Poland’s unemployment rate has been rising since 2008, reaching 13% in November 2013. Yet significant cuts to the public employment service were introduced in the 2011 budget and, to reduce the country’s deficit, the Ministry of Finance froze the labour fund. The fund, financed largely by employers’ contributions, had been intended to support training and occupational counselling. As a result of social partners’ criticism, part of the fund was unfrozen in July 2012 by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy which then put forward its proposals for the reform of the public employment services.
The European Commission (EC [1]) has published a report, Women and men in
leadership positions in the European Union 2013 (1.26 MB PDF) [2]. Drawing on
data up to the end of June 2013, it reviews the current situation and reports
on recent progress.
Managers play an important role in the workplace, influencing attitudes,
working conditions and productivity. Managers are often responsible for the
working environment of their subordinates, but it can sometimes be unclear
who takes responsibility for the working environment of the managers.
The Estonian financial sector is strongly intertwined with the Scandinavian
model, where trade unions are an important part of the sector. When the
Scandinavian banks expanded to Estonia in the 1990s, unsuccessful attempts
were made to form trade unions for workers in the sector. Employers now say
that Estonia’s working culture more closely resembles the Scandinavian
model, and this is believed to be one of the reasons why a new trade union,
the Union of Estonian Financial Sector Employees (EFL), was formed on 11
September 2013.
New legislation is being introduced in Belgium which allows employers to use
the hiring of temporary agency workers as a legitimate route to full-time
employment. Belgium already has one of the most carefully regulated labour
markets offering a high level of protection to temporary workers.
The board of the Czech National Bank (ČNB [1]) has intervened in the
country’s monetary policy. At its meeting on 7 November 2013, the board
stepped in to devalue the country’s currency, the Crown, against the euro.
On 5 November 2013, Malta’s budget for 2014 was presented to the Parliament
of Malta [1]. It was the first budget presented by the Maltese Labour Party
(Partit Laburista [2]) after its victory in the general election held in
March 2013. The budget included a number of employment and labour market
measures which by and large were welcomed by all the social partners.
Austria’s annual main bargaining round takes place in the autumn and
traditionally starts with the strong and influential metalworking industry.
For the second time in a row, the Federal Economic Chamber’s (WKO [1]) six
subsectoral employer organisations conducted separate negotiations, having,
in 2012, left the bargaining community to which they had belonged for 40
years (*AT1212011I* [2]). The unions strongly opposed this step, having
adopted a resolution in September to maintain a communal collective
agreement. They also condemned employers’ aspirations to move important
decision-making away from collective to company level.
In Austria’s retail sector, more than half a million white-collar
employees, mostly women, will be covered by a new, innovative two-year
collective agreement concluded between the social partners on 13 November
2013.
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 2009, the second edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 2004–2005 as the European Establishment Survey on Working Time and Work-Life Balance.
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 2013, the third edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 2004–2005 as the European Establishment Survey on Working Time and Work-Life Balance.
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 2003, the first edition of the survey.
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 2007, the second edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 2003.
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 2012, the third 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 2005, the fourth 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 2010, the fifth edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 1990.
This publication series explores scenarios for the future of manufacturing. The employment implications (number of jobs by sector, occupation, wage profile, and task content) under various possible scenarios are examined. The scenarios focus on various possible developments in global trade and energy policies and technological progress and run to 2030.
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.
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.
This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the furniture 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 furniture 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 extractive industries 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 extractive industries sector in the EU Member States.
Digitisation and automation technologies, including artificial intelligence, are rapidly evolving, and becoming increasingly powerful and pervasive. While the implications of digital technologies on ethics and working conditions should be explored as they emerge, it is also important to anticipate any unintended effects that raise new ethical challenges. Drawing on different research methods and building on previous research, this report examines the effects of digital technologies on fundamental rights, ethical principles and working conditions.
This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the woodworking 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 woodworking 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 construction 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 construction sector in the EU Member States.
This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in European sectoral social dialogue taking place at cross-sectoral level. 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 at cross-sectoral level in the EU Member States.
This report maps and analyses key dimensions and indicators of industrial relations in the EU. It expands on the four key indicators identified in Eurofound’s 2016 study: industry democracy, industrial competitiveness, job and employment equality, and social justice. With a key focus on industrial democracy, the report provides an in-depth analysis of divergence and convergence patterns across countries. The analysis also includes the development of a composite indicator and an integrated indicator for all four industrial relations dimensions.
The interaction between workers and machines has increased due to the rapid advancement of automation technologies. The new wave of robots can perform tasks with more flexibility, greater sophistication and in a way that protects workers’ physical safety. Drawing on case studies of advanced robotics, this report explores the benefits and risks that come with closer human–machine interaction, the organisational practices needed to deal with emerging issues and the real concerns and challenges.
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