Latest news with #OECD
DW
12 hours ago
- Business
- DW
Could fewer public holidays boost Germany's economy? – DW – 05/28/2025
As Germany's baby boomer generation retires and more people prefer part-time work, economists are in favor of abolishing a public holiday or two. This has sparked heated debate. Jonas Enderlein, CEO of Solutiance, offers digital solutions for real estate firms by scanning and digitizing rooftop conditions and matching firms with local roofing companies for repairs. His 40 employees work remotely across Germany, facing challenges due to varying regional public holidays. Enderlein and other business leaders advocate for longer working hours in Germany, citing lower average working hours compared to other European countries. According to the OECD, Germans worked an average of 1,343 hours in 2023, significantly less than in Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. Despite calls for increased working hours, labor unions warn of rising mental stress and burnout among workers. This video summary was created by AI from the original DW script. It was edited by a journalist before publication.
DW
13 hours ago
- Business
- DW
Can fewer public holidays boost Germany's economy? – DW – 05/28/2025
As Germany's baby boomer generation retires and more people prefer working only part-time, economists are in favor of abolishing a public holiday sparking a heated public debate. Jonas Enderlein, CEO of Solutiance, offers digital solutions for real estate firms by scanning and digitizing rooftop conditions and matching firms with local roofing companies for repairs. His 40 employees work remotely across Germany, facing challenges due to varying regional public holidays. Enderlein and other business leaders advocate for longer working hours in Germany, citing lower average working hours compared to other European countries. According to the OECD, Germans worked an average of 1343 hours in 2023, significantly less than in Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. Despite calls for increased working hours, labor unions warn of rising mental stress and burnout among workers. This video summary was created by AI from the original DW script. It was edited by a journalist before publication.
Leaders
16 hours ago
- Business
- Leaders
OECD Delegation Commends Saudi Arabia's School Evaluation Advancements
A delegation from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) concluded a visit to the headquarters of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) as part of an ongoing technical cooperation initiative. The visit focused on exchanging expertise and discussing technical aspects of learning outcomes assessment frameworks and school evaluation in the Kingdom's general education system. The OECD team praised ETEC's organizational development and its accomplishments in evaluating general education, highlighting the Commission's substantial and comprehensive progress despite the expansive scale of Saudi Arabia's education sector. Dr. Harold Hislop, head of the OECD expert team and former Chief Inspector at Ireland's Department of Education (2010–2020), commended the rapid and wide-reaching strides made by Saudi Arabia. He described ETEC's newly established school evaluation system as a significant milestone and an impressive achievement for the education sector. Related Topics : Saudi Arabia Poised for 3.8% Economic Growth in 2025: OECD Paris AI Action Summit: SDAIA Highlights Saudi Arabia as Comprehensive Governance Model Saudi Health Ministry Addresses Concerns Over X Disease Saudi Student Excels in Huawei Global Cloud Computing Competition Short link : Post Views: 55 Related Stories
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
We're criticising GDPR for all the wrong reasons
'Simplify', 'Streamline', 'Scale back'. While EU communiqués often find creative ways to avoid uttering the word 'deregulation', this new European Commission is all about boosting the bloc's competitiveness by 'cutting red tape'. The intention to stimulate the continent's economy might be laudable, but there is a real risk of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The Draghi Report, presented in September 2024, laid the foundation for a shake-up of one of the EU's crown jewels in digital regulation – the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). According to the report, certain regulations present 'overlaps and inconsistencies', leading to fragmentation. Draghi pinpointed GDPR as a particular source of headaches, thanks largely to its complexity, burdensome national implementation, inconsistent local enforcement, and disproportionately high compliance costs for small and medium enterprises compared to larger corporations. Now the whispers are over: GDPR now seems headed for the chop, much like sustainability reporting rules before it. Yet the world has changed dramatically in recent months, meaning many of Draghi's proposals are tailor-made for a context that no longer exists. Additionally, the US' disastrous DOGE experiment offers a stark cautionary tale of deregulation leading to chaos rather than efficiency. Legal institutions, after all, are complex systems designed for the critical purpose of protecting people's rights. Leer más: Robust rules are