On 21 November 2023, the Secretariat of the OECD Council Working Party on Shipbuilding organized a workshop Breaking away from "Tradition": Labour Issues in the Shipbuilding and Marine Equipment Industries, where representatives of OECD and partner economies as well as interested stakeholders participated.
The workshop provided an opportunity for a range of stakeholders and policymakers to better understand the labour situation in the shipbuilding sector and to exchange information on policy measures to be taken by governments and actions taken by the private sector to address these challenges.
Opening remarks
by Jens LUNDSGAARD, Deputy Director of the Science, Technology and Innovation Directorate, OECD.
Session 1: The situation and prospects of the labour force in the shipbuilding and marine equipment industries
1-1. Role of labour cost in factors of competitiveness
• Presentation by Paul STOTT, Senior Lecturer in Marine Production and Shipping Market Analysis, Newcastle University, Marine, Offshore and Subsea Technology, School of Engineering, on the role of labour costs in factors of competitiveness of the shipbuilding industry.
1-2. Key facts regarding labour in the shipbuilding sector
• Presentation by Walton PANTLAND and Aurora ROSSI, Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the OECD, on key facts regarding labour in the shipbuilding sector.
Session 2: Skills challenges in shipbuilding and marine equipment
2-1. Opportunities arising from the green transition to recruiting talent from local labour markets
• Presentation by Malgorzata KUCZERA, Policy Analyst, Centre for Skills, OECD, on the opportunities arising from the green transition to recruiting talent from local labour markets.
2-2. How to find the missing workers and skills? Local lessons from shipbuilding and other sectors
• Presentation by Kristine LANGENBUCHER, Head of Unit, Local Employment and Skills, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions & Cities, OECD, on the required skills in selected industrial sectors.
Session 3: Diversity of Labour
3-1. Labour mobility in shipbuilding in the European integrated market
• Presentation by Ines WAGNER, Kennedy Fellow - Harvard University, Research Professor - University of Oslo, on labour mobility in the shipbuilding sector.
3-2. Foreign workers in shipbuilding
• Presentation by Jonathan CHALOFF, Senior Policy Analyst, International Migration Division, Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs (ELS), OECD, on labour mobility in the shipbuilding sector.
3-3. Gender equity
• Presentation by Willem ADEMA, Senior Economist, Social Policy Division, Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs (ELS), OECD, on the OECD initiatives to promote gender equity, and presentation by Florence MAHER, Social Scientist, NEA, on the efforts to promote gender equity in the nuclear energy sector.
Session 4: Responses to key challenges regarding labour in shipbuilding and marine equipment
4-1. How to address the key labour issues in shipbuilding?
4-1-1. The viewpoint of trade unions
• Presentation by Walton PANTLAND and Aurora ROSSI, Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the OECD.
4-1-2. The viewpoint of shipbuilding associations and shipyards
• Presentation by Christophe TYTGAT, Secretary General, SEA Europe, and presentation by Seppo TIKKANEN, Senior Ecosystem Lead, DIMECC Oy, on responses by the industry to labour isues in the European maritime technology sector.
4-1-3. The viewpoint of universities and research
• Presentation by Khanssa LAGDAMI, ITF Seafarers Trust Assistant Professor, World Maritime University.
4-2. Panel of government representatives
Interventions by representatives from selected governments on their responses to labour issues in the maritime sector.
• Korea
• Norway
• Romania Presentation Presentation
• United Kingdom
Concluding remarks by Halvor HVIDEBERG, Ambassador and C-WP6 Chair, Permanent Representative of Norway to the OECD.
Programme / Workshop Takeaways
Contact and registration:
shipbuilding@oecd.org
More about OECD work on shipbuilding
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