August 1999
- 28 Aug 1999
Austria: Training measures for young people continued<#PDF_LINK>In 1999, Austria is still experiencing a shortage of apprenticeship places. Therefore, in July the government decided to continue measures inaugurated in 1998, aimed at allowing all school-leavers to participate in formal training, if they so wish. Trade unions and employers take different positions on the reasons for the lack of apprenticeship openings.
- 28 Aug 1999
Austria: Entrepreneurship and the NAP<#PDF_LINK>In response to the EU Employment Guidelines, Austria's National Action Plans (NAPs) for employment for 1998 and 1999 (issued in June) have sought to strengthen entrepreneurship. However, little impact is discernible so so far in a country with a very low level of self-employment, where the social partners are still coming to grips with the issue.
- 28 Aug 1999
Austria: Working time in retail still under debate<#PDF_LINK>Summer 1999 saw a renewal of Austria's long-running debate over opening hours in retail, with calls for longer weekly hours and more Sunday opening. However, the discussion seems to lack substance or commitment.
- 28 Aug 1999
Austria: ÖGB sets out programme of action<#PDF_LINK>In the run up to the general elections and its 14th federal congress in October 1999, Austria's ÖGB trade union confederation has been outlining its short- and medium-term goals. The top three medium-term goals are more full-time employment, less spurious self-employment, and income-based accession criteria for countries seeking to join the EU.
- 28 Aug 1999
Austria: Another year without strikes<#PDF_LINK>Austrian statistics for 1998, published in summer 1999, record another year without strikes. However, a common form of disguised strike action - calling a staff meeting - goes unrecorded.
- 28 Aug 1999
Belgium: Employers respond to new government's coalition agreement<#PDF_LINK>In July 1999, the FEB/VBO employers' organisation responded to the coalition agreement of Belgium's new government. It welcomes the new coalition's intention to reduce employers' social charges, but firmly rejects any measures to encourage reductions in working time or any negotiations on this subject. The employers also demand structural reforms of social security.
- 28 Aug 1999
Germany: Trade union membership and density in the 1990s<#PDF_LINK>After an initial boost by German unification, aggregate trade union membership in Germany fell by almost 3.5 million between 1991 and 1998. Only one of the four main trade union organisations has been able to increase membership since 1991, while union density reached a record low of 32% in 1998.
- 28 Aug 1999
Germany: German Social Democracy and the third way: Is there a future for SPD-trade union relations?<#PDF_LINK>Since Germany's current "red-green" government came into office in autumn 1998, the relationship between the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the trade unions has been deteriorating continuously. This feature describes and discusses recent developments, focusing mainly on the June 1999 joint paper by the UK and German premiers, Tony Blair and Gerhard Schröder, entitled "Europe - The third way/Die neue Mitte" - and its implications for SPD- trade union relations.
- 28 Aug 1999
Germany: Court acknowledges unions' right to bring cases against companies accused of contravening collective agreements<#PDF_LINK>In July 1999, the German Federal Labour Court published a comprehensive statement setting out the reasons for its judgment of 20 April 1999 regarding the right of trade unions to bring cases against companies accused of contravening collective agreements. The background to this recent judgment is a growing number of establishment-level "employment pacts" which provide for the exchange of limited employment guarantees from employers for employees' concessions on payments and working conditions, with the latter often contravening collective agreements. While previously it was only individual employees who could bring such cases to court, the Federal Labour Court has now extended this right to trade unions.
- 28 Aug 1999
Denmark: Danish Union of Graphical Workers dissolves<#PDF_LINK>The Danish trade union movement lost yet another union when members of the Danish Union of Graphical Workers decided to dissolve the organisation in a ballot held in June 1999. This is the latest example of a union merger as a consequence of technological change. After the dissolution, the union's various member groups are being distributed between a number of organisations, with most of them going to the industrial division of the HK/Industri commercial and clerical workers' union and to the SiD general workers' union. Although it has been difficult to overhaul the structure of trade unions in Denmark, recent decades have seen an acceleration of change. During the past 25 years, the number of unions affiliated to the LO confederation has been halved, from 42 to 21.
