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February 2001

• 28 Feb 2001
  Austria: New controversy over shop opening hours

  In late 2000, Austria's minister of economic and labour affairs proposed further liberalisation of shop opening hours, causing tensions within the coalition government and drawing sharp criticism from the social partners.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Austria: 2001 Territorial Employment Pact agreed for Vienna

  For several years, the social partners, Vienna city council, the Labour Market Service and other institutions have jointly operated a Territorial Employment Pact for the Austrian capital. Encouraged by the success of the scheme, the partners have decided to continue their cooperation in 2001 through a new Pact.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Belgium: Social dialogue in SMEs examined

  For many years, Belgian trade unions have been seeking the establishment of social dialogue structures in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are not covered by union representation or statutory employee participation structures. The intersectoral agreement for 2001-2, signed in December 2000, calls on sectoral negotiators to set up external structures to enable social dialogue in SMEs (ie "pooled" dialogue structures for a number of SMEs in a particular area). A recent report from the bipartite National Labour Council examines existing experiments in such external regional consultation in a number of sectors.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Belgium: SABENA's survival under threat

  The Belgian national airline, SABENA, is once again struggling with serious financial problems. The situation became so serious in December 2000 that its major shareholders, the Belgian state and the Swiss SAirGroup, were legally compelled to call an extraordinary general meeting. At this meeting in February 2001, the future existence of the company was debated, with 11,000 jobs at stake.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Germany: Theatre strike silences Cats

  In January 2001, the IG Medien German media workers' union called a strike of technical staff at the "Cats" musical in Hamburg, in a dispute with the Stella music corporation over job losses and the transfer of "Cats" to Stuttgart. After a number of performances had been cancelled, a settlement was reached with the conclusion of a new framework agreement and social plan to accompany the redundancies.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Germany: Collectively agreed pay up 2.4% in 2000

  According to figures from the WSI Collective Agreement Archive, issued in early 2001, collectively agreed pay increased on average by about 2.4% in Germany in 2000. Sectoral pay increases ranged between 3.0% and 1.6%.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Germany: Forced labour compensation scheme faces difficulties

  In July 2000, the German parliament passed legislation to provide compensation for 1 million surviving victims of slave and forced labour during the Nazi period, through a Remembrance, Responsibility and Future Foundation. The law followed lengthy negotiations between the governments of the USA, Germany and several eastern European countries, along with representatives of German business and of slave/forced labourers. In early 2001, German companies are facing severe problems in trying to raise their share of the fund's total assets of DEM 10 billion. German business is still DEM 1.4 billion short of the DEM 5 billion promised in the negotiations, and politicians and trade union representatives are beginning to lose patience with those companies - notably medium-sized firms - which are unwilling to pay. Meanwhile, the German parliament will not release the funds before German companies have been assured protection from further litigation, especially in US courts.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Germany: Survey examines industrial relations at establishment level in 1999/2000

  In February 2001, Germany's WSI research institute presented the first results of its recent Works Council Survey 1999/2000 which – among other matters - contains current information on the relations between works councils and employees, employers and trade unions. The data indicate that works councils receive firm support from both employers and employees, but also identify deficits in industrial relations at establishment level regarding direct employee involvement, employers' acceptance of works councils' rights and trade union support for works councils.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Germany: Reform of Works Constitution Act proposed

  In December 2000, the German Federal Ministry of Labour presented the first draft of a proposed reform of the Works Constitution Act (BetrVG). The BetrVG, which governs the operation of works councils, has remained almost unchanged for nearly three decades, and the government now aims to bring it into line with modern company and work organisation. The draft foresees an improvement in works councils' operating conditions as well as an extension of their responsibility into new areas such as employment security, qualifications, environmental protection and fighting xenophobia at the workplace. While the trade unions mainly welcomed the government's initiative, employers' associations sharply rejected the draft and announced strong resistance.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Denmark: Legislation proposed on age discrimination

  In early 2001, the Danish Minister of Labour announced proposals to prohibit age discrimination at work through legislation. This is the main change in Danish law required by the new EU equal treatment Directive, which bans discrimination on grounds of of religion, belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Denmark: Fathers fail to use full parental leave entitlement

