• About EIRO
• Annual reports
• Comparative information
• EU level developments
• Representativeness studies
• Survey Reports
• Browse by:
  • Country
  • Date
  • Sector
  • Subject
• Industrial relations links

December 1998

• 28 Dec 1998
  Austria: Working time talks often postponed in 1998 bargaining round

  In the autumn 1998 Austrian collective bargaining round, negotiations on working time issues have frequently being postponed. Part of the reason is that developments over the last 10 years have made the issue very complex. A reduction in normal working time, except in highly specific circumstances, can now be negotiated seriously only when taking into account the context of overtime and "surplus hours".

• 28 Dec 1998
  Austria: The impact on work of next-generation mobile phones

  The next generation of mobile communications, becoming available between 2002 and 2007, is expected to increase working time autonomy, self-employment, and work stress, according to an Austrian study published in November 1998. It is also expected to contribute to employment growth.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Austria: Public service employment reform concluded

  A compromise formula has been found in Austria to resolve a long drawn-out dispute over whether or not to retain tenure for top-level civil service positions. From 1 January 1999, non-tenured federal employees will have access to all positions. Reform of the salary system will become effective at the same time.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Austria: Sparks fly in the electricity generation industry

  Shortly before liberalisation and in the midst of restructuring, negotiations in the Austrian electricity generation industry proved difficult in 1998. In the end, appreciable pay rises and a number of measures addressing employment decline were agreed in December. Working time remained unchanged.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Austria: Industrial relations controversy in Austrian automobile cluster

  One of the best-known Austrian economic development schemes, Autocluster Styria, has run into serious trouble over its industrial relations in late 1998. A number of companies within the cluster are actively opposed to the formation of works councils.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Belgium: Usinor takes over Cockerill-Sambre, under union supervision

  In October 1998, the French-owned Usinor agreed to take over Cockerill-Sambre, the last major steelmaking enterprise in Wallonia, under strict conditions. Trade unions in Belgium have been closely involved in the strategic decisions aimed at maintaining activity at Cockerill-Sambre.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Belgium: Move to euro to have no impact on pay and social benefits, agree Belgian social partners

  During 1998, Belgium's bipartite National Labour Council drew up agreements governing the transition to the euro single currency in terms of the calculation of pay and cash social benefits.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Belgium: Belgian labour market policy unrealistic, says report

  The Jadot Report - an annual evaluation of Belgium's employment policies published in November 1998 - comes to a number of harsh conclusions: Belgian employment policy is based on good intentions but lacks realism; the country's pay guidelines cannot be controlled; the system of Local Employment Agencies offers no real chances for social mobility; and proposals drawn up by the social partners relating to the "unemployment trap" lack coherence. Finally, according to the report, the adaptation of employment policies to European Union norms spell the end of the current Belgian social model, dating from 1944.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Belgium: Belgian federal and regional governments take joint action against youth unemployment

  The Belgian federal government and the governments of the Flemish and Walloon regions have agreed to work together in restructuring the current support policies for unemployed people from 1 January 1999. The various ministers responsible for employment have reached an agreement on the matter. The restructuring is part of the Belgian response to the European Union's Employment Guidelines.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Belgium: Levi management reaches agreement with unions on closure of Belgian plants

  In December 1998, a majority of workers at Levi Strauss in Belgium voted in favour of a social plan accompanying the closure of the company's three plants at Deurne, Wervik and Gits, as negotiated between the company management and union representatives. This enabled the closures to take place by the end of 1998.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Belgium: Leading companies pressurise government on financial participation

  A media campaign, organised at the end of 1998 by 60 leading companies, is trying to force the Belgian government to act on a promise concerning financial participation for employees. The companies include some of the largest and most important in Belgium, and the main employers' organisations have also supported the campaign.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Germany: 700 companies covered by 1976 Co-determination Act

  Recent figures show that the number of companies covered by Germany's 1976 Co-determination Act has stagnated at just over 700 since a post-unification increase in 1992. In 1997, 705 companies had this form of board-level employee participation, of which 388 had the legal status of a public limited company and 292 were private limited companies.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Germany: Package deal agreed at Arcor

  In November 1998, the German telecommunications company Arcor and the GdED railworkers' union signed a package of nine collective agreements, the first to be concluded in the firm.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Germany: 520 new jobs agreed at Dasa Airbus