- 28 Aug 1999
Denmark: September compromise marks 100th anniversary<#PDF_LINK>In September 1999, it is 100 years since the Danish Employers' Organisation (DA) and the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) signed the "September compromise", the first basic agreement regulating Danish industrial relations. As a consequence of the compromise, collective bargaining was centralised and a national system of dispute resolution introduced. The agreement was a result of a major lock-out initiated by employers with the aims of stopping the trade unions' decentralised industrial conflict strategy, and of cementing the employers' right to direct and divide the work. Although the deal can be seen as a strategic victory for employers, the institutionalisation of the bargaining system was, in the wider perspective, to the benefit of both parties. The model created by the compromise strengthened the central organisations, which were thus jointly able to ensure extensive influence over labour market legislation in particular and the development of the welfare state in general.
- 28 Aug 1999
Denmark: Retailers refuse to employ Muslim women wearing headscarves<#PDF_LINK>During summer 1999, in a high-profile case, the two largest Danish chains of supermarkets, FDB and Dansk Supermarked, stated that they did not wish to employ Muslim women wearing headscarves to work at check-out desks or other visible places in stores. They claim that headscarves are unhygienic and not compatible with their principles concerning uniforms. According to the minister of labour, this contravenes the law on discrimination.
- 28 Aug 1999
Denmark: LO wants new industrial relations structure<#PDF_LINK>It was reported in August 1999 that the LO trade union confederation wants to break with Denmark's 100-year-old tradition of the employers' right to direct and divide the work. This proposal - which takes a surprisingly offensive approach - has not yet been finalised by the LO executive committee. According to the reported proposal, LO seeks a revision of the basic agreement which determines the rules of the labour market.
- 28 Aug 1999
Denmark: Controversy over outsourcing of public tasks<#PDF_LINK>In August 1999, more than 400 Danish municipal healthcare employees in Frederiksborg county took unofficial strike action against efforts to outsource their work to private companies. They were angered by the proposed move, given earlier retrenchments and an agreement on further training to make the services concerned more efficient. The LO trade union confederation believes that the number of public tasks which are being put out for tender has been increasing excessively.
- 28 Aug 1999
EU Level: Managerial and professional unions agree to cooperate in European social dialogue<#PDF_LINK>In July 1999, two bodies representing managerial and professional staff at European level, CEC and EUROCADRES, signed a "protocol of cooperation for the European social dialogue". The protocol provides for the establishment of a liaison committee, the future participation of the two organisations in the institutions and processes of the social dialogue, and greater cooperation.
- 28 Aug 1999
Finland: Agreement reached over early retirement and pensions<#PDF_LINK>In July 1999, the Finnish social partners reached an agreement on some major reforms to early retirement and pensions. These reforms, together with the programme for older workers and the third stage of a scheme to fund adult training out of unemployment insurance, aim to increase the average retirement age step by step.
- 28 Aug 1999
Finland: Unemployed must accept job offers from further afield<#PDF_LINK>In August 1999, the Finnish government decided that in future unemployed people in many districts will have to accept work from a wider geographical area than earlier, or lose their benefits. One aim of this change is to reduce recruitment bottlenecks. Employers have long been pushing for such measures to "activate" unemployed people and alleviate bottlenecks, while trade unions wanted to retain the present situation.
- 28 Aug 1999
Finland: Metalworkers' Union prepared to accept incomes policy agreement limited to pay<#PDF_LINK>The chair of the Finnish Metalworkers' Union, affiliated to the SAK confederation, announced in August 1999 that a deal guaranteeing a steady rise in real wages could be sufficient for the country's next national incomes policy agreement. At the same time, however, some other SAK affiliates, such as the Paper Workers' Union, have stressed the importance of solving sector-specific problems.
