers 
and personal computers. It has been forecasted that 50 000 jobs 
could be created in this sector within the Community.
1Bulletin No 10 of EPOS (European Pool of Studies) 'Social 
change and technology in Europe', December 1982

-3-
11. As far as the development of software is concerned, the  
employment prospects are more encouraging in that this
is a sector characterised in the main by small and medium size  
firms capable of seizing opportunities and responding to user  
needs, in industrial as well as cultural and educational  
markets. It is estimated that 900 000 workers were designing  
or producing software in the EEC, Spain and Portugal in 1981 and  
that the approximate growth rate in this area is 10% per year.  
Studies carried out in connection with the FAST programme indicate  
that 1 700 000 to 2 100 000 people will be employed in the soft­
ware industry in Europe in the early 1990s, if various assumptions  
regarding the competitive position of European companies are con­
firmed.
12. The estimates given so far relate to existing products and services.  
The greatest scope for employment creation could lie in the  
development of new products and services linked to the new  
technologies.  In the field of information technology and  
telecommunications, the development of direct broadcasting by  
satellite and cable television will create new opportunities for  
employment in the audio-visual sector, while advanced cable  
systems will in addition open up considerable possibilities in  
terms of interactive services. Products derived from biomass and  
new materials could equally be an important source of new job  
creation; however, the total potential in all these areas is far  
from being clear. According to estimates in the summary report
on the FAST programme, it could be in the order of four to five  
million jobs by 1995.
1.2 The effect on the structure and operation of the labour market
13. Apart from quantitative repercussions on employment, another  
profoundly important effect of new technology is the qualitative  
transformation of the nature and structure of employment.
The new information technologies in particular are tending  
to reinforce the trend towards a decline in manufacturing employ­
ment and a relative growth in service occupations - including  
those within the manufacturing sector. They are also a factor  
influencing the choice of larger firms to decentralise or sub­
contract some operations - a choice which favours the development  
of small businesses, even if the employment thus created may in  
some cases be precarious.
14. Furthermore, the geographic spread of new technologies has often
helped increase regional disparities: new technologies are not
tied to local sources of raw materials or factors of production  
in the same way that industries such as steel or textiles were  
and the regions where employment needs the most stimulation,  
whether 'old' industrial or rural areas, are also those which  
attract the least investment in job-creating technology.

-4-
The Community has already referred to the need for forward- 
looking labour market policies' which bring together the 
public employment services and two sides of industry at the 
local level. The effects of the dissemination of new technology 
have been optimised in those areas where this type of preventive 
and forward-looking approach has made it possible to:
- obtain early data on qualitative and quantitative trends at 
the level of the undertaking and local employment areas;
- introduce preventive measures (new work organisation,
reconversion) and corrective action (intervention by public 
authorities: employment and enterprise creation incentives,
etc.  );
2- encourage the development of Local initiatives facilitated 
by the positive attitude of regional and local authorities 
and the existence of development agencies and staff.
15. These general and sectoral tendencies result in practice 
in changes in the volume and structure of employment at 
the level of individual businesses and employment areas.
It is at this level in particular that it is important 
to ensure that the labour market adapts to the new needs 
created by new technologies.
16. The forward-looking approach, aimed at integrating the employ­
ment dimension into local development strategies, has a two­
fold function:
1) to identify relations between the local environment and the 
undertaking, and between the undertakings themselves;
2) to determine the human resources, labour market movements 
and the corresponding training requirements, with a view 
to such development.
17. A forward-looking approach to employment of this nature means,
at undertaking level, that the labour force factor (volume 
of employment and skill structure) must be considered, along 
with the financial and technical factors, as a determining 
factor in the overall strategy of the enterprise, and not just as 
a result. In addition, the effective implementation of such 
an approach calls for the active participation not only of the 
public placement services, but also of the undertakings, trade 
unions, regional and local authorities and other local bodies 
involved in economic and social development.
1.3 The groups most affected
18. Over the next 10 to 15 years, the introduction of new technologies
will considerably alter the characteristics of the labour market 
without its being possible to predict now all the changes which 
will occur - the risks of unemployment being nevertheless greater 
for the more disadvantaged groups: young people and women,
especially those with few qualifications, migrant workers and 
older workers.
1C0M(80)186 Guidelines for a Community manpower policy 
2C0M(83)662 final. The contribution of local employment initiatives