  In December 1998, management, works councils and the regional branch of the IG Metall trade union agreed on the creation of 520 jobs at DaimlerChrysler Aerospace Airbus in Germany.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Germany: European Metalworkers' Federation adopts European coordination rule for national bargaining

  At its third collective bargaining conference, held in December 1998, the European Metalworkers' Federation (EMF) adopted a political resolution on "collective bargaining with the euro", which for the first time contains a number of guiding principles for national collective bargaining in order to prevent downward competition on wages and working conditions. According to the new "European coordination rule," national collective agreements should seek at least to offset the rate of inflation and ensure that employees' incomes reflect a balanced participation in productivity gains.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Germany: Municipal pact for jobs in Wuppertal local administration

  In December 1998, the collective bargaining parties in the municipality of Wuppertal, Germany, signed a pact for jobs which foresees the creation of new employment through individual working time reduction, an improved distribution of work and the extension of state-sponsored employment at local level.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Germany: New agreements signed in east German chemicals industry

  In December 1998, the social partners in the east German chemicals industry concluded new collective agreements which provide for a two-stage pay increase totalling 6.1%.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Germany: Tripartite agreement establishes national alliance for jobs

  In December 1998, the first tripartite talks held under the aegis of Germany's new "red-green" government led to the establishment of a new "alliance for jobs", which will take the form of a permanent body made up of representatives of government, trade unions and employers' associations.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Denmark: Transport employers' organisations amalgamate

  From 1 January 1999, the various employers' organisations within the Danish transport industry are part of the same organisation - AHTS, the second-largest member of the Danish Employers' Confederation (DA). In the long term, this amalgamation may be seen as the first step towards a single organisation for the service sector, for which there are currently two large associations within DA - AHTS and DHS.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Denmark: Employers' costs are reduced

  As a result of Denmark's 1999 Budget settlement, employers' costs are to be reduced, a majority in Parliament having concurred with employers' demands for tax reductions, including the abolition of the "employers' labour market contribution". This will result in a certain improvement in companies' competitive situation, which was otherwise threatened by relatively large pay increases arising from the spring 1998 collective bargaining round.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Denmark: New early retirement rules cause controversy

  Negotiations on Denmark's 1999 Budget ended in late November 1998 with a broad political majority for an overall package, which contained major changes in the rules governing early retirement benefit and pensions. This has resulted in a fierce dispute between parts of the trade union movement and the government, in which the special "Danish model" for regulating the labour market via collective agreements may be questioned.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Denmark: Difficult collective bargaining round in prospect

  The first three or four months of 1999 will see collective bargaining in Denmark's public sector, agriculture and forestry sector (including slaughterhouses) and financial services sector. Following the widespead industrial dispute in spring 1998 in the main private sector bargaining area covered by the LO trade union confederation and DA employers' confederation, the prospect is of a difficult collective bargaining round in these three other areas, not least in the public and agricultural sectors. One particular problem is the rules on working hours in the education sector - this issue alone could lead to a general industrial dispute and renewed political intervention.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Denmark: 300,000 workers change jobs in six months

  A recent survey reveals the great mobility of Danish workers, which is seen as being due to a decreasing sense of loyalty to their employers. The survey, which was conducted for the LO and FTF trade union confederations by Gallup, suggested that 10% of pay earners changed jobs in the six months from April to October 1998.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Spain: Single collective agreement signed for state administration staff

  In November 1998, the Minister for Public Administration and trade union representatives from CC.OO, UGT, CSI-CSIF, ELA-STV and CIG signed the first "single agreement for non-civil service staff" of the central Spanish state administration, covering approximately 100,000 workers.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Spain: Unions rally against social and labour policies of Valencian government

  In December 1998 the Spanish CC.OO and UGT trade union confederations organised a demonstration in protest against the labour and social policies of the Valencian regional government. The event was well attended.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Spain: New regional pacts for employment in Spain

  Towards the end of 1998, regional governments and social partners signed two new pacts for employment in the Spanish autonomous communities of Aragon and Cantabria.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Spain: Union submits bill to regulate subcontracting in construction

  In October 1998, the construction federation of the Spanish CC.OO trade union confederation embarked on a procedure (known as a popular legislative initiative) to promote a non-government legislative bill to regulate subcontracting in the sector. Parliament has accepted submission of the proposal.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Spain: Reform of income tax creates controversy

  Trade unions and opposition political parties in Spain fear that a reform of personal income tax due to come into effect in 1999 will threaten public services, and that the reduction in revenue could weaken the state's function as a redistributor of wealth. For the government, the general objectives of the reform are to promote employment and to make taxation fairer.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Spain: Unions hold day of action

  On 3 December 1998, in response to a call made by the CC.OO and UGT trade union confederations, demonstrations were held across all the Spanish provincial capitals in protest at the position of the government and the employers' associations on unemployment cover, shorter working hours and tax reform.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Spain: Further redundancies ahead in shipbuilding?

