Topic: Understanding the labour market. Part II

Author: Anna Rabiega

Addressee:

8th‑grade primary school student.

Core curriculum:

Expanded material for gifted students.

The general aim of education:

The student has some basic knowledge on the labour market.

Learning outcomes:

The student:

• analyses the importance of work in human life.

• explains the need for decent work and argues why all forms of forced labour and slavery should be abolished.

• presents and analyses the phenomenon of unemployment.

Key competences:

• communicating in a foreign language,

• digital competence,

• learning to learn,

• social and civic competences,

• sense of initiative and entrepreneurship.

Teaching methods:

• discussion,

• brainstorming,

• mind map,

• fishbone diagram,

• teaching conversation using movie, interactive scheme.

Forms of work:

• self‑learning,

• work in pairs,

• group work,

• whole‑class activity.

Material & equipment needed:

• computers with loudspeakers/headphones and internet access,

• multimedia resources from the e‑textbook,

• interactive whiteboard/blackboard, felt‑tip pen/a piece of chalk.

Lesson plan overview (Process):

Introduction:

1. During the previous class, the teacher asked the students to familiarize themselves with the abstract. The students should prepare to work in such a way as to be able to summarize the read material with their own words and to solve the tasks on their own and take part in the discussion.

2. The teacher presents the goal of the lesson: Analyse the importance of work in human life.

3. The teacher informs the students that they are to discuss the importance of work in human life in small groups:

a. The teacher instructs the students about the rules of the exercise:

• do not repeat arguments (i.e. each student must try to come up with a new argument);

• the students present arguments for or against, depending on the request of the previous speaker, regardless of their own opinions;

• each student in the group should speak at least twice;

• only a student who holds the ball in his hands can speak (the student must not be interrupted).

b. The teacher divides the class into several small groups (not more than 6 people). The teacher writes down the subject of the debate on the board: „Work is one of the most important values in human life” so that it is visible to all students. With the help of two students, the teacher shows how the exercise works: after reading the statement from the board, the teacher says: „I agree with this statement, because... (argues in favour of the thesis on the board)''. After presenting his or her argument, the teacher passes the ball to one of the students, saying: „You agree with me”, and the student's task is to present another argument supporting the thesis from the board. After presenting his or her argument, the student passes the ball to the next student and says: „You don't agree with me”, and the next student must present an argument against the thesis on the board, and so on.

c. The essence of this exercise is that it requires the absolute concentration and attention of students, because they never know when the ball will reach them or whether they will be asked to support or speak against the thesis under discussion. In each group, each student should speak out at least twice.

Implementation:

1. In order to organize the knowledge gained during the introductory exercise, the teacher displays on an interactive whiteboard the „The functions of work” scheme. The teacher asks the students what, in their opinion, the realisation of each of these functions involves. Willing/selected students present their ideas in regard to each function, while the teacher successively reveals the explanations in the infographics, then asks the students to read them and asks if there are any elements in them they have omitted in their own suggestions. The students complete their colleagues’ previous speeches. At the end of the exercise, the teacher asks the students which function of work they think is the most important and asks them to justify their opinion.

2. The teacher asks the students to read an abstract concerning the most important areas of labour rights regulated in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work of 1998. The teacher asks the students to discuss in pairs what the implementation of the above mentioned regulations is about and what it looks like in Poland. The teacher then asks willing/selected students to present conclusions from the discussion in pairs to the whole class.

3. The teacher draws the students' attention to the fact that although work may be beneficial, it also has its dark sides. The teacher informs that they will watch the film „Lured by a job, trapped in forced labour.” (available online) prepared by the International Labour Organisation, and the students are to identify the work‑related issue addressed in this film (forced labour) and to answer the following questions:

• What is the issue presented in the film?

• Who is affected by that problem? What circumstances are conducive to its appearance?

• What is the situation of the man about whom the film is about?

After the screening, the teacher initiates a short discussion in which students consider various issues touched on by the film. In a conversation, the aim of which is to teach the students, the teacher can draw the students' attention to the reasons for the man's departure, the factors that made it possible to force him to work, etc. The teacher also asks the students whether they are familiar with contemporary cases of forced labour, e.g. from the news or the press. The teacher asks what the state should do and what ordinary people can do to suppress this negative phenomenon. If the students find it hard to come up with an answer to this question, the teacher can screen the film „Slavery – more than 21 million people in forced labour” (available online) where an UN Special Envoy is briefly interviewed. After the projection, the teacher can return to the question of the measures that should be taken to suppress the phenomenon of forced labour.

4. The last topic of the class is unemployment. Students are to establish a definition of the term by brainstorming. The teacher appoints a moderator who will write down the time limit to complete the task and his or her colleagues' suggestions on the board. If necessary, the teacher explains this method to the students. Willing/selected students suggest the elements that should be included in a definition of the term „unemployment”. The creative phase is followed by verification of the ideas and formulation of the definition. The teacher supervises the whole process and, if necessary, corrects and supplements what the students are saying.