  According to figures published in February 2001, Danish men prefer to work instead of taking the parenthood-related leave to which they are entitled (a potential total of 66 weeks). On average, male employees are absent from work for only about two weeks in the course of the first two years of their child's life. In comparison, women are on average absent from work for nearly 45 weeks in connection with pregnancy and maternity leave. The Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) is calling for a change in attitudes among both enterprises and employees, and proposing improvements in men's possibilities for taking parental leave, including better financial compensation.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Spain: Accident highlights precarious situation of immigrants without documents

  In January 20001, a group of 12 Ecuadorians died in Lorca, in the Spanish region of Murcia, when the van taking them to work was hit by a train. The deceased were working illegally as agricultural workers. The tragedy highlighted the precarious and illegal employment situation of many immigrants without residence and work permits. It led to farmers in Lorca ceasing to employ immigrant workers without documents, causing severe hardship, and to a bilateral agreement between Spain and Ecuador on regularising the position of such people. Furthermore, the accident triggered an unprecedented protest movement from the immigrant community.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Spain: The institutional framework of public sector industrial relations

  Industrial relations in the Spanish public sector are undergoing change, moving closer to the private sector model, with a greater role for collective bargaining rather than state intervention. This feature examines this process and outlines some key features of public sector industrial relations in Spain, such as: the distinction between civil servants and non-civil service employees; the content and structure of collective bargaining; and the division of responsibilities among the different levels of public administration.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Spain: National Court rules against freezing of civil servants' pay

  In January 2001, Spain's National Court ruled in favour of a trade union appeal against the freezing of civil servant's wages by the People's Party government in 1997. If this ruling is implemented, it could involve payments of at least ESP 500 billion. The trade unions have begun to mobilise civil servants to call for the immediate payment of the arrears.

• 28 Feb 2001
  EU Level: Unions stage European day of action over Vauxhall

  A European day of action was staged on 25 January 2001 by the European Metalworkers' Federation, in protest against the decision announced in December 2000 by General Motors to close its Vauxhall car manufacturing facilities at Luton in the UK.

• 28 Feb 2001
  EU Level: Informal Council discusses equal opportunities

  EU ministers for gender equality and social security met informally in Norrköping, Sweden, on 21–23 January 2001 to discuss gender equality and social insurance as a preliminary to forthcoming European Council meetings in Stockholm and Göteborg.

• 28 Feb 2001
  EU Level: New framework equal treatment Directive examined

  The EU Council of Ministers formally adopted the Directive establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation - covering age, disability, sexual orientation and religion/belief - on 27 November 2000. The Directive subsequently came into force on 2 December 2000 and Member States have three years to transpose its provisions into national legislation, extended to six years in the case of discrimination on grounds of age and disability. The Directive significantly extends the EU-level framework relating to protection against discrimination.

• 28 Feb 2001
  EU Level: New telework guidelines adopted in telecommunication sector

  The European-level social dialogue committee in the telecommunications sector adopted new guidelines for the organisation of telework in February 2001. The guidelines are intended to provide a European framework for the implementation of teleworking in the sector.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Finland: Doctors' union issues strike warning

  In February 2001, the Finnish Medical Association (SLL) issued a strike warning for March, having failed to conclude a new collective agreement with the Commission for Local Authority Employers (KT). SLL is seeking a 20% pay increase and improved working conditions.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Finland: Redundant employees sue Fujitsu Siemens

  The redundant employees of the Fujitsu Siemens plant located in Kilo, Finland, which was closed in 2000, brought legal proceedings against the company in February 2001. The employees are demanding compensation totalling some FIM 50 million for possible violation of the Finnish Cooperation Act's rules on negotiations over measures affecting personnel.

• 28 Feb 2001
  France: Cash-in-transit guards strike over dangerous conditions

  In January 2001, faced with an increase in attacks against them, French cash-in-transit security guards staged a one-day strike aimed at speeding up the process of implementing measures to boost security at work.

• 28 Feb 2001
  France: Government introduces negative taxation on low wages

  In early 2001, the French government took the decision to introduce an "employment bonus", subsidising the pay of workers on low wages - a form of tax credit or "negative taxation" system. The social partners are divided over the measure.