  Over the early part of 1999, the Astilleros Españoles group of public companies could announce further redundancies, if European Union shipbuilding policies do not change. The number of workers in the sector in Spain has been reduced from nearly 25,000 in 1984 to around 6,000 in 1998.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Spain: Spanish railway workers join Europe-wide protests against rail liberalisation

  Workers on the Spanish railway network, Renfe, joined a Europe-wide day of action on 23 November 1998 in protest against the European Union's proposed policy of liberalising the railway sector. Rallies were accompanied by a 24-hour strike, though minimum services in Spain were guaranteed.

• 28 Dec 1998
  EU Level: Codes of conduct and adherence to international labour standards

  The observance by multinational companies of international labour, human rights and environmental standards is an issue of increasing concern among policy-makers, social partner organisations and individual companies. Codes of conduct and "social labels" are more and more at the forefront of attempts to ensure that certain minimum standards are upheld in trading relationships. However, concerns are increasingly being voiced over the quality of these statements of intent and their verifiability. To contribute to this debate, in November 1998 the European Commission organised a workshop devoted to the exchange of good practice in relation to the monitoring of codes of conduct and social labels.

• 28 Dec 1998
  EU Level: Commission tables draft Directive on national information and consultation

  On 11 November 1998, the European Commission issued a proposal for a Directive "establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees in the European Community". The move followed the refusal of UNICE, the European-level employers' organisation, to enter into negotiations over a European agreement on the subject. The draft Directive provides for rules on the information and consultation of workers at national level - based on agreement or legislation - applying to undertakings with 50 or more employees. The European Trade Union Confederation welcomed the draft Directive, but considers that it does not go far enough on a number of issues. UNICE rejects European legislation in this area as unnecessary.

• 28 Dec 1998
  EU Level: Social dialogue in postal services leads to agreement on promoting employment

  The nature of and delivery of postal services has changed significantly over the past decade as a result of technological changes and changes in consumer demands. This has had a significant impact on the nature and volume of employment in the sector. In response to these challenges, the EU-level social partners in postal services signed in October 1998 a framework agreement on the promotion of employment in the sector, which aims to improve working conditions, enhance consultative arrangements and ensure that employees are able to adapt to technological developments.

• 28 Dec 1998
  EU Level: Cleaning industry social partners demand action against illegal work

  On the eve of the European Council summit in Vienna in December 1998, the European-level social partners in the cleaning industry, Euro-FIET and EFCI, signed a joint declaration calling for an immediate end to undeclared work. The document calls for Member State action to curb such illegal work, including the provision of greater incentives for legitimate businesses.

• 28 Dec 1998
  EU Level: Social partners in the sugar industry sign joint declaration on training

  In December 1998, the European-level social partners in the sugar industry, ECF-IUF for trade unions and CEFS for employers, signed a joint declaration on vocational training in their sector. The declaration aims to promote employability and the integration of young people into the labour market.

• 28 Dec 1998
  EU Level: ETUC and UNICE respond to new Employment Guidelines

  TheEuropean Trade Union Confederation(ETUC) and the European employer organisation,UNICE, have adopted their positions on the new Commission Employment Guidelines for 1999 (eu9810130F) issued in October 1998. Both organisations emphasise the importance to pursue economic, social and labour market policies which are mutually re-enforcing. However, with regard to the nature and shape of these policies, opinions diverge significantly. ETUC supports the development of a co-ordinated growth and employment-friendly macro-economic strategy where verbal commitments in relation to job creation are backed up by financial commitments. UNICE, on the other hand, emphasises the need for a continuance and strengthening of the structural reforms implemented in many Member States in the run up to the deadline for the EMU convergence criteria. Employment and employability is to be encouraged through greater labour market flexibility and the lowering of indirect labour costs without setting quantitative targets.

