Priemonės pandemijos sukeltai krizei darbo rinkoje valdyti: tarptautinė patirtis

LTCOVID-19 pandemija turėjo rimtų pasekmių nacionalinėms darbo rinkoms bei atskiriems jų segmentams. Krizių valdymo laikotarpiu ypač svarbus tampa taikomų priemonių savalaikiškumas ir pastangos išvengti krizės gilėjimo. Tarptautinių organizacijų ir nacionalinių vyriausybių priimti kovos su pandemijos sukeltomis pasekmėmis priemonių paketai pasižymėjo kompleksiškumu ir apėmė veiksnius, nukreiptus į prevenciją, situacijos stabilizavimą ir atsigavimą po krizinio periodo. Straipsnyje, remiantis tarptautinių organizacijų kokybiniais duomenimis ir mokslinių tyrimų įžvalgomis, iš tarptautinių darbo standartų perspektyvos yra nagrinėjamos ES šalyse pandemijos metu taikytos priemonės. Buvo išskirtos šios priemonių kategorijos: darbo jėgos mobilizavimas, paskatos ir atlyginimas darbuotojams, teikiantiems būtinas paslaugas, darbo tvarkos pakeitimai, darbuotojų perskirstymas ir gamybos perorientavimas. Tarp nemažai įgyvendintų priemonių buvo pastebėtas stiprus nacionalinių vyriausybių orientavimasis į tarptautinius darbo standartus, siekis išlaikyti ir plėsti socialinį dialogą, remti pažeidžiamas grupes darbo rinkoje, pastangas suderinti darbuotojų apsaugą su pasirengimu pokriziniam laikotarpiui, investuojant į jų kvalifikaciją. Raktažodžiai: COVID-19 pandemija, darbo rinka, priemonės krizei valdyti. [Iš leidinio]

ENThe COVID-19 pandemic seriously affected national labor markets and their segments. While managing a crisis, measures to mitigate the looming economic downturn must be taken on time, without waiting for the situation to worsen. In this case, measures that have a instant impact on the economy and the population are especially important. Particular attention must be paid to measures that maintain or increase the employment of the population. The purpose of this article is to examine the main measures to overcome or mitigate the labor market crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic which were taken in EU countries, including Lithuania, from the perspective of International Labour Standards. The review is intended to introduce measures aimed at preventing, overcoming, and stabilizing the labor market crisis. The following categories of measures were singled out: labor force mobilization, incentives, and remuneration for workers providing necessary services, changes in work procedures, redistribution of workers, and reorientation of production. The work presents qualitative data collected by Eurofound COVID-19 EU Policy Watch and other international organizations (International Labor Organization, European Commission), and presents insights from scientific research (Eurofound, 2020; Chetty et al., 2020; Collins et al., 2020; Ghellab et al., 2022). The packages of measures adopted by international organizations and national governments to combat the consequences caused by the pandemic were characterized by complexity and included factors aimed at unemployment prevention, employment stabilization, and production recovery.The observed variety of measures reflects an orientation of national governments towards implementation of International Labor Standards, an effort to maintain and expand social dialogue, to support vulnerable groups in the labor market, and to balance employee protection with preparation for the post-crisis period by investing in their qualifications. In response to the crisis, it is important to save as many jobs as possible as well as to create conditions for a smooth recovery. In such circumstances, long-term closure of businesses should be avoided, paying more attention to measures that ensure business continuity. The practice has shown that governments can help companies successfully transform production or services to meet society's most important needs while preserving jobs. The pandemic has shown that to effectively implement financial or other support measures for companies and employees, contemporary mechanisms are needed. Information and communication technologies would play an exceptional role here. For example, creating fast and efficient digital marketplace platforms for investments, products, and technologies; establishing special emergency funds; promoting the transfer of technology and expertise.During a pandemic or other extreme situation, when the working conditions and sometimes employment status were involuntarily changed, it is necessary to maintain inclusive employment. During crises, when employment security is threatened, decision-makers have to answer a series of difficult questions on the support of specific groups of workers, the length of working hours, the employment support/subsidy schemes, etc. The search for answers to these questions should be conducted through a dynamic dialogue involving employers' and workers' organizations. International studies show that the fight against the pandemic has activated social dialogue on the above-mentioned issues in many countries. Sustaining this momentum in the post-pandemic period is important for the successful implementation of international labor standards. Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, labor market, crisis management measures. [From the publication]