• 28 Feb 2001
  France: FSU seeks liaison with other unions

  In January 2001, France's largest teachers' union organisation, the Unitary Union Federation (FSU), held its third congress. It decided to set up an "intersectoral unitary liaison committee", open to all trade unions, thus demonstrating its resolve to seek a restructuring of the French union movement.

• 28 Feb 2001
  France: Strike in civil service as pay talks stall

  In January 2001, pay negotiations in France's civil service came to a halt when the civil service trade unions rejected the latest proposals from the minister concerned. The unions called a day of action on 30 January, which was widely supported in the key parts of the civil service.

• 28 Feb 2001
  France: Chambers of agriculture election results

  Elections to France's départment-level chambers of agriculture were held on 31 January 2001. The Small Farmers' Confederation (Confédération paysanne) made significant gains in the electoral divisions for farmers. There were also considerable gains and losses for trade unions in the employees division - though it is difficult to draw comparisons with previous elections due to major changes in the make-up of the electoral base.

• 28 Feb 2001
  France: New employee savings legislation finally passed

  February 2001 saw the adoption of new legislation reforming employee savings schemes in France. This followed a lengthy period of disagreement between the two chambers of parliament. The main aim of the new law is to increase the scope and duration of employee savings schemes, by extending them to employees of small and medium-sized businesses and increasing the "lock-in" period for employee savings from five to 10 years.

• 28 Feb 2001
  France: Workplace elections held at Ministry of the Economy

  Elections of employee representatives on the joint committees at the French Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry were held in December 2000 and January 2001. These elections are an important barometer of the support and representativeness of the various trade unions. The latest elections were particularly important since they followed the industrial action in early 2000 over a proposed reform of the Ministry. They produced some changes in the position of the major unions and also indicated a degree of fragmentation and dispersal, as well as polarisation between the Ministry's various divisions.

• 28 Feb 2001
  France: Agreement signed on early retirement in banking

  In January 2001, a sectoral agreement on "an early retirement scheme for the banking industry" was signed by the AFB employers' association and the banking federations of the CGT-FO and CFTC trade union confederations. This five-year agreement will, through a system of new recruitment to compensate for early retirement, help to mitigate age imbalances in the banking workforce and address demands from workers. The agreement is based on the government's CATS early retirement scheme, which was introduced in February 2000.

• 28 Feb 2001
  France: Union unite against employers' proposals on supplementary pensions

  The "industrial relations overhaul" project initiated by France's MEDEF employers' confederation in early 2000 has given rise to a protest movement involving all trade unions in early 2001, including a day of demonstrations on 25 January. At the root of this protest are MEDEF's proposals on supplementary pensions, which involve increasing the retirement age and the contribution period.

• 28 Feb 2001
  France: Danone reignites controversy over redundancies in profitable firms

  In January 2001, the French press reported the content of a leaked memo indicating that the Danone food-processing group is planning to close several biscuit production sites in Europe. This measure is reportedly aimed at improving the profitability of this division, which is nonetheless making profits, to forestall future demands for its divestment by shareholders. The affair has reopened the debate on the possibility of framing legislation to deal with mass redundancies in companies enjoying healthy economic positions.

• 28 Feb 2001
  France: Negotiations on the overhaul of industrial relations - one year on

  In February 2000, France's five main trade union confederations agreed to enter talks on the MEDEF employers' confederation's plan to draw up a joint framework for the "overhaul" of the French industrial relations system, and redefine the rules in order to create "decentralised, independent, partnership-based dialogue". MEDEF's proposal was designed to put an end to the perceived confusion over the respective jurisdictions of the social partners and the government. After a year of talks, agreements have been reached by February 2001 on three of the five issues on which discussions have started. In spite of this partial success, the overall result of the negotiations remains patchy.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Greece: New Labour Inspectorate launched