• 28 Dec 1998
  EU Level: UNICE welcomes Commission Communication on social dialogue

  In November 1998, UNICE, the European employers' organisation, issued a generally positive response to the May 1998 Commission Communication on adapting and promoting the social dialogue at Community level. The UNICE paper emphasises that the decision whether or not to set up sectoral social dialogue committees should remain voluntary, and regrets the decision not to extend the deadlines for consultations under the Maastricht social policy Agreement on a case-by-case basis.

• 28 Dec 1998
  EU Level: Vienna summit reaffirms employment as priority

  The European Council meeting in Vienna on 11-12 December 1998 emphasised commitment to employment as the EU's top priority. Member States commended themselves and one another for the progress achieved in implementing the 1998 Employment Guidelines and welcomed the Commission's proposed 1999 Guidelines. Particular emphasis was placed on the achievement of a coordinated economic and employment strategy, the "mainstreaming" of equal opportunities and making a reality of the concept of lifelong learning.

• 28 Dec 1998
  EU Level: Social Affairs Council agrees health and safety Directives

  Meeting in December 1998, EU Labour and Social Affairs Ministers reached agreement on proposed Directives on the protection of workers from exposure to carcinogens in the workplace and on protection from explosive atmospheres. Worker involvement in the European Company Statute and new education and training initiatives were also discussed. The social affairs Commissioner, Pádraig Flynn, introduced new legislative proposals on national worker information and consultation and on the extension of the working time Directive to excluded sectors.

• 28 Dec 1998
  EU Level: European Company Statute proposal blocked by Spanish resistance

  Despite hopes of a breakthrough in the 28-year effort to reach a compromise on employee involvement in a European Company, the EU Labour and Social Affairs Council of 2 December 1998 failed to deliver, amid resistance from the Spanish government.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Finland: TT survey finds that company-level agreements will increase

  The Finnish employers' confederation, TT, conducted a survey in autumn 1998, seeking information on the measures that member companies consider will bring them success in the new millennium. According to the results, a key future development will be an increase in company-level agreements. The actual direction of change will also depend partly on the next government coalition and possible labour market reform.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Finland: STTK demands limits on overtime

  In December 1998, the STTK white-collar trade union confederation discussed the issue of excessive overtime working with Finland's industrial safety authorities. According to STTK research, overtime work - paid, unpaid and unregistered - is on the increase, causing a severe health and safety problem and calling for official action.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Finland: Service sector unions sign letter of intent to merge

  In December 1998, four trade unions in Finland's service sector signed a letter of intent concerning a merger. The Union for Commercial Employees, the Hotel and Restaurant Workers' Union, the Caretakers' Union and the Technical and Special Trades' Union intend to establish the new union in 2001 at the latest. it will be the second largest affiliate of the SAK confederation and the second largest trade union in Finland.

• 28 Dec 1998
  France: French and German unions respond to Hoechst/Rhône-Poulenc merger

  In December 1998, the German Hoechst and the French Rhône-Poulenc began a merger process which should lead to the creation of the world's second-largest pharmaceuticals group, under the banner of "Aventis". Both French and German trade unions have expressed their concerns about the possibility of job losses in both companies, and unions from the two countries took the innovative step of issuing a joint declaration to all employees concerned.

• 28 Dec 1998
  France: Jospin government takes first step towards introducing a form of funded pension

  After 10 years of reports commissioned by successive administrations, the current French government, led by Lionel Jospin, has taken the first steps towards a significant change in the way pensions are funded by introducing a form of funded pension. In late November 1998, the government succeeded in passing the 1999 social security finance bill, providing for the creation of a reserve fund to strengthen the pay-as-you-go basic pension scheme for future retirees. This measure will be followed by a bill to overhaul the pension system, to be introduced in the spring of 1999, following consultation with the social partners.

• 28 Dec 1998
  France: Some minimum social benefits given pre-Christmas boost

  In December 1998, responding to the actions carried out by groups representing unemployed people, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin announced an increase in certain minimum social benefits. This 3% rise was backdated to 1 January 1998, making it, in the words of the Prime Minister, into "a kind of bonus".

• 28 Dec 1998
  France: Committee created for social dialogue on European and international issues

  The French government has set up a Committee for Social Dialogue on European and International Issues, with the particular aim of involving the social partners more closely in French proposals on European matters. An initial extraordinary meeting of the committee - at which the Prime Minister was present - was held in December 1998.

