Publications

The 1969 Night Work of Women Act (Frauen-Nachtarbeitsgesetz, FrNArbG)
originally ruled out the employment of women over an 11-hour period including
that from 20.00 to 06.00. The bulk of the law comprised detailed exemptions
and exceptions. When Austria acceded to the European Economic Area on 1
January 1994 the law was amended to permit night work indiscriminately from
the year 2001. Driven by employment concerns, new legislation was enacted in
late 1997 permitting the social partners to conclude collective agreements on
the night-time employment of women from 1 January 1998 provided that the
right to return to a daytime occupation in case of a proven health hazard
were included along with measures to compensate for the burdens of night work
or to alleviate them. Special consideration has to be given to any necessary
care of children up to the age of 12 (AT9711148N [1]). Collective agreements
may empower plant-level agreements to make exceptions to the ban on night
work.

[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/womens-night-work-ban-to-be-relaxed

The death in hold-ups of three Belgian security guards collecting and
delivering cash sparked off a general strike in the sector in January 1998,
which continues at the time of writing (mid-February). Demanding better
security and the recognition of risks specific to this kind of job, security
guards are seeking to define the conditions for the practice of this new
profession. However, these demands, which result in new costs for the
employers (the security and patrol companies) jeopardise their business. The
principal customers, banks and large stores, are pressing for a reduction in
the costs of these services and seeking ways of doing without them, and jobs
are threatened.

The parties in bargaining over the pay and conditions of Swedish ships'
officers are the Swedish Engineers Officers' Association (Svenska
Maskinbefälsförbundet, SMBF) the Swedish Ship Officers' Association
(Sveriges Fartygsbefälsförening, SFBF) and the Sea Officers' Union
(Föreningen Sjöbefälet), on the one hand, and the Swedish Ship Owners'
Association (Sveriges Redareförening, SRF) on the other. When the 1998 talks
started, the trade unions called for pay increases which would increase the
employers' costs by 11% - far beyond what other unions have claimed in the
1998 bargaining round.

This working paper consists of examples of good practice in combating age barriers in employment in a variety of European countries. Its primary intention is to inform the debate in Europe about age and employment by providing practical examples of how 'different' private and public organisations have set about trying to minimise the impact of age barriers in job recruitment and training.

/EIROnline/ is a database on industrial relations in Europe which can be
accessed directly through a website on the Worldwide Web. Speaking at the
launch event held in Brussels on 22 January 1998, Pádraig Flynn, the member
of the European Commission responsible for employment, social affairs and
industrial relations said that: "I am convinced that EIROnline will be an
invaluable resource for social partners, governments and EU institutions, not
to mention all EU citizens with an interest in industrial relations." Mr
Flynn added that "in today's ever more integrated European economy, where
employment is the number one priority, industrial relations are increasingly
important and practitioners and policy-makers need to keep up with
developments in this field in all the countries of the Union. EIROnline goes
a long way towards meeting these needs."

Bargaining over equal opportunities has been a central element in the 1998
round of negotiations in the Portuguese footwear industry. Even though equal
rights and, above all, equal pay are guaranteed by law and collective
bargaining, inequality continues because of structural and cultural factors.
Positive actions taken by workers and trade unions have centred around
structuring careers and overcoming cultural barriers.

In December 1997, management and trade unions signed a major agreement on the
reorganisation of Barilla - Italy's largest food group - and on investments
and new jobs.

In late 1997, a legislative proposal was submitted to the Dutch Parliament to
reduce the use of anti-takeover measures in listed companies. A few months
earlier, the Corporate Governance Committee had issued its final report.
Discussions surrounding corporate governance have focused on the position of
shareholders vis-à-vis the management board and the supervisory board
members. The trade union movement has particularly criticised the lack of
attention paid to workers' interests.

The four-year dispute between the workers and management of the Barcelona
Metro seems to have come to an end in January 1998, with the acceptance by
70% of the workforce of the pension plan that the UGT and CC.OO trade unions
negotiated with the company.

Prompted by the fatal accident that took place on 3 January 1998 in a paper
mill in Thrace, the Greek General Confederation of Labour (GSEE) has proposed
a series of measures to deal with the problem of industrial accidents. The
accident once again brought to the fore the question of health and safety at
the workplace, highlighting the nationwide problem of non-implementation of
the proper measures. The GSEE attributes industrial accidents to reductions
in production costs which have a negative impact on safety conditions.