Bernadette Jonda

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VIJESTIHRVATSKA JAVNA UPRAVA, god. 7. (2007.), br. 3., str. 797-829820Démographie change and thè public sector labour market - a research project of Martin Luther University in Halle (Saale), GermanyHRVATSKA JAVNA UPRAVAThe dramatic tone ín which thè topic of démographie change is díscussed ín thè mass media, is due to ševe ral reasons. On the one hand, the démo­graphie change is a problem which is bound to hâve substantial repercus­sions in the future. On the other hand, there is no solution which could compensate the effects of the increased ageing of the European society. Furthermore, the development of population is seen as a development which cannot be changed in a short period of time.All social functional Systems are concerned with the current population de­velopment - begínníng with thè educational institutions, to the social Systems and labour markets of the public sector social infrastructure - and there is no central agent responsible for the development of coping strategies.For a long time scholars hâve limited their attention to the problem of population development without attempting to elaborate an explanation model that would allow for different kinds of solutions in the face of com- plexity of contemporary society. Now several actors in poli tics, science, as well as in various social groups try to see the démographie change as a challenge and not only as an inévitable menace. Such a challenge should mobilise the available resources and the creativity of scientists and or­ganisations. Examples of creative responses in the field of politics in the Federal Republie of Germany are a new family policy at the national level and specific measures at the municipal level.Current scientific research also focuses on action models that help to analyse coping strategies. An innovative research project lead by Proies-VIJESTIHRVATSKA JAVNA UPRAVA, god. 7. (2007.), br. 3., str. 797-829 821sor Dr. Reinhold Sackmann1 has existed sínce 2006 at thè Institute of Sociologi of Martin Luther University in Halle (Germany) with the topic Demographie change and the public sector labour market. The project is part of the Collaborative Research Centre (Sonderforschungsbereich 580) Social developments after structural change: discontinuity, tradition, structural formation funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).The Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) was founded in July 2001 at the Universities of Jena and Halle (both located in Germany). Itdeals with the long-term conséquences of the change in society in East Germany and other socialist societies after the politicai turn ín 1989/90. Wíthín 15 sub- projects socíologísts, politicai scíentísts, psychologísts, lawyers, hístoríans, economists and medical scíentísts do research on the new challenges ín the fíelds of economy, polítícs and social services, whích orígínated ín the course of thè changed regime.The sub-project B8 Démographie change and the public sector labour market deals with the question of howcítíes and munícípalítíes handle the change ín the number and âge structure of the population. The idea is that the scope of action that different munícípalítíes hâve and thè way they use ít is decisive for the conséquences of the démographie change. It deals spe­cificali/ with the question of how different municipal personnel polícíes contríbute to overcomíng the problem of démographie change.The aím of the project is to ídentífy símílarítíes and différences ín the way munícípalítíes react to démographie change. Thís váll help to assess the conséquences of the démographie change for munícípalítíes and on the way they exercise theír dutíes. Thís is a comparative study, whích ínvestí- gates thè staff flexíbílíty of the public sector ín Germany and Poland. Düring the fírst stage of the project, interviews and discussions with experts were conducted ín seven munícípalítíes2 ín the study areas of the former East Germany, former West Germany and Poland. These íncluded two mu­nícípalítíes with a relatívely large growth ín population, two munícípalítíes that experíenced a relatívely large loss of population and two munícípalítíes that had stable population figures írom 1990 to 2006. For the purpose of comparison, one metropolis is represented in each of the groups.The preliminaiy conclusions already made clear that the démographie change is an unintended conséquence of the transformation process.1 Other members of the project team are: Walter Bartl, Dr. Bernadette Jonda, Ka­tarina Kopycka, Dominika Pawleta, Christian Rademacher.2 Significant for the choice were the relative variances of the population in 1990. HRVATSKA JAVNA UPRAVAVIJESTIHRVATSKA JAVNA UPRAVA, god. 7. (2007.), br. 3., str. 797-829822HRVATSKA JAVNA UPRAVACombined with the inflexible labour market structure of thè public sector, which is also a general principle for the national labour market, this will be veiy hard to handle. The results of the first project phase show that:1. The almost identical challenge, in the form of a falling demand in the public éducation sector, leads to totally different employment policy responses. For example in Poland, you can find constancy or a little increase of employment. At the same time in Eastern Germany, there is a tendency towards staff réductions. The au- tonomous transition country Poland adopts a much riskier educa­tional innovation policy than the affiliated transition country East Germany.2. In terms of the central administration of the municipalities and the strategy of overcoming the personnel problem, one can find a great amo unt of consistency and agreement between the coun­tries. A démographie change in staff is seen to be the answer, albeit an inadequate one, to the problem of the downturn ín de­mand.3. The personnel policy response of the municipalities follows the logíc of the institutional