• 28 Dec 1998
  France: 1998 Annual Review for France

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in France

• 28 Dec 1998
  Greece: The Mediation and Arbitration Service and the development of collective bargaining

  Greece's Mediation and Arbitration Service (OMED) has been in operation since 1992, and its lifetime has coincided with the implementation period of Law 1876/1990 on "free collective bargaining". This review of OMED's activities from 1992 to 1998 highlights collective bargaining policies in Greece in the 1990s and the emergence of collective agreements as the pre-eminent instrument in the regulation of industrial relations.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Greece: 1998 Annual Review for Greece

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in Greece

• 28 Dec 1998
  Greece: General strike in public and private sectors over new Budget

  Greece's GSEE and ADEDY trade union confederations called a 24-hour nationwide general strike on 15 December 1998, so that workers in the public and private sectors could express their opposition to government policy, and put forward their demands in view of the new Budget, which was due to be voted on in Parliament.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Greece: Union proposes single Metro authority

  In November 1998, workers at the ISAP underground railway in Attica, Greece presented a business plan, aimed at creating a single operator for the Athens area Metro system, which is currently being greatly expanded beyond ISAP. The proposal is seen as a major innovation in trade union intervention in support of public services.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Greece: Wave of strike action by OSE workers

  In November 1998, workers at the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) began a series of strikes to voice their disapproval of a bill presented by the Ministry of Transport on "regulation of OSE-related matters".

• 28 Dec 1998
  Ireland: 1998 Annual Review for Ireland

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in Ireland

• 28 Dec 1998
  Ireland: Social partners' body asked to address public service pay problem

  In early November 1998, Ireland's Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern, asked the broadly-based National Economic and Social Council, which has played a key role in underpinning successive national agreements between the social partners, to examine the relationship between public service pay and performance.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Ireland: Congress leader attacks misuse of sick pay schemes

  The general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), Peter Cassells, attacked the "misuse" of sick pay schemes as a form of industrial action in a letter to ICTU-affiliated unions in November 1998.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Ireland: Government IT staff offered loyalty payments

  In late 1998, almost 400 information technology staff in the Irish civil service were offered a once-off tax-free "loyalty bonus" of up to IEP 6,000 if they would remain working with the government'sYear 2000"millennium bug" project for a further 18 months.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Italy: National agreement for tile and pottery industry renewed

  A new collective agreement signed on November 1998 for the Italian tile and pottery industry is very innovative in terms of: the new system of industrial relations that it establishes; the reduction of working hours for shiftworkers; and pay increases.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Italy: 758 dismissals suspended at Postalmarket

  In November 1998, after months of negotiations, a procedure was initiated to make redundant 758 workers at the Italian operations of the Postalmarket mail-order company. However, a mobilisation by workers contributed to a suspension of the procedure and attempts to find an alternative to the company's closure.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Italy: Parliament approves law on overtime

  In November 1998, the Italian parliament enacted a government decree-law on restricting the use of overtime working in the industry sector.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Italy: Local agreements highlight conciliation and arbitration procedures

  Late 1998 saw three local agreements in northern Italy introducing procedures for conciliation in individual labour disputes. These are significant examples of the application of a 1998 legislative decree which made it compulsory to seek conciliation in individual disputes. Conciliation and arbitration are also important in collective disputes, in particular in the case of strikes involving essential public services, and Sergio D'Antoni, national secretary of the Cisl trade union confederation, has recently proposed their use in an attempt to reduce conflict and strikes in the transport sector.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Italy: 1998 Annual Review for Italy

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in Italy

• 28 Dec 1998
  Italy: Results of first elections to Rsu representative bodies in the public sector

  In November 1998, the first elections for Rsu worker representative bodies were held in the Italian public sector. The most significant results were the high participation rate and the success of the main trade union confederations, compared with independent unions.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Italy: Towards a reform of the vocational training system

  Improving the match between the supply and demand for skills and raising levels of professionalism are two of the goals set by Italy's current reform of its vocational training system. November 1998 saw two developments of great relevance to this endeavour: the first results of a survey of company skills needs carried out by the Joint National Committee on Training; and a government proposal to introduce compulsory vocational training until the age of 18.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Luxembourg: More flexible working time sought in public sector

  A survey on working time organisation in Luxembourg's public sector, published in October 1998, indicates a strong desire for more flexible working hours. It is above all women who seek different working time arrangements, being willing to trade off shorter hours for loss of pay.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Luxembourg: Temporary agency work: from suspicion to general acceptance

  Over the past 10 years, Luxembourg's trade unions have run an orchestrated campaign against temporary agency work, taking a very negative view of the phenomenon. However, by late 1998, four years after it was passed, 1994 legislation on temporary agency work has made this type of employment appear almost "normal".

