Communiqué, issue 6, 2003
Articles
- 2004 programme presents challenges and opportunities
- Spotlight on social policy for Irish EU Presidency
- Local partnerships can boost social inclusion
- Reaping the gains of industrial change
- Use of IT in publishing and media
- Cross-border coordination in the EU motor sector
- Better employment prospects for ill, disabled
- Web user survey results
- New working conditions observatory takes shape
Previous issues of Communiqué
Industrial relations developments in the automotive sector are leading the way in cross-national coordination between trade unions and companies, according to a new comparative overview presented by the European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO). The study focused on collective bargaining and work organisation in the car industry.
Representing a key segment of the metalworking industry, the automotive sector is traditionally a union stronghold. At EU-level, the automotive industry represents some 8% of total employment in the manufacturing industry. Union membership in the sector is well above the European national average, in particular in the UK, where unionisation levels in general tend to be lower.
Both trade union and employer organisations within these multinational companies in the car and auto-component manufacturing are setting a trend of international collaboration to represent and regulate the employment relationship.