Teacher and sociologist, Ministry of Education and Merit, Italy,
Email: natascia.tieri@yahoo.it
Emergencies, both natural and caused by human, represent a significant challenge for social and economic systems. In particular, the labour market undergoes deep transformations due to critical events. This article aims at analysing labour policies adopted in response to emergencies, highlighting both challenges and opportunities for local development. Existing policies, new measures introduced and their impact on the resilience of territories will be hereinafter examined.
Theoretical framework
In an increasingly complex global context, emergencies and natural disasters pose significant challenges to contemporary societies. These events not only put a strain on infrastructure and public services, but also profoundly affect labour policies. The ability of a community to recover from a catastrophic event is often linked to the resilience of its institutions and the solidity of the employment policies in place.
The sociology of work offers useful tools for understanding how labour dynamics are affected by such events. For example, disasters can lead to a restructuring of the labour market, creating new opportunities in areas such as reconstruction and emergency management, but at the same time causing unemployment and precariousness in other areas. It is essential that labour policies are able to adapt quickly to these new realities, promoting forms of employment that respond to emerging needs.
In this context, local development plays a crucial role. Communities that manage to implement sustainable and inclusive development strategies can not only recover faster from a disaster, but also improve their citizens’ quality of life. Investing in resilient infrastructures, (Madrigano et al. 2017), promoting education and professional training, and fostering local entrepreneurship are all key elements in order to build a strong economy able to face future challenges.
Finally, economy must be seen as an interconnected system, where labour policies, emergencies and disasters can influence each other. Analysing these interactions is fundamental to develop strategies which, not only mitigate the effects of disasters, but also promote a more equitable and sustainable economy in the long term. In this way, communities can not only survive adverse events, but thrive, turning crises into opportunities for growth and innovation.
Pre-existing labour policies and their efficacy in critical situations.
Existing labour policies, such as social protection systems and active labour policies, are often designed to deal with normal situations. However, in critical situations, these policies may prove to be inadequate or insufficient. For example, unemployment benefits may not be sufficient to guarantee an adequate standard of living, as well as professional training programmes may not correspond to the new needs of the labour market. (Tieri, 2014).
In a context of economic crisis, unemployment tends to increase exponentially, and unemployed people may face unprecedented challenges. Social protection policies, designed to provide temporary support, can quickly become obsolete when market conditions change dramatically. In such cases, it is crucial that governments review and update their approaches, incorporating measures that respond more effectively to emerging needs. For example, it may be necessary to develop more flexible unemployment benefits, able not only to cover part of the lost income, but also to include customised re-employment programmes. These programmes could involve specific training courses for growing sectors, such as technology or renewable energy, enabling workers to acquire skills required in today's market.
In addition, active labour policies should be enlarged to include psychological support and career counselling initiatives, helping people deal not only with economic difficulties, but also with the emotional impact of unemployment. The creation of community support networks, in which local companies can collaborate with public bodies and associations, could also help match labour supply and demand, contributing to a faster recovery.
Finally, it is crucial that labour policies are based on up-to-date data and in-depth market analysis. The use of advanced technologies to monitor employment trends and predict future market needs could significantly improve the efficacy of policies. Only a pro-active and adaptive approach can ensure that labour policies not only respond to current challenges but are also ready to face the uncertainties of the future.
Conclusions
In this context, it is crucial to develop intervention strategies that not only face immediate needs, but also contribute to long-term recovery. The creation of professional training programmes can be an opportunity to retrain the workforce, making it more adapted to new market needs. Such programmes should be flexible and adaptable, so as to respond quickly to economic changes and demands of growing sectors.
Furthermore, the promotion of active labour policies must include a focus on social inclusion. It is crucial to ensure that the most vulnerable groups, such as young people, women and people with disabilities, have access to decent work opportunities.
Emergencies represent a complex challenge requiring integrated and coordinated responses. It’s necessary to invest in more resilient social protection systems, innovative active labour policies and effective public-private partnerships. Lessons learnt from previous emergencies can be used to build a more secure and sustainable future.
References
Madrigano J, Chandra A, Costigan T, Acosta JD. Beyond Disaster Preparedness: Building a Resilience-Oriented Workforce for the Future. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017 Dec 13;14(12):1563. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14121563. PMID: 29236028; PMCID: PMC5750981, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5750981/.
Tieri N. (2014), Il lavoro dei servizi sociali durante l'emergenza terremoto in Abruzzo, Roma, Aracne.