In early 1998, the Portuguese Government proposed a relaunch of the
"strategic concertation" process with the social partners, with the aim of
drawing up a strategy for the coming EU single currency, the euro.
Since 1 January 1998, the law has permitted collective agreements to make
exceptions from the general ban on the night-time employment of women
(AT9802163F [1]), though gender-neutral regulations will have to be enacted
by 1 January 2001. On 16 March 1998, the Union of Metals, Mining and Energy
Workers (Gewerkschaft Metall-Bergbau-Energie, GMBE) and the Federal
Industrial Section of the Austrian Chamber of the Economy (Wirtschaftskammer
Österreich, WKÖ) concluded such a collective agreement for manual workers
in industrial enterprises in the metalworking sector. The following points
were agreed:
In February 1998, both the Christian Democrats and the left-wing Groenlinks
party formulated new legislative proposals to give employees a right to work
part time. The latter party's initial bill on this issue had been blocked by
the Christian Democrats in late 1997.
Finland's national programme for older workers started in March 1998,
bringing together various Ministries, municipalities, expert organisations
and the social partners. The programme focuses on people over 45 years of age
and aims to change the attitudes of employers and employees by spreading the
latest, research-based information on the factors that influence older
workers' employability, ability to work and working conditions.
A dispute broke out recently at the Aldi chain of department stores over the
workload of shop assistants. According to the trade unions, the number of
workers scheduled to work each week was systematically too low. Management,
by contrast, insisted on the precision of its staffing calculations. In the
dispute, lightning strikes were held in various stores and the employees'
organisations had threatened an all-out strike. However, a conciliation
meeting organised at the Ministry of Employment and Labour led to a
last-minute proposal from management.
Over the early months of 1998, the industrial dispute at Ryanair, Ireland's
independent airline (IE9802141F [1]), has given rise to fears that the
three-year /Partnership 2000/ agreement, negotiated between employers, trade
unions and government in January 1997 (IE9702103F [2]) might be put in
jeopardy over the issue of trade union recognition. Previously, observers and
industrial relations professionals had focused on other pressures which might
imperil the agreement or damage the prospects of another central agreement
when the current deal expires.
The study committee set up to assess Italy's major tripartite central
agreement of 23 July 1993 - which covers incomes policy and collective
bargaining structure - submitted its final report to the Government in
December 1997, with some proposals for change.
On 19 March 1998, The Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU), one of UK's
main trade unions in the motor manufacturing industry, warned that the
long-term future of the Vauxhall (General Motors) plant in Luton (south-east
Midlands), which employs about 4,500 workers, could be at risk. The TGWU
national secretary for the industry, Tony Woodley, stated that: "The company
has informed that there is a threat to the long-term future of the Luton
plant. Most other European plants owned by General Motors have had the
allocation of new models confirmed but as things stand there is no product
earmarked to replace the Vectra at Luton."
The EU Council Directive on the establishment of a European Works Council or
a procedure in Community-scale undertakings and Community-scale groups of
undertakings for the purposes of informing and consulting employees [1]
(94/45/EC) was adopted on 22 September 1994 and came into force two years
later. For an outline of the Directive's history and content, as well as
progress in national implementation legislation in the Member States, see
EU9708142F [2]. Here we examine the findings of a new report which looks at
the nature and experiences of "Article 13" EWC agreements. The Directive
stipulates in Article 13 that multinational companies and groups with
pre-emptive agreements concluded prior to the implementation deadline of 22
September 1996, are effectively exempt from the provisions of the Directive,
as long as the agreement covers the entire workforce and provides for
transnational information and consultation. In their transposition measures,
some Member States have ensured that Article 13 agreements are bound by
further commitments under national law - for example, under a French
ministerial instruction, agreements must be negotiated and signed by a trade
union. Article 13 agreements are voluntary, while post-September 1996
agreements governed by the procedures of the Directive's Articles 5 and 6
must be negotiated by a special negotiating body (SNB) and must cover certain
issues.
In Germany, collective bargaining is relatively centralised and takes place
mainly in form of regional industry-level bargaining, but is - in certain
industries - also quite frequent at national or company level. Trade unions
may conclude collective contracts with employers' associations (association-
or industry-level agreements [1], Verbandstarifverträge), or individual
employers (company agreements [2], Firmentarifverträge). There are three
main types of collective contracts: pay agreements [3], general agreements on
pay grades [4] and framework agreements on employment conditions [5]. In
addition, hybrid forms and agreements concerning special issues exist. The
decisions about the issues, duration and level of negotiation are left to the
social partners. Collective agreements are binding for all members of the
negotiating parties. During the agreed period a peace obligation [6] is
imposed on the parties. Each year, around 8,000 new collective agreements are
concluded.
Eurofound’s European Company Survey (ECS) maps and analyses company policies and practices which can have an impact on smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, as well as the development of social dialogue in companies. This series consists of outputs from the ECS 2009, the second edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 2004–2005 as the European Establishment Survey on Working Time and Work-Life Balance.
Eurofound’s European Company Survey (ECS) maps and analyses company policies and practices which can have an impact on smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, as well as the development of social dialogue in companies. This series consists of outputs from the ECS 2013, the third edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 2004–2005 as the European Establishment Survey on Working Time and Work-Life Balance.
Eurofound’s European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) examines both the objective circumstances of European citizens' lives and how they feel about those circumstances and their lives in general. This series consists of outputs from the EQLS 2003, the first edition of the survey.
Eurofound's European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) examines both the objective circumstances of European citizens' lives and how they feel about those circumstances and their lives in general. This series consists of outputs from the EQLS 2007, the second edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 2003.
Eurofound's European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) examines both the objective circumstances of European citizens' lives and how they feel about those circumstances and their lives in general. This series consists of outputs from the EQLS 2012, the third edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 2003.
Eurofound’s European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) paints a wide-ranging picture of Europe at work across countries, occupations, sectors and age groups. This series consists of findings from the EWCS 2005, the fourth edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 1990.
Eurofound’s European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) paints a wide-ranging picture of Europe at work across countries, occupations, sectors and age groups. This series consists of findings from the EWCS 2010, the fifth edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 1990.
This publication series explores scenarios for the future of manufacturing. The employment implications (number of jobs by sector, occupation, wage profile, and task content) under various possible scenarios are examined. The scenarios focus on various possible developments in global trade and energy policies and technological progress and run to 2030.
The use of artificial intelligence, advanced robotics and the Internet of Things technologies in the workplace can bring about fundamental changes in work organisation and working conditions. This report analyses the ethical and human implications of the use of these technologies at work by drawing on qualitative interviews with policy stakeholders, input from the Network of Eurofound Correspondents and Delphi expert surveys, and case studies.
This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the professional football sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in the European sectoral social dialogue and their capacity to negotiate agreements. The aim of this Eurofound’s study on representativeness is to identify the relevant national and European social partner organisations in the professional football sector in the EU Member States.
This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in European sectoral social dialogue taking place at cross-sectoral level. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in the European sectoral social dialogue and their capacity to negotiate agreements. The aim of this Eurofound’s study on representativeness is to identify the relevant national and European social partner organisations at cross-sectoral level in the EU Member States.
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