-5-
19.National and Community policies already exist for these  different categories of workers; rather than introducing new  measures to cope with the spread of new technologies, the  existing policies should be strengthened. It should however  be noted that J^he situation of women workers is particularly  unsatisfactory ,  in spite of the fact that it was initially  thought that new technologies were having a relatively favourable  impact on women's employment - if only through the development  of the electronics industry which employs a high proportion of  women, albeit only semi-skilled. Women in the services sector  whose tasks generally consist in handling data suffer from the  gradual diminution of routine office work and the introduction  of more efficient machines usually requiring new skills.
Similarly in the industrial sector female employment is  concentrated in low skill, routine jobs, ie the areas most  easily automated. The weak position of women also stems from  the fact that, further upstream, the percentage of girls in  technological and scientific education is very small. This  is detrimental to their occupational integration and their  future, in a world where technological skills and knowhow are  
a major advantage.
20.As regards older workers,  the first step is to provide them  with the necessary training enabling them to cope with the  technological changes in the undertaking or to train for work  in a different sector of activity. Where such retraining is  too difficult, measures should be envisaged to encourage the  use of their skills and work experience in other positions  (supervision of on-job training of young persons in the  undertaking, gradual retirement enabling them to make the  transition to other interests).
1.4 New technologies and working time
21.The principles on the reduction and reorganisation of working  time formulated in the Commission's draft Recommendation  are particularly relevant in the context of the introduction  of new technologies, in view of the potential impact of the  latter not only on the level of employment but also on the  
organisation of work within the individual company. The  introduction of new technology systems or processes in itself requires  a re-examination and most often a reorganisation of work, with the  possibility of increased flexibility. The reorganisation of work  schedules offers an opportunity to reduce individual working time  
which, provided firms' competitiveness is not affected, can help  to save or create jobs.
22.Similarly, the introduction of new technologies can offer increased  opportunities for part-time work. In this respect it should be noted  that the development of part-time work also requires an improvement  in the status of the workers concerned, which again underlines the  need for adoption by the Council of the draft Directive on this subject.
1C0M(83)853 final: Women's unemployment
2C0M(83)543

-6-
23.The reorganisation and reduction of working time can indeed 
facilitate the introduction of new technologies and help the 
enterprise concerned to achieve the optimum return on its 
investment, by permitting the more continuous use of 
equipment or reducing waiting time.
II.TRAINING, QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION AND THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES
II.1Training in the user industries
24.The first observation to be made is that the relationship 
between job content (present and future) and training is both 
indirect and complex. We are not just talking about minor 
technical changes, but about new expertise requiring new 
qualifications and skills. The social change brought about by 
technological progress calls for a fundamental rethinking of 
the place and nature of both initial and continuous training, 
and, above alt, efforts to ensure that action taken in this field 
is not seen as a rearguard action. A vigorous and sustained 
effort is all the more essential in view of the slowness with 
which training and educational systems tend to respond, while the 
speed of technological change calls for a continuous 
process of supplementary training or retraining.
25.The second basic point to bear in mind is that, just as 
technology itself does not dictate employment levels, vocational 
qualifications and the associated training needs are not directly 
and exclusively determined by technological innovation. There is 
still some margin of choice: decisions as to what aspects of
technology to take into account vary according to the behaviour 
of the social groups involved, as well as depending on employment 
and labour policies and the socio-economic environment within which 
the decision is taken. All it takes is for one of these factors 
to change, and the qualifications required become radically different.
26.It is in this context that certain trends emerging in the 
industrial and service sectors should be considered. The precise 
nature of man's role in the production process has undergone 
far-reaching and subtle changes, which vary according to the 
degree of automation on the one hand, and the position of that 
automation in the process on the other, not to mention the type of 
goods or services produced:
1)In continuous process industries where the quantity produced over 
a given period of time does not depend on the way the work is 
organised and where the main thing is to ensure that the various 
physical and chemical operations involved proceed normally, new 
types of work and the need for new qualifications are emerging 
specifically in connection with the control and maintenance 
activities. Those responsible for these activities have to be 
relatively versati le, ie in the event of malfunction, they must 
be able to intervene at different stages of the production process. 
Above all, given the virtually total automation of these continuous 
production processes, workers must be able to interpret signals 
given all along the line.

