Pregledni rad
https://doi.org/10.3935/rsp.v11i3.35
The Justification of Workfare Programmes in the World and in the Republic of Croatia
Predrag Bejaković
; Institut za javne financije
Sažetak
The paper deals with the justification and experiences of workfare programmes. According to the workfare programme, able-bodied individuals receive transfer payments only if they agree to participate in work-related activity and accept the employment offered. Workfare is a system that requires work-based activities as a condition of claiming benefits. The main goal of the proposed welfare reform in the Republic of Croatia (RC) is to restructure welfare-to-work programmes and policies in order to support the goal of moving recipients off welfare and into employment better. In the RC many people are unemployed and/or with low employability, so they are seriously exposed to economic poverty and social exclusion. Work is widely regarded as the best form of welfare, so that increasing the employment rate has become a key objective of social policy, as well as of labour market policy. This is especially relevant to Croatia, where a large number of able-bodied welfare recipients remain unemployed for a very long period. After the introductory remarks, the paper lists some of the advantages and criticism stressed by the proponents and opponents of workfare. After that, the issues and situation in different countries regarding the implementation of workfare, which is mostly positive and encouraging, are explained. Before the conclusion, some programmes that were applied in the RC, and that had some characteristics of workfare are briefly commented. We believe that serious consideration should be given to the introduction of workfare arrangements in Croatia for many reasons, especially because a workfare programme in the RC should be a part of broader measures for social inclusion.
Ključne riječi
workfare programme; social inclusion; activation; Croatia; labour market policy
Hrčak ID:
30187
URI
Datum izdavanja:
1.3.2004.
Posjeta: 2.581 *