essential to guaranteeing clarity and transparency. Especially in the digital sector, setting clear guardrails is vital to containing both the excesses of tech oligarchs and the erraticism of their satellites-in-chief. Far from slashing red tape, the EU would be wise to take this opportunity to refocus its energies on delivering and enforcing better regulations. EU regulations are often cast as stifling the continent's innovation, but EU trade law professor Anu Bradford argues that this narrative is, at best, oversimplified. Europe's sluggish dynamism can instead be attributed to a wide range of structural issues, including a fragmented digital single market, underdeveloped capital markets, and harsh bankruptcy laws that punish failure rather than encourage experimentation. Looking beyond the fiscal level, European cultural attitudes tend to be more risk-averse, and the bloc lacks the proactive immigration policies needed to attract international tech talent. Experts have also clarified that if fragmentation truly impedes innovation, trimming regulation without serious harmonisation of domestic frameworks will achieve little. While regulation like the GDPR is often unfairly scapegoated for the continent's woes, it is not exempt from criticism. Consider the algorithmic management (AM) and AI systems that have steadily infiltrated workplaces in recent years. Recent OECD figures reveal that in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, around 79% of managers across diverse sectors report that their firms already use AM software to hire, organise and monitor their workforces. Algorithms and AI are not just assisting managers either – in some cases they are replacing them altogether. This ushers in new risks, and entrenches or amplifies old, unresolved problems such as unfairness, opacity, incontestability, dysfunctionality and distrust. The boom in decision-making digital tools perfectly illustrates the GDPR's ambivalent role. On paper, it remains a gold-standard shield for personal data, including the data used to fuel Generative AI applications. Yet in practice, the GDPR struggles to fully address the challenges posed by machines making decisions, either independently or on behalf of human managers. In one recent study commissioned by the EU Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, data protection frameworks are put under the microscope to see whether they can tame AM systems. The verdict was mixed, leaning towards pessimistic. While it is undeniable that the GDPR can be mobilised to limit data processing and avoid repurposing, most of its headline provisions have wide gaps when it comes to the workplace. The study flags the indeterminacy, ambiguity, and open-textured nature of the rules on automated decision-making, among other things. For instance, semi-automated decisions – hybrid systems with human intervention at the last stage of the executive chain – often slip beneath the radar, reducing the chances for workers to be informed about their existence and reasoning, or to have a real shot at contesting and changing their outcomes. In a similar vein, uncertainty about the interpretation of grounds for lawful processing and the application of the proportionality principle is leading to a patchwork of discordant decisions made by Data Protection Authorities. As the case law on data controllers' 'legitimate interest' shows, compliance risks becoming a postcode lottery. None of this should come as a surprise, as the GDPR was designed to be general, not workplace-specific. Nevertheless, its exceptions and loopholes disadvantage workers, and create uncertainties that affect companies. In a different season, institutions were contemplating the introduction of a work-specific instrument to govern algorithms, a proposition that was also included in the mission letter of Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness. The current deregulatory drumbeat, stimulated by the US fury against EU powers, has cooled that talk, but the idea is not dead. Workplace technologies are still largely governed by consumer-oriented data protection principles, even though employment contexts differ profoundly. Employers routinely collect sensitive data that extends managerial control into workers' emotional domains, and AM systems intensify these dynamics by automating decisions and generating detailed profiles. The persistent and asymmetrical nature of workplace surveillance undermines autonomy and erodes mutual trust. Unlike consumers, workers cannot meaningfully refuse these intrusive practices, making power imbalances more acute. Moreover, data harms are often collective, threatening solidarity and enabling anti-union practices. The Platform Work Directive (PWD) offers a ready-made compass to reorient action on workers' digital rights. Indeed, a whole chapter is devoted to fine-tuning the GDPR to better govern AM at work. As argued in a policy brief, several PWD provisions appear to be deliberately drafted to fill the gaps left by the omnibus framework. The PWD covers 'decisions supported by' algorithms (not just fully automated ones), extends workers' information and access rights, re-establishes a right to explanation, and bans robo-firing outright. It is, however, crucially limited, as