„Full Employment and Social Cohesion for all: Which political approach do we need?“
on October 15, 2004 from 1.00 PM to 5.00 PM
at the BFI (conference room K1) in Linz, Grillparzerstraße 50

Economic policy measures are increasingly presented as an inescapable necessity: To attract investments, taxes for companies have to be cut. The welfare state has to be downsized, pretending it is not affordable any more. To reduce or avoid budget deficits, public enterprises have to be privatised and to keep companies from leaving, we need lower wage costs, so working time has to be expanded.

Is it really unavoidable necessities that require the destruction of long-standing economic and social institutions and a policy, which places profits before people? What are the driving forces behind an economic system pushed internationally that leads to a continuous decline of living and working conditions for an increasing number of people? What can we do against the rising inequality of incomes? Do we mix up political will with inherent necessities? Where are the alternatives and which is the policy we need to re-establish social stability and to secure social peace?

Speakers:

• Ewald Nowotny (Vice-Rektor, Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration;
  1999–2003 Vice President, European Investment Bank)
• Klaus Gretschmann (Director-General, Economic Policy Directorate, Council of the European Union)
• Karl Aiginger (Deputy Director, Austrian Institute of Economic Research)
• Hans Kalliauer (President, Chamber of Labour, Upper Austria)

Eva Belabed (Managing Director ISW) will moderate the conference.

Please note: The working language will be German; there will be no translation into English.