• 28 Dec 1998
  Luxembourg: National Action Plan for employment not yet in force

  In late 1998, a commission of Luxembourg's Chamber of Deputies drew up an amended version of draft legislation implementing the country's National Action Plan for employment, which is likely to win a majority of votes in the Chamber. However, following a critical opinion on the draft law from the Council of State, raising points which will have to be satisfactorily resolved, the Plan was unlikely to come into force on 1 January 1999, as planned.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Luxembourg: Unions meet government over pensions restructuring

  In November 1998, an initial meeting between the Luxembourg government and seven trade unions which are calling for a restructuring of the pensions system agreed that the issue will be presented to a tripartite meeting in February-March 1999. The government's plan to introduce an "occupational disability" pension has been shelved.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Luxembourg: Unanimous agreement on lowering sickness insurance Fund contributions

  The budget of Luxembourg's sickness insurance funds for 1999 boasts a surplus of over LUF 431 million. The social partners thus agreed unanimously in November 1998 to reduce contribution rates to the funds.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Luxembourg: Social election results: demise of FEP confirmed

  Luxembourg's social elections of employee representatives on a variety of bodies took place in November 1998. There were few surprises, other than that the CEP trade union may now achieve nationally representative status for private sector white-collar workers, after FEP lost its last support.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Luxembourg: 1998 Annual Review for Luxembourg

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in Luxembourg

• 28 Dec 1998
  Netherlands: Pension schemes and costs increasingly affect industrial relations

  In late 1998, the issue of pensions was prominent in Dutch industrial relations, owing to a number of developments. In November, the Lower House of Parliament approved a government proposal to allow for more flexible ways of building up pension rights. At the same time, pensioners' organisations launched a court case, claiming once again a share of excess pension fund reserves. Furthermore, experts raised concerns that interest rates may lead to a sharp rise in pension contributions and consequently in wage costs, while the "pension gap" for younger employees caused unrest in the dockyards sector.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Netherlands: 1998 Working Conditions Act passed

  In early November 1998, the Lower Chamber of the Dutch Parliament passed a new Working Conditions Act. Under pressure from a majority in the Chamber, it adopted a number of amendments to the previous bill. For the most part, these changes will mean a continuation of the status quo. The most important new measure concerns increased emphasis on the responsibility for risk assessment and evaluation.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Netherlands: Court bans wildcat strike on railways

  A Dutch court ruling on 8 December 1998 ended an unofficial "wildcat" strike held by a group of railway employees in the north-east of the Netherlands. The employees had been demanding a clear statement on their long-term pay.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Netherlands: KPN Telecom redundancy plan accepted

  In late November 1998, KPN Telecom reached an agreement with trade unions in the Netherlands on the company's far-reaching reorganisation plans. Initially, union members' reactions to the agreement varied widely. However, a slightly amended plan was subsequently accepted.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Netherlands: Unions and opposition parties present joint plan to alleviate poverty

  In December 1998, the two largest Dutch trade union organisations and the two major opposition parties published a joint plan aimed at alleviating poverty in the Netherlands, thus putting considerable pressure on the coalition government. The Lower House of parliament subsequently accepted two of the plan's proposals in the course of negotiations on the social affairs budget.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Netherlands: Teachers' unions threaten national strike

  In December 1998, teachers' trade unions in the Netherlands threatened to launch a national strike. It appears unlikely that the rift between the unions' demand for a 6.25% pay rise and the 2.25% offer by the Minister of Education can be bridged.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Netherlands: 1998 Annual Review for The Netherlands

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in The Netherlands

• 28 Dec 1998
  Norway: Public committee proposes statutory right to educational leave

  The public committee considering the right of employees to educational leave in Norway published its recommendations in December 1998. The committee recommends that all employees should have a statutory right to unpaid leave of up to three years in order to pursue vocational education.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Norway: Human rights and Norwegian labour law