- 28 Aug 1999
France: Bill on second law on 35-hour week passed in cabinet<#PDF_LINK>in late July 1999, the French cabinet approved the second bill on the 35-hour week, which follows up the first law on the subject adopted in June 1998. The new bill establishes a two-year "adjustment period", in particular for the question of overtime payments.
- 28 Aug 1999
France: Automobile industry expects public aid for new form of early retirement<#PDF_LINK>In July 1999, the UIMM employers' organisation and the main trade unions - except CGT - concluded an agreement on a new form of early retirement for workers employed by French automobile manufacturers and their subsidiaries. The agreement is contingent on public financing of part of the cost of the pensions, a question which the government is to decide on in autumn 1999.
- 28 Aug 1999
France: Elf shelves redundancy plan<#PDF_LINK>In late July 1999, workers at Elf Exploration Production in France, who had been on strike for over three months, were informed by the company's management that the redundancy plan proposing major job cuts had been shelved.
- 28 Aug 1999
Greece: Institute of Labour issues report on the economy and employment<#PDF_LINK>In September 1999, the Institute of Labour of Greece's GSEE and the ADEDY trade union confederations issues its firstAnnual economic and employment outlook. Such reports have long been produced by employers, the central bank and the Ministry of National Economy. The report finds that Greece is very likely to meet the nominal convergence conditions for EMU membership on 1 January 2001, while real convergence is being achieved thanks to an effective policy of demand management. However, despite rapid economic and employment growth, the unemployment rate is rising.
- 28 Aug 1999
Greece: OTOE accuses two banks of violation of working and banking hours<#PDF_LINK>In July 1999, following earlier allegations of violations of working and banking hours in Greek banks, the Greek Federation of Bank Employee Unions (OTOE) lodged a complaint with the Labour Inspectorate against EUROBANK and ASPIS Bank.
- 28 Aug 1999
Greece: Joint committee studies reduction of working time<#PDF_LINK>At the end of July 1999, a second bargaining session was held between representatives of the Greek General Confederation of Labour (GSEE) and of employers' organisations, for the purpose of discussing a reduction of the working week to 35 hours without loss of pay. The parties agreed to set up a joint committee to consider the matter.
- 28 Aug 1999
Greece: Measures to protect workers during heatwaves<#PDF_LINK>As Greece endured a heatwave during August 1999, the GSEE trade union confederation issued guidance on the measures which must be taken to combat heat exhaustion among workers, while the construction workers' union issued its own special recommendations.
- 28 Aug 1999
Greece: Presidential decree protects workers in case of their employer's insolvency<#PDF_LINK>In July 1999, the Greek government issued a Presidential Decree aimed at bringing Greek law fully into line with EU law regarding the protection of employees in the event of the employer's insolvency.
- 28 Aug 1999
Ireland: Paper sets scene for trade union debate on partnership<#PDF_LINK>Failure to reach agreement on a new centralised pay agreement should not mean a "return to the trenches", according to a paper drawn up by theIrish Congress of Trade Unionsand presented to delegates at its two-yearly conference in July 1999. EntitledChallenges facing unions and Irish society in the new millennium, it calls on the unions themselves to give "courageous leadership" and to challenge some of their own "traditional attitudes and stereotypes."
- 28 Aug 1999
Ireland: SIPTU sets up EWC-style partnership forum<#PDF_LINK>During summer 1999, Ireland's largest trade union, SIPTU, is developing an internal partnership forum covering the union's 300 employees, which is to perform many of the tasks carried out by European Works Councils (EWCs).
- 28 Aug 1999
Italy: Use of temporary agency work agreed in Rome public transport<#PDF_LINK>In August 1999, Italy's main transport workers' trade unions signed an agreement with the Atac-Cotral group, which is responsible for public transport services in Rome and Lazio. The most innovative aspect of the agreement concerns the use of 400 temporary agency workers for a four-month period starting from September 1999.