5. The teacher initiates a short discussion on changes in the modern labour market. The teacher informs the class that they will use a fishbone diagram and explains what it is, if necessary. On the board, the teacher draws a fish skeleton and in the „head” of the fish, the teacher writes the exercise subject: „How is the modern labour market changing?''. The students present their ideas on the subject and the teacher writes them down on the main and smaller fish bones. After drawing up the mind map, the teacher asks the students to look at the „The factors of change in the labour markets nowadays” infographic and to determine whether it contains issues that did not come to their minds during the preparation of the mind map. The teacher asks a few willing/selected students for comments.

Summary:

1. At the end of the class, the teacher asks questions to encourage the students to summarize what they have learnt, e.g.:

• What is the meaning of work in human life?

• What are the basic rights of employees?

• What is forced labour and how can it be eliminated?

• What is unemployment?

• How is the modern labour market changing? What influences these changes?

2. Homework proposal:

a. In your own words, explain the concept of forced labour and describe the circumstances in which it occurs most frequently. What can state authorities do to combat this phenomenon? What can people do?

b. Listen to the abstract recording to review the material and new vocabulary. Then do the vocabulary exercise at the end of the chapter.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Understanding the labour market. Part II

The functioning of the labour market is an important condition and a factor in the development of an economy. The labour market should also achieve social goals, i.e. the right to work.

In accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948 and Convention No. 122 on the Employment Policy of the International Labour Organization of 1964, a man has the right to freely choose the type and place of work, carried out in safe conditions, productive and rewarded in a way that ensures existence in dignity.

At the same time, the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work adopted by the International Labour Organization in 1998, defines the four most important areas of workers' rights:

• freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining,

• the elimination of all forced or compulsory labour,

• the abolition of child labour,

• the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

What is work for a modern man?

Work is a human activity aiming at the production of goods and services, so it is a purposeful activity that is supposed to provide a man with the conditions for existence and development. Thanks to work, products and services are supplied that serve human needs. Undoubtedly, the change in the nature of the economy (from industrial to service economy) means that work, which is one of the factors of production in the economy, is also changed.

Work is also a way of creating new bonds between people - the bonds of cooperation. New relations and a new community are created – a workplace (enterprise). Therefore, jobs cannot be considered only in economic terms. Work is one of the most important elements in people’s lives, a value, because thanks to work people can function in a specific society, make new contacts, and plan the implementation of future goals.

Work plays an important role in the life of a man, but also in societies as a whole. According to public opinion polls, work is an undeniable value.

It is very difficult to judge what it means to “have a good job”. The same type of work may be perceived as good by one person, and as bad by another – bring joy, fulfillment, and a fair pay or be a highly unpleasant, unprofitable waste of time. Also in science when describing the nature of work, this duality of assessment criteria is emphasized. However, it is important that in cases where the work conditions are assessed negatively, actions are undertaken to improve them.

Standards for such an improvement have been set by the international law. In 1999, the International Labour Organization coined a term “decent work” – as the kind of work which brings satisfaction and leads to self‑development and the development of the enterprise. The term has also been included into the European law. The introduction of term is based on the assumption that work is a source of personal dignity, stability of the family and peace in society. Decent work strengthens democracy, because it contributes to economic growth, which extends the possibilities of creating jobs and developing entrepreneurship.

However, work is not always considered decent. Forced or slavery work are two examples of work that is not “decent”. International Labour Organization Forced Labour Convention (No. 29, 1930) provides a definition of forced labour - forced or compulsory labour is “all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily”. An International Labour Organization report published in 2014 describes how forced labour thrives in favourable conditions of poverty and vulnerability, low levels of education and literacy or migration. The number of victims of forced labour in the world is stimated at 20,9 million, of which 14,2 million are victims of labour exploitation, 4,5 million sexual exploitation, and 2,2 million work forced by the state. The largest share of forced labour cases occurs in the Asia‑Pacific region (11,7 million). In developed countries and the EU, the number of victims is estimated at 1,5 million. The basic premise that makes people become victims of forced labour is their economic situation.

On the other hand, slave labour and slavery should be understood as “the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised” (League of Nations Slavery Convention of 1926). This legal expression means that a person or group of people is an object that can be freely acquired or sold. Formally, slavery is now banned in all countries of the world, but in fact it still exists, although it usually takes the form of forced labour (e.g. Chinese or Burmese labour camps, children as cheap labour). Figuratively, the term „slave labour” is used to refer to heavy or poorly paid work, often the only one available.

Unemployment

Unemployment is a state opposite of work as an economic activity. It is a social phenomenon, a situation in which some people who are able and willing to work are not employed. The phenomenon of unemployment in Poland is measured in two ways:

• as the total number of persons registered in institutions appointed to serve the unemployed (the so‑called registered unemployment),

• as a number estimated on the basis of surveys – the total number of people who were not employed in the week preceding the survey, although they were actively looking for a job and were ready to take it. In this case, in Poland, for example, we are talking about BAEL unemployment.

The labour market consists of all issues related to shaping the supply and demand for labour. This includes conditions in which contacts between employees and employers are made.

From the point of view of the labour market, it is important what the number of people who are currently working or can work is. It should also be taken into account how the market will change in the future - how many people will enter the market or retire. Similarly as in the whole economy, current data is analyzed, but it is also forecasted what the situation will look like in the coming months and years.