Bulgaria’s statutory national minimum wage is determined by a decree of the
Council of Ministers, in consultation with the social partners. However,
collective agreements at sectoral or company level may set a minimum wage
that is higher than the legal minimum. Against a background of economic
crisis, austerity measures and frozen wages, there have been few increases to
the minimum wage in recent years. It was BGN 240 (€122) in 2009 and was BGN
310 (€158) before this latest increase. Bulgaria remains the EU country
with the lowest minimum wage level.
The supermarket chain Mercadona [1] is one of the biggest in Spain. It has
stores in 46 provinces in 15 autonomous communities. It employs more than
70,000 employees, most of them with open-ended contracts.
Having successfully negotiated national interprofessional agreements on the
‘generation contract’ (*FR1209031I* [1]) in 2012, and on safeguarding
jobs (*FR1302011I* [2]) on 11 January 2013, the social partners have
completed the negotiation of a major reform of vocational training. Talks
started in September 2013 (*FR1310011I* [3]) and concluded on 14 December.
The craft sector in Italy has a consolidated system of bilateral bodies,
regulated by cross-industry agreements at national and regional levels. The
sector is also regulated by sectoral collective agreements (*IT0812059I*
[1]). This bilateral system has ensured income support benefits for craft
workers suspended from work due to business crises.
On 12 November 2013, four unions which represent social work employees signed
an agreement to establish a new joint union committee. They are the
Lithuanian Education Trade Union (LŠPS [1]), the Lithuanian Civil Servants
Trade Union (LVTPS [2]), the Federation of Lithuanian Public Service Trade
Unions (LVPPF), and the Care and Social Workers Trade Union (SSDPS
‘Solidarumas’). The committee’s task is to prepare and negotiate a
sectoral collective agreement between social work employees from budgetary
social service agencies and local authorities in the municipalities. The
parties have agreed the following.
On 2 December 2013, a memorandum establishing the Lithuanian Business Council
was signed by the four main national employers’ organisations: the
Confederation of Lithuanian Industrialists (LPK [1]), the Investors’ Forum
(IF [2]), the Lithuanian Business Employers Confederation (LVDK [3]) and the
Association of Lithuanian Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Crafts (LPPARA
[4]) signed .
In Norway, women make up roughly half of labour market participants. Although
they generally have a higher level of educational attainment than men, they
often find themselves in different segments of the labour market. This is
often most clearly marked by a predominance of one gender or the other in
different sectors and men’s dominance of leadership positions in the
private sector.
A new Danish study has investigated the effects of low levels of
organisational justice at the workplace on the risk of depression (Grynderup,
Mors, Hansen et al, 2013). A total of 4,237 public employees from 378 work
units in Denmark were enrolled at baseline in 2007 from the Danish PRISME
project, Psychological risk factors in the work environment and biological
mechanism for the development of stress, burnout and depression (in Danish)
[1].
A study has been carried out in Portugal on the challenges faced by women
shift workers trying to balance family and working life. The study, Shift
work defined in the feminine: What challenges to work–life balance? (in
Portuguese, 1.04 MB PDF) [1], was the basis for a dissertation for master’s
degree in psychology.
The Government of Malta [1] commissioned former Health Minister John Dalli to
compile a report on the management of the country’s main public hospital,
Mater Dei [2], located in Msida. The report was published at the end of
November 2013. Mr Dalli, a former EU Commissioner, was Minister of Health for
a brief period from March 2008 to June 2009 under the previous administration
led by the Partit Nazzjonalista (PN [3]), now in opposition after its
electoral defeat at the polls in March 2013.
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.
The European Restructuring Monitor has reported on the employment impact of large-scale business restructuring since 2002. This series includes its restructuring-related databases (events, support instruments and legislation) as well as case studies and publications.
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).
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.
This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the civil aviation 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.
This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the food and drinks 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 study on representativeness is to identify the relevant national and European social partner organisations in the food and drinks sector in the EU Member States.
This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the textiles and clothing 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.
This report offers a backward look at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work and life of Europeans. The main focus is on Eurofound’s e-survey ‘ Living, working and COVID-19’ which was launched on 9 April 2020 just after the onset of the crisis. Through four rounds of the survey (two in 2020 and two in 2021), the range of questions changed to match the evolving situation and to understand the effects on the everyday lives of citizens and workers. A fifth round of the e-survey is planned for March–May 2022, with initial findings available in July.
This report explores the drivers of economic and social convergence in Europe, using a selected set of economic and social indicators to examine trends in the performance of individual Member States. It also investigates what role the Economic and Monetary Union plays in convergence, particularly in southern and eastern Member States. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on convergence is analysed and initial conclusions are drawn about the impact of EU recovery packages and their ability to prevent divergence.
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.
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.
With the expansion of telework and different forms of hybrid work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important for policymakers to consider both the opportunities and the negative consequences that may result. This report will explore potential scenarios for such work. In doing so, it will identify trends and drivers, and predict how they might interact to create particular outcomes and how they are likely to affect workers and businesses. Policy pointers will outline what could be done to facilitate desirable outcomes and to avoid undesirable ones.
The urban-rural divide in EU countries has grown in recent years, and the depopulation of certain rural areas in favour of cities is a challenge when it comes to promoting economic development and maintaining social cohesion and convergence. Using data from Eurofound and Eurostat, this report will investigate the trends and drivers of the urban-rural divide, in various dimensions: economic and employment opportunities, access to services, living conditions and quality of life.
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.
MEMBER OF THE NETWORK OF EU AGENCIES
Eurofound er et EU-agentur