its sectoral scope stops at the gig-economy's edge, leaving everyone else in the open. If the GDPR is not good enough for delivery couriers and click-workers, why is it still being applied to all other workers? Blaming the GDPR for Europe's growth woes makes for great clickbait, LinkedIn memes and after-dinner quips, but it ignores the real issues. Looser privacy rules will not fix our problems. On the contrary, a smarter framework for workers' digital rights could serve as a robust counterbalance, ensuring that AM operates as a tool for efficiency rather than unchecked command-and-control. By all means, critique the GDPR, but aim at the right target. Its abstract, transactional, individualistic DNA is ill-suited to the collective, lopsided reality of modern workplaces where employees' data feed into black-box AI systems. In those environments the answer is not to prune protections, but to reinforce them by clarifying legal bases, establishing red lines, hard-wiring collective rights, and closing the enforcement loopholes. Reform, yes. Regression, no. Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en The Conversation, un sitio de noticias sin fines de lucro dedicado a compartir ideas de expertos académicos. Lee mas: Outdated legal frameworks are a barrier to the EU's just transition – here's how we can fix them The EU's 'twin' green and digital transitions: a policy revolution, or just Euro-jargon? How the UK could monetise 'citizen data' and turn it into a national asset Antonio Aloisi no recibe salario, ni ejerce labores de consultoría, ni posee acciones, ni recibe financiación de ninguna compañía u organización que pueda obtener beneficio de este artículo, y ha declarado carecer de vínculos relevantes más allá del cargo académico citado.
Time Business News
19 hours ago
- Business
- Time Business News
Global Marine Port Services Industry Poised for Robust Growth amidst Digital Transformation and Sustainability Initiatives
The marine port services industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by technological advancements, sustainability efforts, and increased global trade. Technological Advancements Fuelling Efficiency The integration of advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain is revolutionizing port operations. These innovations enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve decision-making processes. For instance, the Port of Singapore's Tuas Mega Port is set to become the world's largest fully automated terminal, featuring over 1,000 battery-powered driverless vehicles and nearly 1,000 automated yard cranes. Similarly, the Port of Busan in South Korea has implemented an AI-based port logistics metaverse framework, resulting in a 79% improvement in ship punctuality and generating an additional USD 7.3 million in annual revenue. Sustainability and Green Initiatives Environmental sustainability has become a central focus for port operators worldwide. Over 40% of major ports are expected to implement green initiatives by 2025, including the adoption of renewable energy sources and emission reduction measures. For instance, APM Terminals, has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040 and has already reduced its scope 1 and 2 emissions by 13% between 2022 and 2023. Infrastructure Investments and Global Trade Expansion Significant investments are being made to expand and modernize port infrastructure to accommodate larger vessels and increased cargo volumes. The Indian government, for instance, has invested approximately USD 25 billion in upgrading shipping and port infrastructure. These developments are crucial in supporting the anticipated tripling of maritime trade volumes by 2050, as projected by the OECD. India: Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), India's leading private port operator, reported a consolidated net profit of INR 30.14 billion (USD 356 million) in the March quarter of fiscal 2025, surpassing analysts' forecasts. The company's marine services division saw an 82% revenue increase, with expectations to triple within two years. Brazil: CMA CGM, the world's third-largest shipping group, announced a USD 1.1 billion investment in Santos Brasil, a Brazilian port terminal operator. This move is part of CMA CGM's strategy to diversify into logistics and expand its presence in South America. United States: The Port of New York and New Jersey is seeking a greater share of profits from the ocean shipping industry by pushing for a cut of terminal sales transactions and increased revenues from business operations. This strategy comes as ocean carriers report high profits and major companies invest heavily in port facilities. About Author: HTF Market Intelligence is a leading market research company providing end-to-end syndicated and custom market reports, consulting services, and insightful information across the globe. With over 15,000+ reports from 27 industries covering 60+ geographies, value research report, opportunities, and cope with the most critical business challenges, and transform businesses. Analysts at HTF MI focus on comprehending the unique needs of each client to deliver insights that are most suited to their particular requirements. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