-7-
2) In production Line industries where productivity cannot be 
dissociated from the rhythm of work the impact of new technologies 
varies according to the nature of the work; automation of 
assembly and, above all, machining, can lead to the Loss of a 
significant number of semi-skilled and skilled manufacturing 
jobs, but also to the creation of supervision, quality control, 
programming and maintenance jobs. In the changing relationships 
between jobs and qualifications, certain skills are being downgraded 
(the checker becomes a machine-minder) while others are being 
upgraded (the checker takes on more complex maintenance, diagnostic 
and repair duties).
3) In the service sector (banks, insurance, commerce, public admin­
istration, etc. including administrative departments within 
manufacturing firms coming within sectors 1 and 2, there is not 
a trend towards concentration/polarisation of tasks, involving 
radical changes in the relationship between work and qualifications.
As the activities of certain departments are standardized an
impcverishment of individual tasks sets in, which in turn leads 
to the downgrading cf the qualifications required; at the same 
time there is a concentration of expertise in analysis, programming 
marketing and management departments. This process of polarisation 
and occupational downgrading is also taking place in the very jobs 
which have themselves emerged in the train of the new technologies.
27. Any analysis of the effects of technological change on qualifications
should look beyond the changes affecting the skills of the individual 
worker: there are other factors which are radically changing the
organisation of work, including the growing importance of service- 
sector type activities in the production process, and the increasing 
use of sub-contracting and shift work in many areas, all of which 
affect workers' opportunities for occupational and social integration.
28. The first implication of these changes is that qualifications
related to technological change may need to bring out social 
qualities and behaviour as well as specific skills related to the 
ability to adapt to the new forms of work organisation: that is
why these new qualifications and the training required to obtain 
them should be a fundamental element of the social dialogue.
29. The term "new qualifications" should, however, be treated with
caution: the qualifications required by new technologies do
not necessarily render all existing skills obsolete, quite the 
reverse. It makes more sense to teach a technician how to write 
programmes rather than to train a programmer to become a technician; 
likewise, new jobs linked to technological innovation draw on 
existing professional experience. This, in conjunction with the 
concept of social skills, is an argument in favour of maintaining 
qualifications, or at least of using existing ones in a different 
context, while resisting any trend towards polarisation.
30. A second implication is that more attention should be given to the 
training of people who are directly concerned by these new 
technologies in industry - managerial and supervisory staff in 
the first place, as well as workers' representatives.

-8-
Structural charges in undertakings brought about by new 
technology call for in-depth training of managerial staff, 
not only for the technical management of the new equipment 
but also to deal with the social implications of the new 
technologies. The same applies to the workforce where action 
should be taken at three complementary levels: prevision of
information to all workers, more advanced familiarisation courses 
for those in undertakings who are directly involved in the 
procedures referred to above, and training for trade union 
experts.
31. More generally, there is a need for the population as a whole
to be made aware of the new technologies which, from informatics 
to telematics, will radically change the relationship between 
the individual and his environment (family, school, community).
The fragmentation of work already mentioned also has major social 
implications. On the other hard, effort^ to develop initiative 
and autonomy at local level for instance , may be a very good 
way of introducing people to the new technologies, all the more 
so since young people tend to be particularly interested in these 
developments.
II.2 High level training
32. A major aspect of the development of education ard training 
in new technologies which remains to be discussed is the 
needs directly related to research and innovation in the new 
technologies themselves.
33. The information available to the Commission, although fragmented, 
indicates that there is a serious and persistent shortage cf 
highly skilled personnel able to operate at the interface between 
pure research and industry on the development of new technology 
based products, services and production processes. There are
few signs of this situation improving ir, the short term ar.d indeed 
there is growing concern in industrial and research circles at 
the lack of measures being taken to ensure that the rapidly 
growing manpower needs cf the leading edge industries, in terms 
cf both research ard applications activities, will be met in the 
medium and long term.
34. It is fair to suggest that the most determined efforts in the fields 
of research, development and industrial policy will be hampered - 
and might even fail - unless they are matched by similar efforts in 
initial and continuing training for high-level specialists and 
technicians, particularly in areas which have only recently been 
opened up, such as the interdisciplinary qualifications resulting 
from the convergences characteristic of the new technologies: 
convergences between telecommunications and computing, between 
electronics and mechanical engineering, between systems design
and behavioural sciences, between biochemistry and agricuIture.
1.......... ....................................... ....................C0
M(83)662 - Local employment initiatives

