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Arbejdsmarkedsrelationer

Fagforeninger, arbejdsgiverorganisationer og offentlige myndigheder spiller alle en rolle i forvaltningen af beskæftigelsesforholdet. De er indbyrdes forbundne dele i et system, der opererer på europæisk og nationalt plan, på sektorplan og regionalt plan samt på virksomhedsniveau. I lyset af, at teknologi og arbejdsformer udvikler sig inden for en økonomisk kontekst i konstant forandring, har arbejdsmarkedsordningerne i de seneste år stået over for kritiske udfordringer.

I denne forbindelse lancerede Europa-Kommissionen i 2015 en "ny start" for den europæiske sociale dialog. I en fælleserklæring fra juni 2016 understregede Kommissionen, Rådet for Den Europæiske Union og arbejdsmarkedets parter dens afgørende rolle som en væsentlig del af EU's politiske beslutningstagning på beskæftigelses- og socialområdet.

Topic

Recent updates

EU context

Eurofounds arbejde

Eurofound har gennem 40 år udviklet sig til at blive et vigtigt ekspertisecenter for overvågning og analyse af tendenser inden for arbejdsmarkedsrelationer. Dette omfatter forbindelser mellem social dialog på europæisk og nationalt plan. På grundlag af viden i sit netværk af europæiske korrespondenter i 28 EU-medlemsstater og Norge har det registreret udviklingen i alle medlemsstater og i EU som helhed. 

Væsentlige bidrag

Eurofound har udarbejdet en række komparative analyser, artikler og casestudier i EU-28 og Norge inden for arbejdsmarkedsrelationer samt løbende opdateret databaser om relaterede emner.

I en nylig undersøgelse kortlægges og drøftes centrale dimensioner og indikatorer af relevans for arbejdsmarkedsordningerne i Europa i det 21. århundrede. I en anden undersøgelse er der set nærmere på, hvordan arbejdsmarkedets parter i EU og Norge har udforsket nye emner, værktøjer og innovative tilgange med henblik på at reagere på de mange nye politiske, juridiske og sociale udfordringer, der er opstået i de seneste år.

Løn og arbejdstid er fortsat områder af stor interesse, som gennemgås hvert år. Et element i den nylige opdatering på lønområdet har fokus på lovbestemte mindstelønninger i hele EU, mens et andet har fokus på kollektive lønforhandlinger.

Eurofound har siden 2006 gennemført undersøgelser om de europæiske arbejdsmarkedsparters repræsentativitet i forskellige sektorer efter anmodning fra Europa-Kommissionen.

Ressourcer

Rapportering om udviklingen i arbejdslivet

Eurofound tilvejebringer systematiske og sammenlignelige data om nationale arbejdsmarkedsordninger og udviklingen i arbejdslivet ved hjælp af overvågnings- og rapporteringsværktøjer på grundlag af bidrag fra sit netværk af europæiske korrespondenter 28 medlemsstater og Norge.

Key outputs

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Arbejdstid i 2021-2022

This report examines the average weekly working hours across Europe in 2021 and 2022. It covers important developments resulting from legislative reforms in collective bargaining at national or sectoral level...

24 oktober 2023
Publication
Research report
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Mindstelønninger i 2023: Årlig gennemgang

Den årlige gennemgang af mindstelønninger i 2023 er udarbejdet i en tid med en hidtil uset inflation i hele Europa. Selv om dette førte til store stigninger i de nominelle...

29 juni 2023
Publication
Research report
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Arbejdsmarkedsrelationer: Udviklingen 2015-2019

Som en del af sit mandat til at fremme dialogen mellem arbejdsmarkedets parter har Eurofound i mere end 40 år overvåget og analyseret udviklingen i systemerne for arbejdsmarkedsrelationer på EU-plan...

11 december 2020
Publication
Flagship report

Current and ongoing research

 

Other ongoing work

    • Social dialogue in companies, particularly linkages that can be drawn between national and EU level, to better understand of cooperation mechanisms used in decision-making and implementation in multinational companies
    • Exploration of the role of national social partners in the European semester and analysis of quality and effectiveness of their involvement
    • Summary of discussions on capacity-building social dialogue to support a meaningful and effective social dialogue
    • A flagship report on industrial relations covering topics related to both social dialogue and working life developments, including updates on collectively agreed pay
    • Representativeness studies on a variety of sectors to provide the European Commission required information to assess the representativeness of European sectoral social partner organisations
    • Highlights of recent developments of selected features of working life in so called topical updates, with one featuring statutory minimum wages
    • Updated time series in EurWORK database of wages, working time and collective disputes
    • Updated time series and update on developments in collectively agreed pay
    • Exploring the feasibility for an Industrial Action Monitor

    Eurofound expert(s)

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    Ricardo Rodriguez Contreras

    Ricardo Rodriguez Contreras is a research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound and focuses on comparative industrial relations, social dialogue and collective bargaining...

    Research manager,
    Working life research unit
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    Victoria Cojocariu

    Victoria Cojocariu is a research support officer for the representativeness studies in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. She is responsible for the management of the research...

