IDMSC (10.01.2018)  A ceremony took place in Belgium at the end of November to recognize the first group of participants to complete the Disability Management Practitioner training program and also to present the IDMSC certificates to those who successfully passed the professional certification examinations. Attached please find the IDMSC Communique which provides the background on the agreement between the Belgium Health Insurance Agency (RIZIV/INAMI) and NIDMAR as well as comments from participants in the training program.

francetvinfo (05.01.2018)Un cabinet des Côtes-d’Armor a aidé des centaines de commerçants et artisans français à ne pas payer leurs cotisations de sécurité sociale en leur créant une société outre-Manche. Une combine illégale mais qui dure depuis plus de vingt ans. Savez-vous quel est le point commun entre la Serrurerie Objatoise, en Corrèze, la boulangerie Au four et au moulin à Pocé-les-Bois (Ille-et-Vilaine) et la Carrosserie auto de la vallée de Saint-Amans-Soult, à côté de Mazamet (Tarn) ? Ces trois sociétés qui fleurent bon le terroir français ont en réalité la même adresse de siège social : 1 Palk Street, à Torquay, dans le sud de l’Angleterre. La raison ? Toutes ont été voir le cabinet Setti, installé dans une zone industrielle à côté de Guingamp (Côtes-d’Armor). Cette société revendique avoir créé près de 3 000 sociétés britanniques pour le compte de petits patrons français avec un argument de vente : ils peuvent ainsi éviter de payer leurs cotisations au régime social des indépendants (RSI).

Courrier international (09.01.2018) C’est une information exclusive de The Indian Express, annoncée en manchette lundi 8 janvier : “Le gouvernement Modi prépare une loi destinée à instaurer une sécurité sociale universelle” en Inde. Un an avant les élections générales du printemps 2019, le ministère du Travail souhaite mettre en place “un filet de sécurité” au profit de tous ceux qui exercent dans le secteur dit “informel”, soit 391 millions de personnes, représentant 83 % des travailleurs du pays.

Le Temps (09.01.2018) Les réseaux et les technologies sont depuis longtemps à un tel niveau qu’ils influencent la configuration du poste de travail. Celui-ci se fait de plus en plus flexible. Les entreprises qui en ont conscience bénéficient d’un surcroît d’efficacité, de coûts moindres et d’une liberté accrue des collaborateurs.

 elPeriódico de Guatemala (09.01.2018)  L a protección social para la población guatemalteca está en el nivel más bajo de los promedios regionales. El país solo destina el 2.2 por ciento del Producto Interno Bruto (PIB) a gasto público en protección social, excluida la salud. En el Informe Mundial sobre la Protección Social 2017-2019: La protección social universal para alcanzar los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), publicado por la Organización Internacional de Trabajo (OIT), Guatemala carece de información de la población que se beneficia con al menos una prestación social.

independent (09.01.2018) The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has launched a global appeal to receive private donations to support social protection floors in low and middle income countries. According to ILO, donations will contribute to building sustainable social protection systems which could change the lives of some 400 million people who are today excluded from receiving basic social security benefits.

Read more https://independent.ng/ilo-launches-global-appeal-support-social-protection-floors/

Le Figaro (08.01.2018) Le syndicat allemand de la métallurgie IG Metall donne lundi le coup d'envoi d'un bras de fer social qui s'annonce comme l'un des plus durs de ces dernières années en Allemagne. Plusieurs dizaines de débrayages sont prévues dans tout le pays, en particulier dans le secteur automobile, pour soutenir des revendications portant notamment sur la réduction du temps de travail à 28 heures hebdomadaires. Avec près de 2,3 millions d'adhérents, IG Metall, qui défend les salariés toutes catégories confondues dans l'industrie (Siemens, ThyssenKrupp), la sidérurgie, l'automobile (VW, Daimler, Porsche), l'électronique ou encore le textile, est le plus gros syndicat d'Europe.

businesswire (08.01.2018)  This report introduces the key components of the ehealth market and identifies the products and services of most interests in the health industry, including IoT-enabled medical devices, telemedicine and remote patient monitoring. The particular nature of health industries has been considered in regard to data sensitivity and regulation. It evaluates the initiatives and strategies of players coming from different sectors, particularly facing the strong incumbents (medtech giants). The positioning of each category of players has been also addressed by taking the competitive landscape into account.Finally, in examining the gaps that lie between promising benefits and what is required for ehealth deployment and adoption, the challenges linked with data security and interoperability, organisational changes within healthcare industries, and the business model are analysed. 'The silver economy', encompassing both medical-oriented ehealth solutions and non-medical wellness applications, is also analysed through players' strategies and market challenges.

Reuters (20.12.2017) Uber Technologies Inc should be classified as a transport service and regulated like other taxi operators, the European Union’s top court said in a landmark ruling on Wednesday that could impact other online businesses in Europe. Uber, which allows passengers to summon a ride through an app on their smartphones, has transformed the taxi industry since its launch in 2011 and now operates in more than 600 cities globally.In the latest of a series of legal battles, Uber had argued it was simply a digital app that acted as an intermediary between drivers and customers looking for a ride and so should fall under lighter EU rules for online services.

 socialprotection.org (December 2017)   When countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) achieved their independence, formal social protection schemes established by former colonial powers were, to varying degrees, assimilated or mimicked by the State, particularly pension systems for government and formal-sector workers. These systems, however, have proven to be highly subsidised and regressive in terms of income distribution in the face of large segments of the population engaged in the informal sector (or rural work), who have remained excluded from formal social protection unless eligible for some social assistance programmes, mostly with lower coverage and benefits. In fact, a significant share of the social expenditure with a social protection function in most of these countries was assigned to universal or quasi-universal subsidies of fuel and staple foods.