-9-
35. Beycnd the need fcr a significant quantitative expansion
in the opportunities for initial and continuing training in key 
areas such as ir.forrration technology, there is a need for new 
forms cf higher education and training which bridge the gap 
that too often exists between universities, industry and 
research institutes, and which will ensure that research and 
development, industrial innovation and training go hand in hand.
It is essential not only to improve training as such, but also 
to encourage mutually supporting action between industry and 
the universities.
36. The new Community initiatives in research and development and 
industrial policy - in particular ESPRIT - are not small scale, 
limited actions but the beginning of a major, long term effort 
for which the necessity of cooperation and the pooling of 
resources at Community level has been clearly demonstrated.
37. The provisions made for Community action on training in new 
technologies so far, while they will make a partial contribution, 
will not in themselves be adequate to ensure that the human 
resources necessary for the successful development of these 
initiatives will in fact be available. The scope for support
f ran the European Social Fund is in this respect limited, since 
beneficiaries (apart from those under 25) must generally be 
job seekers or unemployed. It is not in any event the rote of 
the Fund - which is essentially an instrument of labour market 
policy - to support the development of mutually supporting 
action between higher education establishments, industry and 
research institutes. Conversely, although limited provision 
may have been made in some Community research programmes - notably 
biomolecular engineering - for researchers to complement their 
expertise through exchanges in the framework of the programmes, 
it is not the role of Community research programmers to ensure 
the development of a response to manpower needs which would 
embrace initial training and the training of skilled 
applications technicians.
m .  NEW TECHNOLOGIES, WORKING AND LIVING CONDITIONS
III.1 Working conditions
38. As in the fields of employment and training, the relationship
between new technologies and working conditions is not a 
deterministic one, but depends on the choices made at several 
levels: research and development, product or system design,
implementation.
39. New technologies can help to improve overall working conditions 
notably through the automation of tasks which are strenuous, 
hazardous or unpleasant or which are monotonous and repetitive. 
However, developments are taking place so rapidly that continued 
research, monitoring and action is necessary to generate a better 
understanding of the possible risks to health and safety which 
may arise, to introduce health and safety standards in relation to 
particular substances, techn iques or items of equipment and to 
ensure that the full potential of new technologies to improve 
working conditions is realised.