- 28 Aug 1999
Italy: Controversial pact to promote recruitment of disadvantaged people in Milan<#PDF_LINK>In late July 1999, a preliminary agreement on an "employment pact for the city of Milan" was signed by the city's municipal administration, the trade union confederations - with the important exception of Cgil - and the employers' associations. Under the deal, September will see the start of local-level consultations and dialogue aimed at drawing up pay and employment measures to promote the entry into employment of weaker sections of the labour force - immigrants, long-term unemployed workers, workers over 40 expelled from the labour market, and disadvantaged young people. The Milan Cgil organisation has pulled out of the talks because it fears that the proposals for pay and employment contract flexibility put forward by the city council will open the way for more precarious forms of employment.
- 28 Aug 1999
Italy: Agreement signed on telework in the public administration<#PDF_LINK>Under an agreement signed in July 1999, telework is to be introduced in the Italian public administration, initially on an experimental basis. Participation will be voluntary and teleworkers will be guaranteed the same rights and opportunities as other workers.
- 28 Aug 1999
Netherlands: Industrial relations changing quickly in sports sector<#PDF_LINK>Sport is a growth industry in the Netherlands, and has attracted increasing attention from the government and trade unions. Furthermore, the Flexibility and Security Act, drastically changing Dutch law on employment contracts, which came into force in January 1999, sowed confusion among employers and employees in the sports sector. Recent developments include a collective agreement for professional footballers, which came into force on 1 July 1999.
- 28 Aug 1999
Netherlands: Self-employed people without employees seek place in social partner consultation<#PDF_LINK>In 1999, the number of interest groups representing self-employed people without employees in the Netherlands has rapidly grown, while some trade unions affiliated to the FNV confederation now also include these individuals as a target group for recruitment. The increase in self-employment without staff stems from the healthy economic situation, diminished social security for employees and perceived greater opportunities for people to apply their talents in a self-employed capacity. Whether the current trend will continue in the future remains to be seen.
- 28 Aug 1999
Netherlands: Unions become involved in financial services and training<#PDF_LINK>In August 1999, several Dutch trade union organisations announced plans to support their members with financial advice and professional education, thus further developing the role of unions away from their traditional collective bargaining function.
- 28 Aug 1999
Netherlands: Union anger at top pay increases<#PDF_LINK>In August 1999, Dutch trade unions were angered by the latest evidence of increases in senior management salaries far above those awarded to employees covered by collective agreements, and the FNV union confederation thus threatened to sabotage the Dutch consensus and consultation system (the "polder model"). A promise by the VNO-NCW employers' association to urge its members to support a moderate wage increase has seemingly warded off the crisis.
- 28 Aug 1999
Norway: Broader representation for social partners on public committees<#PDF_LINK>In 1999 representation on Norwegian public committees in the employment field has been extended to include more social partner organisations, from both the employee and employer side. When the Technical Calculating Committee on Income Settlements (TBU) was reappointed in June 1999, the organisations representing agriculture and fishing were replaced by several new trade union and employers' organisations.
- 28 Aug 1999
Norway: Private sector unions agree to cooperate<#PDF_LINK>The Norwegian United Federation of Trade Unions, affiliated to the LO confederation, and the Norwegian Society of Engineers, which is soon to leave the AF confederation, concluded an agreement to collaborate in summer 1999.
- 28 Aug 1999
Norway: Telework agreement concluded at Statoil<#PDF_LINK>An agreement on teleworking was concluded in June 1999 between the Norwegian oil company Statoil and the Norwegian Oil and Petrochemical Workers Union (Nopef). The new agreement provides a structural framework for home-based telework within Statoil, but leaves room for more flexible arrangements at workplace level.
- 28 Aug 1999
Norway: SAS employees end industrial action against outsourcing<#PDF_LINK>The dispute between Scandinavian Airlines Systems (SAS) and its ground staff was resolved after a meeting between management and trade union representatives on 9 August 1999. SAS management reluctantly accepted the unions' demand not to consider a possible outsourcing of ground staff
- 28 Aug 1999
Portugal: Conference highlights equal opportunities<#PDF_LINK>A meeting organised in July 1999 by the Economic and Social Council and the Commission for Equality in Employment and in the Workplace provided an opportunity to assess the progress of equal opportunities for women and men in Portugal. Various initiatives have been taken under the Global Plan for equality, and the National Action Plan for employment incorporates equality measures. However, considerable occupational and pay discrimination persists.
