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.
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."
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.
In early March 1998, a working group from the Institute of Labour of the
Greek General Confederation of Labour (INE-GSEE) submitted to the GSEE a
report containing proposals on the independence of trade unions from state
intervention. The GSEE executive will examine the report, which is of a
purely advisory nature, and decide whether or not to adopt any of its
proposals.
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.
On 27 March 1998, Austria's national social partners announced a compromise
on a package of measures to absorb into the labour market young people
leaving school in 1998. This forms part of the national action plan on
employment drawn up in response to the November 1997 EU Jobs Summit
initiative (AT9802164F [1]).
Finnish banks experienced a severe crisis of profitability during the
recession at the beginning of the 1990s. In 1997, the number of employees had
been cut by half compared with the peak in the late 1980s, and the cuts are
continuing in early 1998 at the same time as "internationalisation" is
proceeding.
In February 1998, a legislative proposal to amend the Working Conditions Act
was submitted to the Upper (Second) Chamber of the Dutch Parliament. The
Government aims to ensure that the implementation of its policy on working
conditions is carried out at company level as far as possible.
The latest data available on the membership of Italy's main three trade union
confederations show a slight increase in 1995 and 1996, after a period of
decrease. This positive trend, however, is due to enrolments of retired
workers, while membership among active workers is still diminishing, though
at a slower rate than in recent years.
A dispute by 39 baggage handlers at the Ryanair independent airline,
agitating for trade union recognition (IE9802141F [1]), escalated into a
major national crisis over the weekend of 7-8 March 1998. Thousands of
members of the SIPTU trade union in the public sector refused to pass
official pickets, leading to the virtual shutdown of Dublin Airport.
The European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) has reported on the employment impact of large-scale business restructuring since 2002. This publication series include the ERM reports, as well as blogs, articles and working papers on restructuring-related events in the EU27 and Norway.
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 European Working Conditions Telephone Survey (EWCTS) 2021, an extraordinary edition conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was first carried out in 1990.
This publication series gathers all overview reports on developments in working life, annual reviews in industrial relations and working conditions produced by Eurofound on the basis of national contributions from the Network of Eurofound Correspondents (NEC). Since 1997, these reports have provided overviews of the latest developments in industrial relations and working conditions across the EU and Norway. The series may include recent ad hoc articles written by members of the NEC.
Eurofound’s work on COVID-19 examines the far-reaching socioeconomic implications of the pandemic across Europe as they continue to impact living and working conditions. A key element of the research is the e-survey, launched in April 2020, with five rounds completed at different stages during 2020, 2021 and 2022. This is complemented by the inclusion of research into the ongoing effects of the pandemic in much of Eurofound’s other areas of work.
Eurofound's representativeness studies are designed to allow the European Commission to identify the ‘management and labour’ whom it must consult under article 154 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). This series consists of studies of the representativeness of employer and worker organisations in various sectors.
This series reports on developments in minimum wage rates across the EU, including how they are set and how they have developed over time in nominal and real terms. The series explores where there are statutory minimum wages or collectively agreed minimum wages in the Member States, as well as minimum wage coverage rates by gender.
The European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) launched in 1990 and is carried out every five years, with the latest edition in 2015. It provides an overview of trends in working conditions and quality of employment for the last 30 years. It covers issues such as employment status, working time duration and organisation, work organisation, learning and training, physical and psychosocial risk factors, health and safety, work–life balance, worker participation, earnings and financial security, work and health, and most recently also the future of work.
Eurofound’s Flagship report series 'Challenges and prospects in the EU' comprise research reports that contain the key results of multiannual research activities and incorporate findings from different related research projects. Flagship reports are the major output of each of Eurofound’s strategic areas of intervention and have as their objective to contribute to current policy debates.
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 2019, the fourth edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 2004–2005 as the European Survey on Working Time and Work-Life Balance.
This series reports on and updates latest information on the involvement of national social partners in policymaking. The series analyses the involvement of national social partners in the implementation of policy reforms within the framework of social dialogue practices, including their involvement in elaborating the National Reform Programmes (NRPs).
Eurofound's annual review of minimum wages reports on the development of statutory and collectively agreed minimum wages across the EU and the processes through which they were set. The focus of this year’s report is on the impact of high inflation on the setting of minimum wage rates. In addition, new figures on the net value of minimum wages are presented, along with the latest policy-relevant research in the EU Member States and Norway.
Are the policies required to meet the commitments outlined under the EU’s plan for a green transition, the Fit-for-55 package, and the associated budgetary commitments – the Green New Deal – likely to lead to positive or negative employment outcomes by 2030? What types of jobs will be created or destroyed? Will shifts in employment be skewed towards the bottom, middle or top of the job–wage distribution? This report aims to provide answers to these questions, using macro-modelled estimates of the likely impacts of these policies on the structure of employment.
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an extraordinary level of provision of social services across the EU. Healthcare and care providers carried much of the burden and, together with essential services, played a crucial role in getting citizens through the crisis. This report explores how public services adapted to the new reality and what role was played by the digital transformation of services. The aim is to contribute to the documentation and analysis of changes in funding, delivery and use of healthcare and social services during the pandemic.
Building on previous work by Eurofound, this report will investigate intergenerational dynamics over time. During the 2008 double-dip recession, worrying intergenerational divides appeared in many Member States, and while some of the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is universal, early data suggests disparities across demographic cohorts. Eurofound will examine how different age groups may have been affected in terms of their health, labour market participation, quality of life and financial needs, both in the short term and in the long term.
This report explores the potential socio-economic implications of the transition to a climate-neutral economy on different EU regions and groups of people. It adopts a foresight approach to envision potential actions that can be taken to shape the future. After consulting with stakeholders and experts, three scenarios were developed to consider emerging economic and social inequalities at EU and regional level. The report includes policy pointers which outline measures to be taken to achieve a just transition to a sustainable, climate-neutral economy where no one is left behind.
This report explores how environmental performance has converged – or diverged – among the EU Member States since the early 2000s. With environmental goals piling up at the EU level, is it reasonable to expect Member States to adhere to this emerging EU environmental aquis? And, just as importantly, can we expect Member States to reach these goals at the same time? This report attempts to provide answers to these and other questions high on the political agenda.
This report investigates the potential individual and societal impacts of labour market insecurity, focusing on workers with non-permanent contracts, part-time and self-employed workers, and workers who perceive their job as insecure. It explores the impact of labour market insecurities on health and well-being, social exclusion, trust in people and the perception of fairness, as well as trust in institutions. Policies aimed at reducing labour market instability following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic are also presented.
This policy brief aims to contribute to the effective monitoring and evaluation of the European Child Guarantee. Progress at EU level is measured by a monitoring framework which monitors the key areas of the European Child Guarantee: early childhood education and care; education, including school-based activities and at least one healthy meal each school day; healthcare; healthy nutrition; and adequate housing. The policy brief explores trends and disparities in these areas using a convergence analysis, which tracks any disparities among EU Member States.
This report highlights the prevalence of psychosocial risks across countries, sectors and occupations during the later phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines the specific working conditions that can lead to work-related health problems. In particular, the report investigates the potential pitfalls related to the expansion of telework, the role of job and income insecurity as a psychosocial risk and the phenomenon of adverse social behaviour and discrimination at work. In addition, it offers policy pointers on tackling the increase in work absenteeism due to mental health problems.
This report – published every two years – covers important developments resulting from legislative reforms in collective bargaining at national or sectoral level in 2021 and 2022. It examines the average weekly working hours set by collective agreements, both across national economies and in five sectors: education, health, transport, retail and public administration.
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