The Lisbon strategy set out 1) inclusion 2) pensions 3) access to health and 4) “making work pay” as areas for increased cooperation between the member states. The Social Protection Committee sent out a document on 4 November (Ref. SPC/2002/November/04) last to start up a debate on “making work pay” by examining the linkages between social protection and employment. EAPN holds that quality jobs are essential to tackling poverty; therefore EAPN is engaged by the issues in this document, and sees it as legitimate and essential to step into the debate.
The network finds the expression contained in the document the “modern concept of adequate solidarity” to be objectionable. It embodies no clear idea other than that of mechanisms of solidarity that serve the needs of the economy, when in truth solidarity must be seen as an absolute need and objective that stands apart from labour market trends.
