Publications

In November 1997, organisations representing Greece's hotel sector employers
submitted their views on the country's new tripartite "Confidence Pact". The
employers' calls for greater flexibility have met with opposition from trade
unions.

In late 1997, the CGTP trade union confederation has amplified its criticisms
of Portugal's system of tripartite social concertation, pointing out
anomalies, claiming that it is manipulated, and raising the issue of the
social partners' representativeness.

According to the latest figures, over the first three quarters of 1997, GDP
grew by 2.2%, while the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies
(Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques, INSEE), puts
overall economic growth for the year at 2.5%. The public sector deficit stood
at 3% of GDP. Inflation was brought under control - 1.1% in 1997, down from
1.7% in 1996. The employment situation was varied. At the end of December
1997, unemployment stood at 3,027,800, representing a slight 1.7% improvement
on figures for the same period in 1996. These overall figures conceal quite
different rates of unemployment among men and women and various age groups:
unemployment among the young has decreased by 9% over the year; the
percentage of women in employment continues to increase but at a slower pace;
whereas the percentage of men in employment is continuing to fall, reflecting
the decline in sectors dominated by male employment. However, the majority of
women are employed on "non-traditional" contracts such as fixed-term or
part-time ones - almost 40% of women are recruited on fixed-term contracts.
There has also been a 1.2% increase in the number of long-term unemployed
people. At the end of December 1997, they accounted for 36.8% of overall
unemployment.

Company agreements reached at Telecom Italian Mobile (Tim) in November 1997,
and at Electrolux Zanussi in December, have focused attention in Italy on
teleworking.

The economic situation in Belgium was favourable in 1997, with growth rates
reaching 2.1%. This was largely achieved through export growth, as domestic
consumption remained weak. Inflation stood at 1.9%. According to the
Institute for the National Accounts (Institut des Comptes Nationaux/Instituut
voor de Nationale Rekeningen, ICN/INR), the 1997 budget deficit was 2.1 % of
GDP. The improved economic prospects, and the 1998 budget measures seem set
to reduce the deficit even further. The National Employment Office [1]
(Office nationale de l'Emploi/Rijksdienst voor Arbeidsvoorziening, ONEm/RVA)
reported the unemployment rate for 1997 at 13.3% for the total labour force
(10.3% for men and 17.2% for women).

[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/efemiredictionary/national-employment-and-placement-service

European and domestic legislation is leading to greater pressure for
competition in Dutch public transport. The resulting measures have led during
the 1990s to practically permanent disputes between trade unions and works
councils on the one hand, and employers and the Ministry of Transport, Public
Works and Water Management on the other. October and November 1997 saw
further industrial action in this area.

In 1997, GDP growth stood at 3.9%, or 3.5% for mainland Norway (offshore
sector excluded). The consumer prices index rose by 2.5%, compared with 1.3%
in 1996. The 1997 unemployment rate was 4.2%, against 4.9% for 1996. In 1997,
Norway had a central government surplus of NOK 65.8 billion (ECU 8.2
billion). However, if revenues from the petroleum sector are excluded, Norway
had a public budget deficit of NOK 20.2 billion (ECU 2.5 billion). The
surplus will be transferred to the Government Petroleum Fund.

On 16 December 1997 about 20,000 employees in the "social" or not-for-profit
sector - also known as the "white sector" - protested in the streets of
Brussels. They came from a wide variety of subsectors, including home care,
care for the elderly, residential youth work, sheltered accommodation,
hospitals and so on (BE9712127N [1]), but they all united behind the slogan:
"The elastic band is stretched too far."

[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/unrest-hits-voluntary-and-social-services-sector

Worker representatives at Transmediterranea - the principal Spanish shipping
line - called an indefinite strike as from 5 December 1997 to protest against
redundancies and the announcement that six cargo ships will be sold.

In December 1996, a committee consisting of experts from Greek trade unions
and employers' organisations was set up to discuss the effects of reducing
working time to 35 hours a week. However, on completion of its task in
October 1997, it had become clear that the differences between the two sides
were irreconcilable. We examine the main points of disagreement between the
Greek General Confederation of Labour (GSEE) and the employers.