14/10/2022 Session
PACE today stressed the need for increased flexibility in the organisation of work, in order to serve the new needs of workers, employers and the labour markets, in the face of wide-ranging transformations linked to new technologies and the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Assembly is concerned about the harmful effects of this new reality on people at work, noting many situations of precarious employment, discriminatory practices, and an escalation of stress levels at work.
By unanimously adopting a resolution, based on the report by Selin Sayek Böke (Türkiye, SOC), PACE called on member States to adjust their regulatory frameworks and labour policies, better protect socio-economic rights, enhance public health and ensure personal well-being at work.
Governments should in particular facilitate the increased recourse to telework on a permanent basis, by taking legislative measures providing a level playing field and maximum flexibility in terms of working hours and workplace location, underlines the adopted text.
PACE also argued for “the right to disconnect”, better recognition of unpaid work – by making it more visible and by supporting it through social benefits or a basic income – and for public institutional capacity building.