An economic turnaround is in sight. That's what FME, the representative of many companies in the technology industry, thinks. The employers' organisation therefore calls on the government to quickly set up a part-time unemployment scheme to protect companies against an economic downturn.
It is the first time in years that expectations for production, turnover and the value of order intake in the technology industry are negative, FME writes in its 'Strengthening Agenda for Economy and Industry'. According to the organisation, sentiment in the manufacturing industry is similar to that of early 2013, when the Dutch economy was in recession for the second time in a short time. Figures from European statistics agency Eurostat showed that European manufacturing had not had a good start in the third quarter. Industrial production shrank 2% in July compared to a year earlier. In Germany, recession is currently already feared.
That is why the call from FME is now great to take measures before the new economic dip and release money to cushion the blows. In this, it advocates part-time unemployment. This involves employees working fewer hours and employers receiving compensation from the WW for the hours not worked. The measure prevents employers from having to lay off a lot of staff. Moreover, people are given the chance to retrain and upskill with benefits. In this way, the knowledge remains in the organisations and employers can quickly call on their employees again during an economic recovery, as they are still employed. FME hopes that this will keep the sector stable and even strengthen it during an economic crisis.
Clarity
In the FD, FME chairman Ineke Dezentjé speaks not of "doom and gloom" but of a "squall alarm". "Our companies, many of which operate internationally, are suffering from, among other things, a decline in world trade because of the tariff trade between the US and China. There is a drag on growth." She sees that people in The Hague are not yet actively engaged in measures against another economic setback. Consequently, politicians are not fans of crisis measures such as part-time unemployment. However, FME states that in 2009, many companies in the technology industry used part-time unemployment, such as ASML and VDL. However, the organisation does stress that clear conditions must be set. "As far as FME is concerned, the conditions of the Part-time WW scheme do not need much tinkering. However, we do want clarity in advance about the conditions that apply once the scheme has been activated and not new rules of play every three months. Nor do we want an extension to be requested every three months. In addition, there should be a training requirement and SMEs should have easy access to the scheme. Finally, the administrative burden, which the old scheme imposed on participating employers, should be eased and abuses should be prevented."
Source: FME/FD.