-IQ-
40. It is useful in this respect to divide the questions posed
in the field of health and safety and working conditions into 
three areas: new materials and techniques; biotechnologies;
and microelectronics/information technology applications.
(a) New materials and techniques
Examples of these technologies, of which some applications 
will probably experience a considerable increase in annual 
growth rate, include the development of laser technology, 
electronic beam welding, particle technology and other 
non-ionising radiations. These techniques, and others such as 
the use of electromagnetic fields, of radio frequencies, and of 
micro-waves in industrial applications bring with them risks 
to health and safety but the available information on these risks 
is inadequate at present to determine the measures that need to 
be taken. Other techniques relating to adhesive bonding, 
to polymers, composites and other new materials and to materials 
used in catalysis require careful toxicological evaluation to 
ensure that the risks to health are reduced to a minimum.
An example of specific research that is required relates to the 
use of zeolites as catalysts since recent work has demonstrated 
that certain zeolites possess a carcinogenic potential for man.
(b) Biotechnology
The rapid progress made in biotechnology in recent years 
has caused concern in some quarters at the prospect of new 
products and processes being manufactured and used without 
adequate safety measures or control. This concern has arisen from 
the fear that alterations to genetic structures might have 
seriously damaging results with the result that there have been 
codes of practice introduced to scrutinise experiments in the 
field of genetic manipulation. From the results of the assess­
ments carried out to date it appears that the dangers were 
over-estimated. However, there is still a need for clear-cut 
safety measures when handling micro-organisms dangerous to man.
As with all plants and processes only a thorough knowledge of the 
nature of the work and good training can prevent hazards on the 
one hand and over caution on the other. From the Commission's 
point of view, there is a need to follow closely developments 
in this field, notably through the work being carried out by the 
OECD and the Council of Europe, with a view to introducing 
appropriate measures as and when these are required.
(c) Microelectronics and information technology
The areas of concern for physical health and safety in relation 
to these technologies are relatively limited. Further work on the 
specific problems associated with visual display units needs to be

-11-
car ried out to determine what health and safety measures are  
required in the future, while there is also an increasing volume cf  
evidence accumulating on the accidents arising from automation and  
robotics which point to the need for health and safety aspects to  
be included at an early stage in product design. These problems  
should be seen, however, in the wider context of man/machine  
interface and ergonomic design, where psychological considerations  
are as important, or more so, than purely physical ones. In order  
to solve problems relating to the safety of automated equipment at  
the design stage, it may be necessary to consult not only the end  
users but also the ergonomists and machine designers who are able  
to make the connection between, on the one hand technical performance,  
and on the other, workers' skills and limitations. Similar  
considerations apply to the design and use of information technology  
systems, where problems of stress can occur due to the effort of  
concentration required of users or to the constraints of working  
with computer languages and software systems which are not user  
friendly.
These considerations also need to be borne in mind when looking at  
the broader aspects of working conditions and job quality. In the  
longer run, it is at the level of research and development - from  
the closer adaptation of computer languages to human creative thought  
processes to the assumptions about working methods and human  
communications on which the office systems of the future will be  
based - that the most important work allowing new information  
technologies to contribute to an improvement in working conditions  
may be done.
More immediately, the larger information technology systems now  
being introduced often require a significant design effort in order  
to 'customise' both their physical distribution (hardware) and the  
facilities offered (software). In such cases, the implications  
for the quality of individual jobs can and should be taken into  
account at the initial design stage.
Finally, at the level of implementation, the existence of margins  
of choice in the way in which automated equipment and processes are  
put into operation should be recognised, in particular as regards  
the scope for avoiding a polarisation of skills or a compartment-  
alisation of tasks which could render certain jobs more rather than  
less stressful or monotonous. Case studies presented in the context  
of the FAST programme indicate that the introduction of new  
technologies has been achieved more successfully when the available  
choices have been exercised in the direction cf increased  
responsibility being given to individual workers or groups of workers,  
the exploitation of existing skills and greater flexibility in  
working patterns.