régimes ín both countries, which see the reproduction of the inner labour market as a kind of natu­ral preference. However, there are still innovations to be found even ín the more demography-sensitive fields, which increase the variance and make new paths possible. For example: a division of staff into core and periphery workforce through introduction of fixed term contracts and the extension of the school offer in Poland; redundancies, or réduction of working time and in ré­munérations in Germany. New combinations of internai and ex- ternal personnel policy measures gain more and more relevance, also due to privatisation.In the second stage of the project, the current findings will be tested for theír generalísabílíty. The responses on different administrative state le- vels will be ínvestígated as well.Just as all other projects of the CRC 580, the research project B8 Dé­mographie change and the public sector labour market will not only be theo- retically relevant but it can also contribute to finding solutions to certain socio-political problems.A veiy important part of the project is a regulär exchange with other sci- entists. In order to present the research results and to discuss the topicVIJESTIHRVATSKA JAVNA UPRAVA, god. 7. (2007.), br. 3., str. 797-829 823of Démographie change and thè public sector labour market in a wider con- text, Conferences are being organized in which scientists from different research disciplines and institutions from both, Germany and abroad take part. This year’s international Conference will be held on 7th and 8* De­cember 2007 in Halle. The topic is Varieties of Public Sector Labour Mar­kets: Transformed?Renowned scientists as well as young researchers are expected at the Con­ference and will make présentations and allow discussion in four different panels:♦ Changing Forms of Public Sector Employment• Cases and Protagonists of Public Sector Modification♦ Inequalities and Public Sector Development• Impacts of Public Sector Modification.In the first part of the Conference (Changing Forms of Public Sector Employ­ment) Jean-Philippe Fons from thè University of Rennes and Jean-Louis Meyer from thè University of Metz (both from France) will present the topic Changing Forms of Public Sector Employment in an International Per­spective. Forms of Public Sector Employment using Poland as a case study will be introduced by Barbara KoXuch from thè Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Afterwards Peter Fairbrother from Cardiff University (Great Britain) will extend the perspectives of the discussion over European bor­der s with his contribution Changing Forms of Public Sector Employment in Great Britain and Australia.The présentation of Ernesto Noronha from the Indian Institute of Mana­gement in Ahmedabad (India) titled From Opposition to Partnership: Priva- tization in Cochin Port Trust, India will follow and open the second part of the conférence (Cases and Protagonists of Public Sector Modification). His lecture will be accompanied by eastern and western European contribu­tion. Éva Hejzlarová and Hana Tenglerová from Charles University Prague (Czech Republic) will speak about Public Administration Employment in the Czech Republic: Case Study on Flexible Working Patterns. Philippe Mehaut from the CNRS in Aix en Provence (France) deals with Hospitàl’s Labour Market and Work Organisation: Convergence and Divergence in five European Countries.In the next part of the Conference titled Inequalities and Public Sector De­velopment three scientists turn their attention to Eastern Europe. Sabina Auguslyn from Krakow University of Economies (Poland) will present her comparative analysis of Krakow and Kiev (Ukraine) with the topic HRVATSKA JAVNA UPRAVAVIJESTIHRVATSKA JAVNA UPRAVA, god. 7. (2007.), br. 3., str. 797-829824Unemployment and Political Transformation: How did Young People Manage New Opportunities? Vladimir Gimpelson and Anna Lukiyanova írom thè Centre for Labour Market Studies in Moscow (Russia) formulate thè question concerning wage gaps between thè private and public sectors in Russia (Public Servants Underpaid in Russia? Estimating thè Public-Private Wage Gap).In thè fourth and last part of thè Conference (Impacts of Public Sector Modification) thè attention will focus on thè German context. Working Efficiently: Serving Markets by Referring to Clients’ Needs? - This question will be presented for discussion by Brigitte Aulenbacher from Leibniz University Hannover and Birgit Rie graf from thè University of Bielefeld. Subsequently, Beate Hollbach-Grömig from the German Institute of Ur­ban Affairs in Berlin will pose the question: How does Demographie Change Affect Local Institutions? Finally Sabine Kuhlmann (University of Potsdam) is going to speak about Performance Management in the Public Sector: Ap- proaches and Impacts in European Local Governments,All above-named contributions will be commented by a co-presenter.We are looking forward to an interesting and amazing Conference that will enhance our understanding of démographie changes with regard to the Public Sector Labour Markets.The papers contributed to the Conference váll be published as an antibo­lo gy presumably in 2008.3Bernadette Jonda* HRVATSKA JAVNA UPRAVA3 Contributions to the German-Polish symposium in 2006 Demography as a Chal­lenge for the Public Sector are to be published by VS-Verlag (Wiesbaden) in 2007: Reinhold Sackmann, Bernadette Jonda, Maria Reinhold (Hg.) Demographie als Herausforderung für den öffentlichen Sektor.* Dr. Bernadette Jonda, a research fellow at the Institute of Sociology at the Martin Luther University of Halle (Salle), Germany (znanstveno-istraživački asistent Instituta za sociologiju, Sveučilište Martin Luther u Halleu - Saale, Njemačka)

Démographie change and thè public sector labour market - a research project of Martin Luther University in Halle (Saale), Germany

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