Arbejdsmarkedsrelationer og social dialog

Vigtige politikudmeldinger

De vigtigste resultater af Eurofounds research tjener som input til de politiske beslutningstagere i forbindelse med deres arbejde med nogle af de centrale spørgsmål på dette område.

• Arbejdsmarkedets parter spiller gennem kollektive overenskomstforhandlinger en afgørende rolle med hensyn til at sikre en retfærdig behandling af europæiske arbejdstagere samt stabile og forudsigelige rammer for arbejdsgivere.
• Effektive kollektive overenskomstforhandlinger sikrer, at konkurrencen mellem virksomheder kan fokusere på at øge effektiviteten frem for at udnytte arbejdskraften gennem fælles regler for løn og arbejdsvilkår.
• Arbejdsmarkedssystemer er i stigende grad truet på grund af ændringer i samfundet, på arbejdsmarkederne og i tilrettelæggelse af arbejdet. Dette har skabt udfordringer for de centrale aktørers kapacitet i arbejdsmarkedssystemerne i medlemsstaterne.
• Med hensyn til løn viser resultaterne, at 7 ud af 10 mindstelønsarbejdere i EU-rapporten til en vis grad har svært ved at få tingene til at hænge sammen sammenlignet med færre end 5 ud af 10 andre arbejdstagere. Disse tal varierer dog betydeligt fra land til land. I lyset af pandemien kan mindstelønninger spille en rolle i de forskellige politikker, der udarbejdes til stabilisering af indkomster — og dermed efterspørgsel — for at modvirke en nedadgående spiral mod økonomisk tilbagegang eller krise.
• En effektiv europæisk social dialog afhænger af stærke forbindelser til det nationale niveau, så EU's dagsorden forbliver relevant, og autonome EU-aftaler gennemføres på en meningsfuld måde på nationalt plan.
• Selv om der er kommet flere fælles initiativer ud af den europæiske sociale dialog, er der kun indgået få aftaler. I nogle sektorer er der bekymring for, at arbejdsmarkedets parters anmodninger om gennemførelse af aftaler via EU-lovgivning er blevet afvist, og at der er behov for bedre forbindelser mellem EU-plan og de nationale plan.
• Den faldende tendens i fagforeningstætheden giver anledning til bekymring i mange medlemsstater. Færre end én ud af tre arbejdspladser (med 10+ arbejdstagere) i EU (29 %) har en eller anden form for medarbejderrepræsentation. Lovkrav er en vigtig drivkraft for tilstedeværelsen af repræsentation.
• Kollektive overenskomstforhandlinger er fortsat kernen i arbejdsmarkedssystemerne i EU. De politiske beslutningstagere bør benytte sig af covid-19-krisen og se den som en mulighed for at indføre nye initiativer til at fremme, styrke og støtte kollektive overenskomstforhandlinger.
• Ud over arbejdsmarkedets parters indsats kræver en effektiv social dialog og velfungerende arbejdsmarkedsrelationer offentlige midler og støtte fra de offentlige myndigheder. Politiske beslutningstagere bør undersøge nye former for videnoverførsel, ressourcetilvejebringelse og involvering af arbejdsmarkedets parter på EU- og nationalt plan.
• Det er vigtigt at værne om og fremme retfærdige, velfungerende og afbalancerede arbejdsmarkedsrelationer for at sikre inklusiv og bæredygtig vækst samt sociale fremskridt i EU. I kølvandet på covid-19 vil det også være en vigtig måde, hvorpå politiske beslutningstagere kan integrere EU's sociale og økonomiske dimensioner som fastsat i den europæiske søjle for sociale rettigheder.

During 2021–2024, Eurofound will provide important insights into the challenges and prospects in the area of industrial relations and social dialogue in the EU. With a long-established expertise in this field, Eurofound explores the main developments affecting the actors, processes and key outcomes of industrial relations. It compares national systems of industrial relations, including national social dialogue and collective bargaining. Building on its EU PolicyWatch database created in 2020, Eurofound will monitor policy initiatives by governments, social partners and other actors to cushion the social and economic fallouts of the crisis, as well as to assist in the recovery efforts. Its regular reporting on pay setting, minimum wage and working time developments, as well as working life outcomes, will be ongoing.

Eurofound’s expertise supports the capacity-building of the social partners to achieve effective social dialogue, and the Agency promotes the development of the European social dialogue by looking at the representativeness of social partner organisations in different sectors to assess their eligibility to participate in social dialogue committees.

Eurofound’s research aims to assist the European institutions, national public authorities and social partners at various levels to address the challenges facing the EU and at national level in the areas of policy formation, social dialogue, collective bargaining and the regulation of employment relations.

The Agency’s work programme is aligned with the European Commission’s political guidelines over the next four years, directly feeding into a number of key policy areas aimed at creating a strong social Europe. In particular, Eurofound will support the policy initiatives under the European Pillar of Social Rights linked to social dialogue and the involvement of workers, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific findings will be available to inform the European policy debate on minimum wages and pay transparency, as well as on working time. In consultation with the European Commission, Eurofound will continue its focused work on European social dialogue through its series of representativeness studies in selected sectors.

• European Commission: Priorities 2019–2024: An economy that works for people
• European Commission: Priorities 2019–2024: A new push for European democracy

In 2024, Eurofound continues its national monitoring of trends and developments in industrial relations, social dialogue, collective bargaining and working life regulations and outcomes. 

To support European social dialogue, in 2024 the Agency plans to publish studies on the representativeness of social partner organisations in six sectors: construction, extractive industries, chemical sector, road transport including urban public transport, postal and courier services, and graphical industries. In addition, studies are ongoing on the following sectors: agriculture, temporary agency work, ports, maritime transport, tanning and leather, footwear, sugar, inland waterway transport, central government administration, railways and commerce. Eurofound continues its work on initiatives to support capacity building for effective social dialogue. In 2024, the Agency launches a new phase of Tripartite Exchange Seminars in collaboration with the European Training Foundation, Cedefop and the European Environment Agency.

Eurofound carries out its annual exercise of examining the involvement of national social partners in policymaking, in the context of the European Semester process and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, which in 2024 includes findings on the role of tripartite discussions held in Economic and Social Councils in Member States having such bodies. The contribution made by sectoral social partners to the implementation of reforms and investments included in the Recovery and Resilience Plans is also analysed, looking at policy processes that link European and national policy agendas. 

Eurofound’s EU PolicyWatch database continues to capture relevant policy initiatives by governments, social partners and other actors, including those taken to mitigate the socioeconomic consequences of the war in Ukraine, as well as those related to the twin transition.

Work on outcomes in collective bargaining agreements beyond the topic of pay concludes in 2024 and the results and dataset are planned for 2025. Research also concludes on how larger increases in statutory minimum wages affect collective bargaining and collectively agreed wages for low-paid groups. 

Eurofound collaborates with the European Institute for Gender Equality in 2024 to investigate further experiences with the implementation of gender pay transparency measures, with a focus also on those Member States that have recently introduced new legislation, and how the ‘work of equal value principle’ is defined and implemented.

The annual reviews on minimum wages and on working time in the EU continue in 2024. The working life country profiles are also being updated. The ongoing monitoring of industrial relations systems includes regular updates to the European Industrial Relations Dictionary.

• Resource: EU PolicyWatch
• Pilot: Minimum wages pilot project
• Resource: European Industrial Relations Dictionary