-12-
41. In addition to the need to pursue the development of health and 
safety standards within the existing Community programme of action, 
the summary analysis given above leads to the following considerations:
(a) the need to give sufficient emphasis to ergonomic and human interface 
aspects within research programmes relevant to office or manufacturing 
technology(eg, at Community level the corresponding sections of the 
ESPRIT programme);
(b) the need to thain specialists competent in both ergonomics and the 
technical aspects of particular (sectoral) application areas;
(c) the need to feature working conditions and new technologies in 
management training programmes, including familiarisation with 
system design methods which involve the potential users of the system 
in the design process;
(d) the need to gather and exchange at Community level examples of good 
practice and successful experiences concerning the use of new 
technologies to improve working conditions within particular sectors.
42. One should also note the need to monitor the phenomenon of distance 
working, ie the decentralisation of a greater or lesser part of the 
activity of a company or organisation to small local units or to home 
based workers, using new communications and office technologies to 
link these 'outposts' to the management centre and possibly to
each other. This is a development which could clearly have a direct 
impact on living conditions, for the better - in terms of reduced 
commuting, the retention or creation of employment opportunities in 
certain areas, contact with the family and more flexible working hours - 
or possibly for the worse, in terms of loss of social contact 
(particularly in the case of home working), insufficient means of 
safeguarding workers' interests and the fragmentation of management/employee 
relations in general. Further studies and research need to be undertaken to 
clarify societal options far; enough in advance; to pool information on the 
effects on employment creation, working conditions and health and safety, 
the possible impact on wage, tax and social security systems and implications 
for trade union structures and industrial relations; and to analyse the 
consequences with governments and the social partners.
III.2 Living conditions
43. It is beyond the scope of this document to discuss fully the 
possible impact of new technologies on living conditions. The 
purpose of this section is to highlight certain developments which 
could take on a greater significance in the medium term and which 
are closely related to working conditions or to the scope for new 
economic activity and employment creation based on new technologies.

-13-
44. It should be stressed that the structure of our lifetime
is constantly evolving: in 1900, for a man with a life
expectancy of 50 years,working time represented more than 
25% of his lifetime. Today, with a life expectancy of
72 years, it represents only 10% of a man's lifetime, while 
"free time" represents more than 25%.
45. This shows the importance which should be given to the leisure
and tourism industries and to their growth potential. In 
addition to the contribution which new technologies could make 
to the increase in free time as such, they could foster the 
development of new goods and services in this area: for
example dedicated information networks for clubs of all kinds, 
local information services and distance learning.
46. A further area of potential which would directly combine the objectives 
of social and industrial strategies for new technologies is the 
expansion of "leading edge" industries - telecommunications, information 
technology, biotechnology, alternative energy sources, new materials - 
for the production of new goods and services which also focus on human 
needs and problems: health, leisure activities, continuous training
and adult education, elderly people, loneliness, etc. These are all 
fields capable of becoming major sources of employment in the medium 
term, and which should benefit from the support of Community funds 
and lending instruments.
47. One such area which can already be singled out is the contribution 
of these new technologies to the process of integrating handicapped 
persons into society. Whether it is a matter of microelectrodes 
implanted near "preserved" nerve cells in tetraptegics which determine 
the electrical current that will convey the message for the next step 
or a videocom allowing patients with cerebral motor deficiencies to 
communicate with those around them, the new technologies are beginning 
to offer numerous possibilities for the handicapped - an approach 
which is already being promoted in the Council resolutions on their 
integration into society ( 1) and on the introduction of the new 
information technologies in education (2). Having regard to the size 
of the market, in addition to the social importance, and the fact that 
most developments in this field stem from small - and medium - sized 
undertakings which do not have the necessary resources at their 
disposal, the handicapped could be considered as a priority field for 
the application of the new information technologies at the intersection 
of industrial and social policies, particularly education and training.
'OJ C 347, 31.12.1981  
20J C 256, 24.9.1983

