Communiqué, issue 5, 2004
Articles
- Quality of life in an enlarged Europe: challenges and opportunities
- Parental leave in the European Union
- Fewer redundancies, more jobs created
- Comparing quality of life in Estonia with the rest of Europe
- Industrial relations in Europe – a snapshot
- EWCs lead to better industrial relations at company level
- Highest home-ownership levels in the new Member States
- New chairman of Foundation’s Administrative Board
Previous issues of Communiqué
Industrial relations in the European Union are stabilising despite large differences in structure and organisation between social partners and governments in the former EU15 and the new Member States.
The Foundation has recently explored new ways of resolving industrial conflict involving the social partners and governments in the new EU Member States. In an effort to transfer know-how and experience from the former EU15, ‘Social dialogue and tripartite consultation have proven crucial tools for industrial peace, while still ensuring economic growth in harmony with employment and social protection,’ Willy Buschak, the Foundation’s Acting Director argued at a recent conference on developments in European industrial relations, co-organised by the Dutch EU Presidency and the Foundation on 7–8 October last. ‘While the legal basis for industrial relations has been unified in all EU25 countries, with the process of enlargement, mediation is still the dominant conflict resolution mechanism in the new Member States.’
Stable industrial relations in Europe despite differences
Foundation research has found that levels of trade union membership across the enlarged European Union are still low (average 25%, ranging from 15%–40%) but there are signs that this is improving. When comparing levels of collective bargaining coverage, these remain high, covering almost four out of every five workers. The gender pay gap remains wide however, averaging 20% across the EU and Norway despite efforts in Belgium and Finland to address the issue by establishing a legal framework for equal pay.