  The social partners in Greece have repeatedly expressed the need to reorganise and modernise the Labour Inspectorate. The existing structure was limited and unable to meet current requirements for better monitoring, specialisation, flexibility and rapid action. Legislation adopted in 1998 created a new institutional framework for the operation of the Labour Inspectorate, and established a new Corps of Labour Inspectors (SEPE). The new body was officially inaugurated in December 2000.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Greece: Unions demand regulation of personnel leasing

  In January 2001, the Greek General Confederation of Labour (GSEE) called on the Minister of Labour and Social Security to intervene to prevent breaches of labour legislation in the operation of personnel leasing and temporary work agencies, which are reportedly on the increase. The legal framework for such leasing of personnel is currently unclear, and GSEE is seeking a series of regulations to address the problems.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Greece: New demand framework from the OTOE

  In January 2001, Greece's OTOE bank workers' trade union issued its platform of demands for forthcoming bargaining over a new collective agreement for the banking sector. OTOE's demands include pay increases which take into account future inflation and past losses of purchasing power, and the introduction of a 35-hour working week.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Ireland: The state of trade unionism

  Trade union density levels in Ireland declined somewhat during the 1990s as membership growth fell behind employment growth. As this assessment of the state of Irish trade unionism in 2001 examines, a combination of factors have contributed to this decline, including: the expansion in new sectors of the economy; the growth of "atypical" forms of employment; the changes in state policy towards trade unions; and a general hardening of employer attitudes towards union activity. In this context, there are some important challenges facing the union movement, notably organising and recruiting new members in the new service and technology-related sectors.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Ireland: Redundancy and transfer consultation and appeal procedures amended

  Ireland's national legislation implementing EU Directives on transfers of undertakings and collective redundancies was amended in January 2001 to introduce new non-union consultation and appeal procedures, after a complaint from the European Commission.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Ireland: ESB privatisation stalled while technicians reject 18% pay offer

  In early 2001, the board of Ireland's state-owned electricity provider, the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), rejected for now a privatisation option favoured by its chief executive, while technicians, who make up almost half the ESB workforce, rejected a pay offer worth 18% over national pay norms.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Italy: Agreement on workers' mobility between South and North

  In January 2001, the Italian Minister of Industry, Enrico Letta, signed an agreement with trade unions to encourage workers' mobility between the North and South and investment in southern regions. The initiative was prompted by the difficulties experienced by Franco Tosi, an electro-mechanical company located in the North, in finding 1,500 blue-collar workers.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Italy: New agreement signed for postal workers

  In January 2001, a new collective agreement was signed after two years of negotiations at Poste Italiane SpA, the public limited company created as part of the privatisation of Italian postal services. The most innovative aspects of the agreement, which deals with the switch from public to private sector employment, include: a new bargaining structure; flexible working time arrangements; pay increases linked to productivity; and the introduction of a supplementary pension fund.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Italy: Public sector's first supplementary pension fund set up in education

  In January 2001, an agreement was signed establishing a supplementary occupational pension fund for school workers - the first such fund to be set up in the Italian public sector. The 1 million workers in schools (plus those in other linked educational sectors) will be able to join the fund on a voluntary basis.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Italy: New law reforms social services

  In October 2000, the Italian parliament approved a new framework law reforming the national system of social service provision. The new law provides for an integrated network of all types of provision (including social, healthcare, labour market measures), with new responsibilities for regional and local authorities, based on a three-year National Social Plan. Of particular interest from an industrial relations perspective is the major role given to trade unions - and especially pensioners' organisations - in consultation and negotiations over regional and local social services.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Italy: Future prospects for social concertation under discussion

  A February 2001 speech by Prime Minister Giuliano Amato, critical of the Confindustria employers' confederation, has sparked lively debate on the role of the Italian system of "social concertation" and dialogue and its future prospects. The discussion first concentrated on reforming the end-of-service allowance scheme, but it has now extended to other issues, notably transposition of the EU Directive on fixed-term work and the suitability of signing separate agreements when the parties fail to reach a common agreement.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Italy: Social partners face BSE emergency

  The BSE crisis that has hit the Italian beef industry in early 2001 is damaging numerous businesses and having effects on employment. Farming industry associations have mobilised in an attempt to force the government to introduce measures to contain the damage and to introduce structural reforms of the sector. Trade unions have also expressed concern and proposed measures to address the crisis.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Luxembourg: Unions refer CSC Computer Sciences dispute to conciliation