-14-
IV.THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN FIRMS: INFORMING AND
CONSULTING THE WORKERS
48.It has been emphasised on several occasions that the new technologies 
and, more generally, technological change, make it both essential and 
urgent to involve workers in decisions concerning them - if only on 
account of the uncertainties created regarding the scope and extent of 
the changes wrought, particularly as regards employment - without however 
calling into question management's power of decision.
49.Acceptance of technological change in socially satisfactory circumstances  
and control of the consequent social changes highlight the need to seek  
a consensus among all economic and social forces concerned. Moreover,  
the lack or inadequacy of procedures for informing and consulting  
workers on technological change cannot fail to engender attitudes of  
resistance t or even outright rejection - thereby acting as a break  
on firms' innovative capacities.
50.In several Member States, unions and management have negotiated  
"technological agreements" at company, sectoral or national level. Under  
such agreements, specific mechanisms and procedures for informing  
and consulting workers have been introduced and include provisions  
for their protection in the areas of employment, vocational training  
and re-training, working conditions, health and safety, etc. In  
addition, legislative amendments, modifying powers and prerogatives with  
regard to informing and consulting workers' representative bodies in firms  
have been introduced in some Member States, taking the form in some  
cases of the granting to employees of the right to express their  
opinions, directly and collectively, on working conditions and the  
organisation of work.
51.In concluding its proceedings, the Standing Committee on Employment,  
meeting in November 1981, recognised the need to involve workers and  
their representatives in the introduction of the new technologies in  
firms. The Commission was then asked to pursue its comparative study  
of existing provisions in this area, with the possibility of a "joint  
declaration" by both sides of industry being advanced as a suggestion  
for subsequent action.
52.Along these lines, the Commission has striven to encourage a dialogue 
between the social partners by organising round tables at inter-sectoral  
level in each of the Member States during 1982. These meetings, which  
brought together government experts, employers, trade unions and other  
parties made it possible both to obtain further information on  
legislative provisions and practices in the Member States concerning

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the involvement of workers in decisions regarding technology in firms 
and also to identify the difficulties involved in adopting a common 
approach at Community level.
53. In the second stage, and on the basis of these informal meetings, 
the Commission organised exchanges of views with the European Trade 
Union Confederation and also with the Employers' Liaison Committee 
and the European Centre for Public Enterprises at two seminars (held 
in May and July 1983), the primary purpose of which was to take stock 
of current developments and clarify the arguments being put forward
in various quarters.
54. These various meetings (round tables and seminars) have revealed 
opposition by employers' organisations and support from workers' 
organisations for a Community approach which takes account of the 
entire range of problems facing workers by virtue of technological 
changes and affecting every aspect of the employment relationship 
(employment, training, working conditions, work organisation, health 
and safety at work, etc.).
55. That the question of employee involvement in technological 
choices should be at the centre of these discussions confirms 
the importance of the problem and the nature of the issues at 
stake. Just as uncertainties about employment, when they are not 
attended in the short term at least, by redundancies, justify
in the eyes of workers and their representatives their participation 
in firms' decisions concerning technological innovation, so do 
employers consider themselves founded, confronted with the demands 
of competition, in keeping their responsibility for the choice of 
investment, especially since there is always a potential risk of 
premature disclosure which could damage the company's interests.
56. Although experience has shown that dialogue on this point between 
the social partners is difficult, the Commission nevertheless 
considers it essential that this dialogue should be pursued whatever 
the opening positions, so as ultimately to formulate principles aimed 
at ensuring, with due consideration being given to existing machinery, 
the information and consultation of workers concerning the consequences 
of the introduction of new technologies in firms. This would involve 
fostering the emergence of a dialogue which is all the more urgent
and essential as the spread of the new technologies continues apace 
in the production system and in communication systems within companies.
57. It is desirable that workers should be informed and consulted through­
out the process of technological change, identifying the possible 
implications for workers and taking into account the need to safeguard 
firms' interests (including the protection of confidential information) 
and without calling into question decision-making responsibilities 
within the firm. This dialogue should cover such points as 
redundancies and changes to work posts, the necessary training and 
retraining measures and working conditions and work organisation,
all these being considered in the context of the firm's economic 
perspectives.

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58. It would appear that the firm, with its specific characteristics, 
will have to become the principal forum for the involvement of workers 
in the introduction of new technologies. For this involvement to be 
effective, it must take place as close as possible to the place of 
work, thereby enabling the various parties concerned to tackle social 
changes from a practical standpoint.
59. The social partners should pay particular attention to the training of 
trade union experts in the field of technological innovation and, 
more generally, to alerting the workers themselves to this question.
A development in this direction would enable workers to make better 
use of the opportunities offered by existing provisions as regards 
consultation and information, to understand better the implications 
and effects of technological change and so to accept them in full 
awareness of these factors. In some cases the assistance of experts 
from outside the firm may be necessary or useful, bearing in mind 
however that their presence could possibly increase the problems 
concerning confidential information referred to above.