1. 1 New employment – New E-quality: promoting industrial relations in the IT sector PART B New trends in employment and the flexibility of work in the information technology sector

2. 2 New trends in employement and the flexibility of work in the information technology sector New economy is mostly based in the ICT sector  IT revolution is having a major impact on work organization and job content.  The new, “knowledge economy” is leading to the growth of new, more flexible forms of working.  At the same time, the general trend in Europe is to promote “flexible employment” as a means of increasing the general level of employment.  The “normal” employment relationship is being threatened, and most of all in the IT sector

3. 3 New trends in employement and the flexibility of work in the information technology sector IT sector leader of establishing new forms of work organization  New organisational structures: process-based and market- oriented companies, team working, decentralised structures  New business strategies: performance improvement, outsourcing, strongest supplier-customer relations, quality management  Increased investment in education and training for better job skills  New flexible and less hierarchical working methods: flexible working time, new working patterns, group work, multi- skilling, greater use of part time or project based employment  New performance measurement techniques  New wage and reward systems

4. 4 New trends in employement and the flexibility of work in the information technology sector Growth of work forms referred as “atypical”  Part-time employment  Temporary work / Limited contracts  Project based contracts  Working for outsourcing  Telework / distance working  (Pseudo) independent work / freelance work

5. 5 New trends in employement and the flexibility of work in the information technology sector Flexibilisation on employment forms  Managing flexibly the overall size of employment in companies: need to increase / decrease personnel  content of employment: temporary or seasonal work, part-time work  rental of workers: either belong to a second employer or work for a group / network of companies  outsourcing: working in another place / company  Telework / distance working/ home working

6. 6 New trends in employement and the flexibility of work in the information technology sector Flexibilisation on wages / remuneration  direct labour cost: personal vs. collective agreements, connecting wage with the personal or collective performance or the results of the company  indirect labour cost: reducing social security contributions

7. 7 New trends in employement and the flexibility of work in the information technology sector Flexibilisation on working time  long working hours  irregular working hours  flexible and cyclical working hours within the week  settlement / calculation of working time in a broader time basis (6 months, annual working hours)  shift work

8. 8 New trends in employement and the flexibility of work in the information technology sector The experience of Greece  Greek labour market has been regarded as “non-flexible”  Trade unions have a very opposite view.  Greek governments from the ‘90s introduced legislation in order to facilitate flexible work schemes by company

9. 9 New trends in employement and the flexibility of work in the information technology sector Main themes of the legislation introduced in Greece  promoting part – time employment (permanent or fixed)  promoting fixed – term employment contracts  settlement of working time in annual basis by collective agreements  promoting “local employment agreements” with low employment cost  reducing the overtime work by making it very expensive and therefore companies to hire new workers  relaxing or easing the legislative strings on massive firing  regulating or controlling the existing “flexible patterns” that are already exercised in practice in the real economy (for example hidden dependent employment which is presented like independent contract)

10. 10 New trends in employement and the flexibility of work in the information technology sector Working in the IT sector in Greece  Still, the dominant form of employment is: full- time, 8hrs per day, 40 per week  Very small percentages of part-time work and temporary work  In practice:  Working according to the needs of the company  Working long hours (10-12) per day / overtime working  Working Saturdays and Sundays (including home working)  Wages little above the collective agreements  Working in places of the clients / outsourcing

11. 11 New trends in employement and the flexibility of work in the information technology sector The modern worker in the ICT sector (1) (source UNI)  The “techie” tribe (ICT Staff): the heart of the information society  They have different philosophy and way of working  Creative workers  Commitment to hard work  Little concern for working relations, working hours and other regulations  They want freedom from working rules  Self-reliance and individualism  Do not participate in unions

12. 12 New trends in employement and the flexibility of work in the information technology sector The modern worker in the ICT sector (2) (source UNI)  Lack of security  Lack of fixed work place  Wanting more education and training  Strong sense of freedom of expression  Strong work ethic and self-discipline  Strong sense of co-operation, but dislike hierarchies and structures  Blurring of the dividing work and private life, in part due to communications