  A proposal for the incorporation of basic international human rights into the Norwegian legal framework was put forward by the government in October 1998. This move would place "closed-shop" trade union membership arrangements under particular pressure. At present, such arrangements mainly exist in companies and organisations associated with the Norwegian Trade Union Confederation (LO), and LO is now considering other mechanisms for retaining influence in collective bargaining in these areas.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Norway: 1998 Annual Review for Norway

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in Norway

• 28 Dec 1998
  Norway: Increased unemployment expected in 1999

  Reports by several important financial institutions, made public in December 1998, predict a turning point in the labour market situation in Norway. Unemployment is expected to rise from the autumn of 1999 onwards.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Norway: New regulations on employees' access to share options

  The Norwegian Parliament approved in December 1998 a proposal for new tax provisions, making it more advantageous for employees to receive options on shares in their own company.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Norway: Agreement strengthens cooperation on incomes policy

  In December 1998, the Norwegian government and the social partners reached an agreement to establish several committees for the purpose of advancing cooperation on incomes policy and of preventing unemployment rising. The committees' first report will form the basis for the pay settlements in spring 1999.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Norway: Report on the financing of continuing vocational training

  A public committee considering the financing of students' subsistence while undergoing continuing vocational education submitted its report to the Norwegian Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs in November 1998. The committee examined the general regulations in the national scheme for educational funding, with a view to adapting the scheme to continuing vocational education.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Portugal: Multinational pull-outs prompt debate on internationalisation of Portuguese economy

  A number of major multinational companies announced in late 1998 that they were ceasing to operate in Portugal. This prompted reactions from the social partners and coincided with a debate on the "internationalisation" of the Portuguese economy. Although the trade unions are optimistic about the situation, they stress the need for a government strategy on foreign investment, while employers have expressed their desire to enjoy the same access to certain benefits as foreign investors.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Portugal: Further debate on working time flexibility law

  The issues of how working time is calculated and what constitutes full-time work were once again under debate in Portugal in late 1998. The debate was revived because of the relationship between the contents of Law 21/96 on the 40-hour working week and Law 73/98, adopted in November 1998, which transposes the 1993 EU working time Directive.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Portugal: Doctors strike continues

  In late 1998, the SIM Portuguese doctors' trade union announced that its "self-service" strike will continue until the year 2000. The self-service strike involves doctors deciding individually on what day and at what hours they will strike. The strike has aroused debate because of its unique nature and its impact on the public, presaging changes in the way that professional unions in Portugal conduct disputes.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Portugal: 1998 Annual Review for Portugal

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in Portugal

• 28 Dec 1998
  Sweden: Effects on employment of working time reduction found to be difficult to predict

  The results of macroeconomic simulations of the effects on employment of working time reduction rely heavily on certain basic assumptions, such as how many hours people will actually work, or how productivity and pay levels will develop. Thus, contrary to what the Swedish Ministry of Labour had hoped, researchers at the National Institute of Economic Research were unable to make any such predictions when they presented a study commissioned by the Ministry in November 1998.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Sweden: Actors' strike avoided at the last minute

  A strike and lock-out at Sweden's state-subsidised theatres were avoided at the last minute when the parties reached a new collective agreement on 1 December 1998. Existing provisions guaranteeing actors permanent employment contracts after a period of qualification were repealed, while starting salaries were increased substantially.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Sweden: Lack of organisation found to have caused work environment scandal

  In 1997 the construction of a railway tunnel in southern Sweden was halted, as it turned out that a substance used for sealing the rock was harmful to workers' health and destroyed the groundwater. In November 1998, a governmental commission issued a report criticising almost all the parties involved for failure to fulfil their responsibilities with regard to the work environment. Some of them may now be facing prosecution for criminal offences.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Sweden: Committee proposes enhanced authority for mediators and restrictions on right to strike

  Sweden's rules on industrial action should be made stricter and public mediators should be given enhanced authority. These highly controversial proposals were put forward in a report presented by an official committee on 30 November 1998. The fate of the proposals is probably dependent on the success or failure of current talks on a "pact for growth" between trade union and employers' confederations.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Sweden: Agreement for broadcasting technicians reached after industrial action

