Communiqué, issue 2, 2004
Articles
- Less satisfaction with health services in the ACC
- Moderate pay increases across Europe in 2003
- Stable year for industrial relations
- Advisor bids farewell to the Foundation
- 71st Administrative Board meeting
- Promoting EU-level social policy
- Major differences in collectively agreed holidays across Europe
- Increase in number of web users
- Living to work – working to live
Previous issues of Communiqué
A number of new national-level agreements with general pay and employment conditions were concluded last year, according to the new EIRO 'Comparative overview of industrial relations in Europe 2003' (available online soon). With regard to the scope and coverage of bargaining, the overall picture seems relatively stable in the EU Member States.
The overview examines the key issues covered by collective bargaining – pay, working time, job security, equal opportunities and diversity issues, and training and skills development – as well as legislative developments, the organisation and role of the social partners, industrial action, employee participation, stress at work, undeclared work, and new forms of work. Some EU Member States, and almost all the acceding countries, are reported to be in the process of implementing the EU Directive on information and consultation (no. 2002/14/EC). In addition, the acceding countries have been busy transposing the various pieces of EU legislation relating to employee involvement and participation. The EIRO overview indicates that some countries experienced a relatively high level of industrial action in 2003.
Challenges ahead
The overview also provides an outlook of the main challenges for European industrial relations in 2004. It looks at changes taking place in the labour market in many EU Member States, among them, the transitional arrangements implemented in the majority of countries in the lead-up to the opening of borders to workers from the 10 new EU Member States on 1 May 2004. Pension reform is another major issue in many countries, as governments and social partners grapple with the problems of an ageing population and falling birth rates. Following on from 2003, pension reform will feature high on the agendas in Austria, Finland, France, Italy, Latvia, Malta and Sweden. Finally, there is likely to be considerable activity in terms of collective bargaining at national and intersectoral levels especially in Belgium, Finland, Greece and Spain.
The overview will be available online soon.