The Nation Nigeria (05.01.2018) The International Labour Organisation (ILO) in its  World Social Protection Report 2017-2019 has said  the poorest countries can afford to extend social protection to all citizens. According to the ILO report, the universal coverage in old-age pensions has been achieved by more than 20 countries, including Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cabo Verde, China, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Namibia, South Africa, Timor Leste, Trinidad and Tobago and Zanzibar (Tanzania).

minutenews (03.01.2918) Le temps du RSI est désormais révolu pour les travailleurs indépendants.C’était l’une des principales promesses de campagne d’Emmanuel Macron : la mesure est entrée en application dès le 1er janvier. La fin du RSI est donc désormais effective, puisque celui-ci s’est adossé au régime général.

Devex (03.01.2018)  Every week, the speaker presiding over Uganda’s 426-member parliament fields questions, comments, complaints, demands, and even threats regarding the uncertain future of Uganda’s elderly population, who have been left vulnerable after decades of difficulties. Since 2010, some districts of the country have benefited from a pilot pension scheme that has helped not only the ever-increasing aged population, but also the families they are often responsible for.

Sitra (September 2017)Towards a predictive society Public administration in Finland is undergoing major systemic change. How can one of the most efficient administrative entities in the world aim to make the everyday lives of people and companies easier through co-operation? Solutions for this will be sought through ecosystem forums – together.

 socialprotection.org (15.12.2017) This research paper discusses the interactions between social protection, rural transformation and inclusiveness. The questions addressed are: How does social protection reach and facilitate the rural transformation process? What key social protection interventions can better support inclusive transformation? Based on country-level evidence, the paper analyses how different types of social protection interventions (protective, preventive or promotional) affect rural livelihoods; help rural transformation (by increasing productivity, employment opportunities or non-farm activities); and influence inclusiveness. Each context could either enhance or jeopardize social protection interventions, affecting their transformational and inclusiveness impacts.

ILO (14.12.2017)  Even the poorest countries can afford to extend social protection to all their citizens, the ILO said in its recently released World Social Protection Report 2017-19 .

For example, universal coverage in old-age pensions has been achieved by more than 20 countries, including Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cabo Verde, China, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Namibia, South Africa, Timor Leste, Trinidad and Tobago and Zanzibar (Tanzania).

Countries normally achieve universal coverage by a combination of contributory social insurance and tax-based social assistance or social protection floors.

The Global Health Expenditure Database (GHED) presents internationally comparable health expenditures for all WHO Member States from 1995 to present

lemonde.fr (14.12.2018) Selon un rapport, les 1 % les plus riches ont profité deux fois plus de la croissance des revenus que les 50 % les plus pauvres. Et entre les deux les revenus ont stagné ou baissé.

dw.com (14.12.2017) Income inequality can lead to "catastrophes," but there are ways to fight it, according to the World Inequality Report. "Everything depends on the choices that will be made," says renowned economist Thomas Piketty.

nst.com.my (25.11.2017) The tourism sector should adopt good Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) management and practices to reduce the number of accidents and health problems in the sector

FrenchWeb  (11.12.2017) Avec tous les outils numériques à sa disposition, le patient n’est plus passif et devient un véritable acteur de son parcours de soin. Une nouvelle dynamique que les professionnels de santé doivent rapidement appréhender pour s’adapter et intégrer le patient comme co-acteur du parcours de soins. Pour le Dr Philippe Denormandie il est urgent de changer de paradigme pour le bien de toutes les parties prenantes d’un système de santé qui n’est pas adapté aux révolutions technologiques à venir. La formation des médecins par exemple ne doit plus, selon le Dr Denormandie, s’articuler sur des connaissances qui sont disponibles en ligne et demain par de l’IA d’aide à la décision, mais bien sur des compétences et une dose d’humanité et d’empathie supplémentaire.

romania-insider (11.12.2017)  Romania ranked last in the EU for the share of social protection expenditure in its GDP, with 14.6%. By comparison, the spending on social protection represented 29% of the GDP in the European Union in 2015, according to data from EU’s statistical office Eurostat.

The share

maltatoday (11.12.2017) While almost almost a third of EU GDP is spent on social protection, Malta’s expenditure has dropped over the years, sitting below the EU average in 2015 data S ocial protection expenditure stood at 17.5% in Malta in 2015, decreasing from 19.3% in 2010, Eurostat data shows.
Last week the the European Union's statistics office revealed that while social protection expenditure in the EU had increased slightly, from 28.6% of GDP in 2010 to 29.0%, Malta’s expenditure decreased.

Background paper for Estonian Presidency Conference ‘Future of Work: Making It e-Easy‘, 13-14 September 2017

ILO (07.12.2017) Despite being the youngest nation in Asia, Timor-Leste is taking a proactive and coordinated approach to ensure a better life for its citizens with a national Social Protection Strategy for 2017-2030.