  In late 2000, Luxembourg trade unions claimed that the senior management of CSC Computer Sciences Belgique had rejected the terms of a new collective agreement negotiated by unions and local management in Luxembourg. The unions thus referred the matter to the National Conciliation Office.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Luxembourg: Dispute within CGT union confederation

  In late 2000 and early 2001, a dispute has broken out among member organisations of Luxembourg's CGT trade union umbrella body. Leaders of the ACAL road transport drivers' union are seeking to terminate a cooperation contract with the FNCTTFEL transport federation and join the ranks of the OGB-L confederation. To counter this move, FNCTTFEL has organised a referendum among ACAL members.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Netherlands: Commission finds unequal pay for new teachers discriminatory

  In 1985, the Dutch government and education trade unions agreed to lower the salaries of newly-recruited teachers, in order to cut costs. In January 2001, the Equal Treatment Commission found that this measure was indirectly discriminatory against women, as two-thirds of newly appointed teachers have been female. The government, faced with a major bill for rectifying the situation, is not convinced of the violation and has sought legal advice.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Netherlands: Agreement reached at Dutch Railways, while further privatisation is halted

  Despite repeated wildcat strikes, management and the largest trade unions at Dutch Railways (NS) reached an agreement on the company's reorganisation plan in late January 2001. The agreement has done little to quell labour unrest, while customers and the largest shareholder, the Dutch government, are widely dissatisfied with NS's policies and service. The problems are linked to the company's independent but not fully privatised position, a matter about which the Minister of Transport and the Lower House of parliament are growing increasingly sceptical. The privatisation procedure has been halted for the time being and the Minister is drawing up legislation to increase the government's power to ensure that NS realises its public objectives.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Norway: New reports show no exaggeration of employment data

  Following a high-profile controversy in October 2000 about the exaggeration of employment data by the Norwegian Labour Market Administration, a clean-up operation was initiated. Two independent reports published in February 2001 show that since the clean-up started there has not been any deliberate attempt to exaggerate data, nor significant numbers of false registrations.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Portugal: Proposals to restrict use of fixed-term contracts

  In January 2001, the Portuguese parliament examined a number of proposals from left-wing political parties for legislation aimed at restricting the growing use of fixed-term employment contracts (which affect 13.9% of the labour force).

• 28 Feb 2001
  Portugal: Social partners sign pact on employment, the labour market, education and training

  February 2001 saw the conclusion by the Portuguese social partners and government of an intersectoral agreement on employment, the labour market, education and training. The deal - the latest outcome of the country's tripartite social dialogue - seeks to overcome weaknesses in education and vocational training, encourage high-quality employment and introduce active and integrated policies to combat unemployment, as well as to promote equal opportunities.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Portugal: Tripartite agreement signed on working conditions and health and safety

  In February 2001, the Portuguese government and social partners signed an agreement aimed at improving working conditions and health and safety at the workplace and combating accidents at work. The accord provides for measures aimed at preventing and combating workplace accidents, and improving services designed to ensure health, safety and hygiene at the workplace. It also creates a number of joint bodies to implement its provisions.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Sweden: New equality rules come into force

  From 1 January 2001, Swedish legislation on equality between women and men at work has been tightened up. There is a new legal definition of "work of equal value", an obligation on employers to conduct an annual wage survey, and new rules on discrimination in recruitment.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Sweden: Government and trade union positions on gender equality highlighted

  Sweden holds the Presidency of the European Union during the first half of 2001, and has made gender equality one of its priorities. This feature examines the current views and strategies of the Swedish government and trade unions on the equality issue.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Sweden: Working time is stumbling block in engineering talks

  In early February 2001, bargaining over a new collective agreement for 380,000 workers in the Swedish engineering industry was suspended for a week. The main stumbling block in the talks is the employers' wish for greater working time flexibility, which the white-collar trade union SIF finds particularly problematic. Meanwhile, bargaining has been concluded in some sectors and continues in many others.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Sweden: Engineering pay deal agreed

  In February 2001, new pay agreements, valid for over three years, were concluded in Sweden's pattern-setting engineering industry. Blue-collar workers will receive a pay increase of 7% over the period and white-collar workers and graduates a rise of 5.5% (though with greater scope for subsequent local bargaining). Working time reductions were also agreed for all groups.

