With the current high levels of youth unemployment, the pressure on young people to find jobs means that they are often subject to being hired under precarious working conditions. 

Young people neither in employment, education nor training (NEETs) need to be activated to complete their education and enter a labour market where decent work and quality employment frameworks are ensured, and more than that, they also need to be aware of what their rights at work are. SOLIDAR has been involved in two approaches to improve decent work and quality employment for young people in Europe:

Last week, SOLIDAR brought together 15 young trade unionists at a conference in the European Parliament, hosted by MEP Emer Costello and attended by MEPs Emily Turunen, Elisabeth Schroedter and Marije Cornelissen, Vice-President of the Committee of Regions, Mercedes Bresso, as well as representatives from Eurofound and the European Youth Forum. 

The young trade unionists from Ireland, Denmark and Italy highlighted that: 

 In Italy, the employment rate of people between 15 and 34 years old is 41%, with most young people finding themselves in precarious and poorly paid jobs, with no job security and high fluctuation. 

 In Ireland, the number of long term unemployed is growing, the cohort staying in education is increasing and the number of emigrants is rising.

 In Denmark every fourth young person has a job where working environment regulations are violated. Young apprentices and interns between 18-24 years of age have 50 percent more risk of work related injuries than any other age group.

Based on the discussions in the conference, SOLIDAR recommends that European policy initiatives – such as the Youth Employment Package that includes the Youth Guarantee – are strengthened to ensure that all young people are offered a job, apprenticeship, traineeship or continued education. And these initiatives must be based on decent work and quality employment.

At the meeting a briefing paper was also launched by the young trade unionists entitled: “Decent work and quality jobs for young people – a collation of articles on the employment situation and working conditions of young people”. 

Youth Job Patrol, a project carried out by Fagligt Internationalt Center (FIC), Ideas Institute, CGIL FILCAMS and SOLIDAR, has worked to raise awareness amongst young people on their rights at work and to promote that they to get more actively involved in demanding decent working conditions in their jobs. The mission of the Youth Job Patrol is to conduct visits to companies and to inform young workers and their employers of their labour market rights. 

Youth Job Patrol is an ongoing activity organised in Denmark over the last 30 years. However seeing the worsening situation of young workers who are exposed to precariousness in other countries like Italy and Ireland, this project aimed to foster solidarity among young people in Europe, and to work together against indecent working conditions, for example: 

 In Ireland, a giant retail company is refusing to give their staff a pay raise despite booming business, and instead proposes a lower pay scale and cuts in Sunday premiums for new recruits.

 In Italy, most private employers are abusing internship and apprenticeship schemes by extending their duration and offering no or very little remuneration. Only 1 out of 10 young people receive an offer of employment, however in most cases, the young interns are sent home and replaced with new interns who work as much as paid employees.

 In Denmark, most young seasonal workers are offered poor working conditions and are misinformed on health and safety issues and their rights regarding working time, sick leave, pension rights etc. by their employers

Check out the Youth Job Patrol website and the publication bringing together good practices to raise awareness on rights at work: Decent working conditions: raising awareness among young people – a collation of good practices.

SOLIDAR will further work on this cause in the framework of the European Research Project on Strategic Transitions for Youth Labour in Europe managed by the University of Brighton and 24 universities throughout Europe. SOLIDAR is part of the Consortium Advisory Network, along with the ILO, OECD, Business Europe, ETUI, OSE and Eurofound.

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SOLIDAR is a European network of 60 NGOs working to advance social justice in Europe and worldwide. SOLIDAR voices the concerns of its member organisations to the EU and international institutions across the policy sectors social affairs, international cooperation and lifelong learning. For more info www.solidar.or

The “Decent work for European youth – active methods and best practices” project is supported by the European Commission, Directorate General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.