  After 13 days of industrial action and almost one year of negotiations, a new collective agreement on wages and general terms of employment for technicians and administrators in Swedish public broadcasting was reached on 29 November 1998. The stumbling block was the organisation of working time.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Sweden: Cutbacks at Vattenfall energy group affect 1,000 employees

  During autumn 1998, the Swedish energy group Vattenfall negotiated with trade unions over staff cutbacks that would affect 1,000 of its employees. One of the unions accepted the need for redundancies, but managed to convince the employer to postpone the dismissals. This caused a rift with the other trade union concerned.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Sweden: Volvo plans 5,300 job losses worldwide

  In November 1998, the Volvo group announced that it has plans for redundancies involving 5,300 workers worldwide, including 2,600 in Sweden and 1,100 in other European countries. The cutbacks are to be effected before mid-1999. Trade union representatives doubt if the company will be able fully to realise the cutbacks.

• 28 Dec 1998
  Sweden: 1998 Annual Review for Sweden

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in Sweden

• 28 Dec 1998
  EU Countries: 1998 Annual Review: EU-level developments and comparative overview

  This record presents a summary of EU-level employment and social policy developments in 1998, and a comparative overview of industrial relations developments in the EU Member States (plus Norway).

• 28 Dec 1998
  United Kingdom: The industrial relations impact of cross-border mergers and acquisitions

  The scale of cross-border mergers and acquisitions has increased rapidly in recent years. The UK is more involved in this process than any other EU country: UK-based multinational companies have purchased more firms abroad than any other nationality, while Britain has also been the largest seller of firms to foreign multinationals. This feature examines the implications of this growth for employees and trade unions - implications which are particularly relevant in late 1998 when, for example, the effects of BMW's takeover of Rover in terms of cutting costs and increase flexibility have hit the headlines.

• 28 Dec 1998
  United Kingdom: Annualised hours agreements: service sector leads the way

  Annualised hours systems have long been recognised as an important way to increase flexible working and tackle the "overtime culture" in British industry. Yet it is in the service sector more than manufacturing where annualised hours have been successfully implemented, reflecting differences in patterns of demand, workforce characteristics and trade union approaches. The National Health Service (NHS), which in September 1998 introduced its first-ever national human resource strategy explicitly hailing annualised hours as the key to flexible working, is a leading case.

• 28 Dec 1998
  United Kingdom: Industrial relations under new Labour: an update

  The election of the new Labour government in May 1997 heralded radical changes in the UK's system of industrial relations. Stemming both from Labour's domestic agenda and from EU legislation, these are now underway. This feature reviews developments during the 18 months or so of Labour government up until December 1998.

• 28 Dec 1998
  United Kingdom: Two million UK employees affected by national minimum wage

  Between 1.7 and 2.1 million employees are likely to be affected by the introduction of the national minimum wage in April 1999, according to an official analysis of the incidence of low-paid employment in the UK, published in December 1998

• 28 Dec 1998
  United Kingdom: Agreement on flexible working arrangements at Rover

  In December 1998, Rover employees in the UK voted to accept a package of job losses and changes in working patterns to secure future investment in the Longbridge car plant by Rover's parent company, BMW.

• 28 Dec 1998
  United Kingdom: Government proposes performance-related pay for teachers

  In a move to improve the status and attractiveness of the teaching profession, the UK government published proposals in December 1998 for a new career and reward structure for school teachers. The proposed reforms received a mixed reaction from teaching unions.

• 28 Dec 1998
  United Kingdom: UK and Spain issue joint statement on employment

  In advance of the December 1998 European Council summit in Vienna, the UK and Spain circulated a joint statement on employment policy to all other EU governments, emphasising that the reform of Europe's labour markets should continue.

• 28 Dec 1998
  United Kingdom: 1998 Annual Review for the United Kingdom

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in the United Kingdom

• 28 Dec 1998
  Austria: 1998 Annual Review for Austria

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in Austria

• 28 Dec 1998
  Belgium: 1998 Annual Review for Belgium

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in Belgium

• 28 Dec 1998
  Germany: 1998 Annual Review for Germany

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in Germany

• 28 Dec 1998
  Denmark: 1998 Annual Review for Denmark

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in Denmark

• 28 Dec 1998
  Spain: 1998 Annual Review for Spain

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in Spain

• 28 Dec 1998
  Finland: 1998 Annual Review for Finland

  This record reviews 1998's main developments in industrial relations in Finland