• 28 Feb 2001
  Sweden: First collective agreement signed for call-centres and telemarketing

  In February 2001, the Salaried Employees' Union (HTF) and the Swedish Service Employers' Association concluded a first collective agreement laying down general conditions for the Swedish call-centre and telemarketing branch. The agreement contains rules on flexible working time arrangements, the promotion of permanent employment and overtime pay.

• 28 Feb 2001
  EU Countries: Workers with disabilities: law, bargaining and the social partners

  Both national governments and European Union institutions have in recent years shown an increasing interest in promoting the participation of people with disabilities in working life. Involving the social partners as key participants in the effort to integrate disabled people into the labour market is one of the main thrusts of the disability strategy adopted by the Member States and enforced by the EU institutions. Within this framework, the EU-level social partners in May 1999 adopted a joint declaration on the employment of disabled people. This EIRO comparative study reviews: the general employment situation of disabled people in the EU and Norway; government measures, whether statutory or otherwise, to promote the employment of people with disabilities or prevent discrimination against them; the extent to which collective bargaining deals with disability issues and the content of such bargaining; the views of social partners on current statutory measures and the EU-level joint declaration; and the partners' contribution to the promotion of the employment of disabled people, including joint initiatives with non-governmental organisations.

• 28 Feb 2001
  EU Countries: Travailleurs handicapés: législation, négociations collectives et partenaires sociaux

  Depuis quelques années, les gouvernements et les institutions de l'Union européenne s'occupent de plus en plus de promouvoir la participation des personnes handicapées à la vie professionnelle. Impliquer largement les partenaires sociaux dans les efforts d'intégration des personnes handicapées dans le marché du travail est l'une des idées maîtresses de la stratégie en faveur des handicapés, adoptée par les États membres et mise en application par les institutions européennes. C'est dans ce contexte que les partenaires sociaux au niveau de l'UE ont adopté, en mai 1999, une déclaration commune sur l'emploi des personnes handicapées. La présente étude comparative de l'Observatoire européen des relations industrielles (EIRO) examine: la situation générale de l'emploi des handicapés dans l'UE et en Norvège, les mesures gouvernementales, réglementaires ou autres, destinées à promouvoir l'emploi des handicapés ou à prévenir la discrimination à leur égard; dans quelle mesure les négociations collectives abordent les questions de handicap et le contenu de ces négociations; l'avis des partenaires sociaux sur les mesures réglementaires actuelles et la déclaration commune au niveau de l'UE; ainsi que la contribution des partenaires à la promotion de l'emploi des personnes handicapées, y compris les initiatives conjointes avec les organisations non gouvernementales.

• 28 Feb 2001
  EU Countries: Arbeitnehmer mit Behinderungen: Rechtsvorschriften, tarifvertragliche Vereinbarungen und die Sozialpartner

  Die nationalen Regierungen und die Organe der Europäischen Union zeigen in den letzten Jahren ein zunehmendes Interesse daran, die Beteiligung von Menschen mit Behinderungen am Arbeitsleben zu fördern. Die Einbeziehung der Sozialpartner als wichtige Akteure in den Bemühungen um eine Integration behinderter Menschen in den Arbeitsmarkt ist eine der Hauptzielrichtungen der Strategie zur Behindertenthematik, die von den Mitgliedstaaten angenommen wurde und von den Organen der EU durchgesetzt wird. In diesem Rahmen haben die Sozialpartner auf europäischer Ebene im Mai 1999 eine Gemeinsame Erklärung zur Beschäftigung von behinderten Menschen verabschiedet. Die vorliegende vergleichende EIRO-Studie befasst sich mit folgenden Themen: allgemeine Beschäftigungssituation behinderter Menschen in der EU und in Norwegen; gesetzliche und andere Maßnahmen der Regierungen zur Förderung der Beschäftigung von Menschen mit Behinderungen bzw. zur Verhütung der Diskriminierung von Behinderten; Berücksichtigung der Behindertenthematik in Tarifverhandlungen (in welchem Umfang und mit welchen Inhalten); Ansichten der Sozialpartner zu den gegenwärtigen gesetzlichen Maßnahmen und der Gemeinsamen Erklärung auf EU-Ebene; Beitrag der Sozialpartner zur Förderung der Beschäftigung von Menschen mit Behinderungen, einschließlich gemeinsamer Initiativen mit Nichtregierungsorganisationen.

