On 10 May 1998, employers and the trade unions in the Dutch healthcare sector
reached a new collective agreement. This was made possible after a debate in
the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament, in which the outgoing Minister of
Health offered employers a chance for renegotiation in the autumn if the
budget proves to be inadequate.
According to Sergio Cofferati, general secretary of Italy's Cgil trade union
confederation, EU Economic and Monetary Union may have major consequences for
industrial relations, as the importance of the supranational level is bound
to increase. For this reason, in May 1998 Mr Cofferati suggested the
introduction of European-level collective agreements, provoking a hostile
reaction from employers.
Long-running disputes in the governing bodies of the FEP brought the union
organisation to a standstill in March 1998 and have led to the formation of a
new confederation for white-collar workers in Luxembourg's private sector.
The Spanish government, in drawing up its National Action Plan for employment
in response to the EU employment guidelines, for submission to the June 1998
Cardiff summit, has given priority to active employment policies supported by
training and local activity. However, the trade unions have severely
criticised the Plan and are organising protests against it.
In May 1998, the Portuguese Government announced proposals for a new basic
law on social security, containing structural measures designed to strengthen
system and address its financial sustainability. The proposals incorporate
some recommendations arising from the dialogue between the Government and the
social partners.
Personnel leasing/secondment (personaluthyrning) is the Swedish term for the
situation whereby persons under an employment contract with one firm are
leased to work in another firm. It covers arrangements known variously as
hiring-out of labour or temporary agency work in other countries. The
practice was deregulated in Sweden in 1991. In 1993, the
conservative-liberal-centre Government of the day repealed the requirement
that such firms had to have a licence in order to operate.
STTK, Finland's white-collar workers' trade union confederation, proposed in
May 1998 that a "Finnish model" for reducing working time should be created
before 2000. Other union organisations have greeted this idea with
scepticism.
A 1997 Act establishing the equality of women and men with respect to night
work came into force in Belgium in April 1998. Trade unions do not approve of
this law on the grounds that it removes the power of decision over permitting
night work from sectoral joint committees, and abolishes the voluntary nature
of night work. However, in the name of promoting equal opportunities, a
further step has now been taken towards "normalising" a practice that had
been meant to remain exceptional under Belgian law.
A May 1998 report drawn up on the orders of the Minister for National
Education proposes a shake-up in the organisation of higher education in
France. Reaction from the trade unions is divided.
Viessmann, a family-owned heating equipment business which employs roughly
6,500 employees, is a member of the Hessen regional metalworking employers'
association, Verband der Metall- und Elektro-unternehmen Hessen eV. After 450
employees were made redundant in 1995, Viessmann did not plan further
workforce reductions. However, management discussed the production of a new
product line in the Czech Republic. According to the company, the proposal to
produce the new line abroad was mainly due to cost advantages in production.
In comparison with the Czech Republic, production costs in Germany would not
have allowed for production at competitive prices.
This series reports on the new forms of employment emerging across Europe that are driven by societal, economic and technological developments and are different from traditional standard or non-standard employment in a number of ways. This series explores what characterises these new employment forms and what implications they have for working conditions and the labour market.
The European Company Survey (ECS) is carried out every four to five years since its inception in 2004–2005, with the latest edition in 2019. The survey is designed to provide information on workplace practices to develop and evaluate socioeconomic policy in the EU. It covers issues around work organisation, working time arrangements and work–life balance, flexibility, workplace innovation, employee involvement, human resource management, social dialogue, and most recently also skills use, skills strategies and digitalisation.
The European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) is carried out every four to five years since its inception in 2003, with the latest edition in 2016. It examines both the objective circumstances of people's lives and how they feel about those circumstances and their lives in general. It covers issues around employment, income, education, housing, family, health and work–life balance. It also looks at subjective topics, such as people's levels of happiness and life satisfaction, and perceptions of the quality of society.
This series brings together publications and other outputs of the European Jobs Monitor (EJM), which tracks structural change in European labour markets. The EJM analyses shifts in the employment structure in the EU in terms of occupation and sector and gives a qualitative assessment of these shifts using various proxies of job quality – wages, skill-levels, etc.
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 2016, the fourth 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 2015, the sixth 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 1996, the second 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 2001, which was an extension of the EWCS 2000 to cover the then 12 acceding and candidate countries. 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 2000, the third edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 1990.
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 first edition of the survey carried out in 2004–2005 under the name European Establishment Survey on Working Time and Work-Life Balance.
This report analyses the working conditions and job quality of different types of self-employed workers. Drawing on data from the European Working Conditions Survey, it looks into policies in Member States aimed at addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with specific types of self-employment.
This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the chemical 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 chemical sector in the EU Member States.
The focus of this report is on the role that human capital plays in determining inequalities across the EU, as well as within Member States. Using Cedefop’s work in this area, the report provides a comparative analysis of national trends in education and lifelong learning, including differences between educational groups in terms of income, living conditions and health.
The report maps trends in income inequality and examines the situation of the middle classes in the EU during 2020, the year most associated with the COVID-19 lockdowns. It charts developments in the size and composition of middle-class households across countries, identifies those that suffered disproportionately in 2020. Taking a longer lens, the report describes the evolution of income inequalities over the last 15 years, comparing the Great Recession (2007–2009) with the COVID-19 pandemic, and outlines the trends both between and within Member States.
This report explores the implications of the right of all EU citizens to live independently. It investigates the barriers faced by people who wish to live independently, and the situation of people at risk of living in institutional settings. It maps the various measures taken by EU Member States to foster independent living and autonomy. The report also includes policy pointers to support future decision-makers and provides a review of lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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