Social NGOs are actively following the European employment policy and welcome the debate on flexicurity. The objective of Social NGOs is to provide a different perspective to the discussion by voicing the concerns of the people who encounter difficulties in the labour market. These people are far from being a minority or a marginal group, on the contrary they include large groups in society such as: women segregated in low paid jobs; ethnic minorities forced into poor quality jobs or undeclared work because of discrimination; families and individuals struggling with atypical working time and insufficient social services; young people or elderly people massively affected by unemployment; disabled people confronted with a lack of adaptability in the workplace or migrant workers living in slave-like conditions in the European Union.

Based on this reality, Social NGOs defend a multidimensional approach to employment to fully address the complexity of these individual situations. The debate on flexicurity should be part of this integrated approach and help to raise issues such as the universal right to social protection, minimum income or the need to invest in services of general interest.

Key Social Platforms contributions:

- Ten principles on flexicurity

- Informal Meeting of Employment and Social Policy Ministers, Villach, 19–21 January 2006

- Informal Meeting of Ministers of Employment and Social Affairs, Helsinki 6-8 July 2006

- Informal Meeting of Ministers of Employment and Social Affairs, Berlin, 18 January 2007