• 28 Feb 2001
  EU Countries: Aspects des relations industrielles des fusions et prises de contrôle d'entreprise

  L'Europe connaît actuellement une vague massive de fusions et de prises de contrôle d'entreprise, une tendance qui suscite de plus en plus l'intérêt des professionnels, chercheurs et décideurs politiques en matière de relations industrielles à tous les niveaux. La présente étude comparative étudie les aspects des relations industrielles du phénomène des fusions et prises de contrôle d'entreprise, en considérant: le contexte de la législation et des préoccupations au niveau de l'UE; le cadre réglementaire régissant les droits des travailleurs confrontés à de telles situations; le rôle des autorités publiques; les effets sur l'emploi et la négociation collective; les fusions et prises de contrôle transfrontalières et le rôle des comités d'entreprise européens; ainsi que les points de vue des partenaires sociaux. L'étude révèle que les fusions et les prises de contrôle d'entreprise ont des répercussions importantes sur les relations industrielles, mais que l'aptitude des représentants des salariés à intervenir dans le processus est très variable selon les pays.

• 28 Feb 2001
  EU Countries: Die Auswirkungen von Fusionen und Übernahmen auf die Arbeitsbeziehungen

  Europa erlebt derzeit eine massive Welle von Fusionen und Übernahmen, eine Entwicklung, die verstärkt in das Interesse der Tarifpartner, Arbeitswissenschaftler und Entscheidungsträger auf allen Ebenen rückt. Die vorliegende vergleichende Studie untersucht die Auswirkungen von Fusionen und Übernahmen auf die Arbeitsbeziehungen, insbesondere im Hinblick auf Vorschriften und Interessen auf EU-Ebene, die rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen zur Wahrung der Arbeitnehmerrechte, die Rolle der öffentlichen Behörden, die Auswirkungen auf die Arbeitsplatzsituation und Tarifverhandlungen, die Rolle der Europäischen Betriebsräte bei grenzüberschreitenden Fusionen und Übernahmen sowie die Positionen der Sozialpartner. Die Studie kommt zu dem Schluss, dass Fusionen und Übernahmen erhebliche Auswirkungen auf die Arbeitsbeziehungen haben, jedoch die Möglichkeiten der Arbeitnehmervertreter, in diesen Prozess einzugreifen, von Mitgliedstaat zu Mitgliedstaat stark variieren.

• 28 Feb 2001
  United Kingdom: TUC submits evidence on national minimum wage

  In January 2001, the Trades Union Congress presented evidence to the Low Pay Commission, which is currently considering whether to recommend an increase in the UK's national minimum wage.

• 28 Feb 2001
  United Kingdom: Corus announces large-scale redundancies

  At the beginning of February 2000, the Anglo-Dutch steelmaking company Corus announced plans to make 6,000 of its UK employees redundant. This feature examines the context of the restructuring and the implications it raises.

• 28 Feb 2001
  United Kingdom: Government calls for better work-life balance

  Research published in November 2000 under the UK government's "work-life balance" initiative finds that long and inflexible working hours contribute to poor health, family life and productivity. Ministers have made renewed appeals to employers to consider more "family-friendly" working, on business as well as social grounds. Trade unions, however, are sceptical, arguing that "sensible regulation" is needed to help workers deal with the pressures of the modern workplace.

• 28 Feb 2001
  United Kingdom: Teleworking in action at Unity Trust Bank

  Teleworking was introduced at the trade union-affiliated Unity Trust Bank in 1998, based on one of the few teleworking agreements signed between UK employers and unions. This feature, based on research carried out in 2000, examines the development of teleworking at the bank over the past three years.