- 28 Aug 1999
Portugal: Social partners outline demands prior to general election<#PDF_LINK>In July 1999, in preparation for the general election to be held in October, Portugal's social partner organisations drew up their assessments of the outgoing legislature and made their demands to the political parties for the next four-year period.
- 28 Aug 1999
Portugal: Unions voice fears on inflation and consumption<#PDF_LINK>Summer 1999 saw increasing concern among Portuguese trade unions over a number of economic indicators. Although individual income has gone up, the inflation rate and the rate of indebtedness of Portuguese families are considered to be sources of major concern.
- 28 Aug 1999
Portugal: Euro-FIET finance section meets in Lisbon<#PDF_LINK>Euro-FIET held its annual meeting of representatives of European finance workers' trade unions in Portugal in May 1999. The main themes were globalisation and the consequences of the euro single currency. The event also gave Portuguese unions the opportunity to express their views on these issues.
- 28 Aug 1999
Sweden: Five years of negotiations over supplementary pensions end in failure<#PDF_LINK>In late May 1999, negotiations over a new supplementary pensions scheme for white-collar workers collapsed. The talks between the SAF employers' confederation and the PTK trade union bargaining cartel had been going on for five years.
- 28 Aug 1999
Sweden: Fewer new companies set up in 1998<#PDF_LINK>According to figures published in June 1999, almost 34,000 new companies were set up in Sweden in 1998. The figure is down on 1997 and the three previous years. The issue is topical at a time when more Swedish trade unions have been opening their doors to people running their own businesses.
- 28 Aug 1999
Sweden: Report finds that wage rigidity remains high, even during high unemployment<#PDF_LINK>There is "no evidence that the increase in unemployment has softened the mechanisms generating wage rigidity" in Sweden - in other words, pay has not fallen despite an unemployment rate of some 10%. This is among the main findings of research published in June 1999, based on 1991 and 1998 surveys of manufacturing companies conducted by two Swedish economists, Jonas Agell and Peter Lundborg.
- 28 Aug 1999
Sweden: Possible conflict over taxi-drivers' pay<#PDF_LINK>On 17 August 1999, the Swedish Transport Worker's Union gave notice to taxi-cab companies of a blockade of all passenger traffic to and from Sweden's major airports. The actions were due to start on the night of 2-3 September if mediation over a new collective agreement for the taxi-drivers was not successful.
- 28 Aug 1999
United Kingdom: Government unveils proposals for statutory parental leave<#PDF_LINK>In early August 1999, the UK government issued detailed proposals for Regulations to implement the rights to parental leave required by the EU parental leave Directive and to improve existing UK maternity leave provisions. The new Regulations will take effect from 15 December 1999.
- 28 Aug 1999
United Kingdom: More women elected to representative positions in unions<#PDF_LINK>The 1998 Labour Force Survey showed an increase in trade union membership amongst women in the UK. Research indicates that the number of women members elected as trade union representatives is also growing but at a much slower pace. This feature reviews the issues and stresses the significance of union structures which facilitate women's election to representative positions - an issue highlighted by the European Trade Union Confederation in July 1999.
- 28 Aug 1999
United Kingdom: The industrial relations implications of the British Steel/Hoogovens merger<#PDF_LINK>In June 1999, British Steel and the Dutch steel producer Hoogovens announced their intention to merge. The deal is the latest in a wave of cross-border mergers and acquisitions, which have reached record levels in recent years. This feature examines the industrial relations implications of the proposed merger, considering the possible restructuring that will follow, the impact on the relationships between employee representatives and management, and the nature of management style in the newly merged company.