    Research support officer,
    Working life research unit
    Publications results (516)

    Developments in collectively agreed pay 2016

    This article discusses developments in collectively agreed wages in the European Union in 2016, putting them into the perspective of developments over the past 15 years. The tendency for growth in both nominal and real collectively agreed wages from 2015 continued. In two countries (Belgium and

    25 July 2017
    Publication
    Research report
    Agreements
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations
    Employment and labour markets
    Pay and income
    Working conditions
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Pay inequalities experienced by posted workers: Challenges to the ‘equal treatment’ principle

    This EurWORK topical update summarises the views of European and national-level stakeholders on recent debates on implementing the principle of ‘equal pay’ for posted workers. Directive 96/71/EC foresees that posted workers must be granted the minimum standards of employment conditions applicable in

    18 July 2017
    Publication
    Research report
    Fraudulent work
    Gender equality
    Industrial relations
    Inequality
    Pay and income
    Posted workers
    Social partners
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Railways and urban public transport

    This study provides information designed to encourage sectoral social dialogue in railways and urban public transport. The aim of Eurofound’s series of studies on representativeness is to identify the relevant national and supranational social partner organisations in the field of industrial

    03 April 2017
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social partners
    Social dialogue
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Involvement of the social partners in the European Semester: 2016 update

    This report provides an update on the role of national social partners in the European Semester process over the period 2015–2016, describing the main developments and changes compared with a previous Eurofound study on their involvement during the period 2011–2014.

    24 February 2017
    Publication
    Research report
    Social partners
    Social dialogue
    Social policies
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Postal and courier activities sector

    This study provides information designed to encourage sectoral social dialogue in the postal and courier activities sector. The aim of Eurofound’s series of studies on representativeness is to identify the relevant national and supranational social partner organisations in the field of industrial

    20 February 2017
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social partners
    Social dialogue
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Statutory minimum wages in the EU 2017

    In 22 out of 28 EU Member States, a generally applicable statutory minimum wage exists; the level of this minimum wage varies greatly from one country to another. This article provides information on statutory minimum wage levels, how the minimum wage has been determined for 2017 and minimum wage

    09 February 2017
    Publication
    Research report
    Pay and income
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations
    Minimum wage
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Addressing digital and technological change through social dialogue

    Evidence from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy and Spain reveals that social partners are closely involved in setting up national strategies to manage digital change in the world of work. Up to now, this has been a high-level affair and there are only a few collective agreements or

    30 January 2017
    Publication
    Research report
    Digitalisation
    Industrial relations
    Innovation
    Social dialogue
    Anticipating and managing the impact of change
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Shipbuilding sector

    This study provides information designed to encourage sectoral social dialogue in the shipbuilding sector. The aim of Eurofound’s series of representativeness studies is to identify the relevant national and supranational social partner organisations in the field of industrial relations in selected

    27 January 2017
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social partners
    Social dialogue
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Sugar manufacturing sector

    This study provides information designed to encourage sectoral social dialogue in the sugar manufacturing sector. The aim of Eurofound’s series of representativeness studies is to identify the relevant national and supranational social partner organisations in the field of industrial relations in

    18 January 2017
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social partners
    Social dialogue
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    National capacity-building initiatives for social partners: Experiences in five EU Member States

    This article examines national-level initiatives aimed at strengthening social dialogue among social partners in five Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Latvia and Lithuania. It summarises the content of the programmes, reviews the outcomes of the evaluations and offers a view of

    16 January 2017
    Publication
    Research report
    Industrial relations
    Social dialogue
    Social partners
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Online resources results (1688)

    EU level: Latest developments in working life Q2 2020

    Activities of the European Commission and social partners regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the high-level hearing on implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights and a fair EU minimum wage initiative are the main topics of interest in this article. This EU update reports on the latest

    20 juli 2020
    Article
    COVID-19
    Social dialogue
    Industrial relations
    Labour market policies
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    EU labour law directives and national collective agreements: A clash of cultures?

    3 juli 2020
    Article
    Social dialogue
    Collective bargaining
    Agreements
    Industrial relations
    Labour and social regulation
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    EU level: Latest developments in working life in light of the COVID-19 pandemic - Q1 2020

    In early March 2020, working life in EU Member States came under enormous pressure due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 disease and the precautionary measures taken by governments in subsequent weeks. This article gives a brief overview of the first reactions of European institutions and some of

    23 april 2020
    Article
    COVID-19
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    EU seeks views on the minimum wage

    Against a background of growing polarisation, it is worth remembering the model of social dialogue that allows us each year to debate and reach thousands of agreements that start from different and distant positions and interests.

    17 februar 2020
    Article
    Social dialogue
    Pay and income
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations
    Minimum wage
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    To have or have not: A statutory minimum wage

    ​​​​​​​Cyprus and Italy are currently considering the introduction of a universal minimum wage floor by law. With this move, they would be joining 22 other EU Member States that already have one in place. In the remaining Member States – Austria, Denmark, Finland and Sweden – and in Norway, too

    22 juli 2019
    Article
    Pay and income
    Collective bargaining
    Agreements
    Industrial relations
    Minimum wage
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    Minimum wages in 2019 – First findings

    11 februar 2019
    Article
    Pay and income
    Industrial relations
    Minimum wage
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    image_article_cloxit_12122018.jpg

    Summer time arrangements in the EU: A tripartite outlook on ‘Cloxit’

    On 31 March 2019, clocks across the EU will go forward one hour, a Union-wide event since 2002. However, the European Commission has proposed abolishing the bi-annual hour change, an idea favoured by the vast majority of respondents in a public consultation. This article discusses reactions by

    12 december 2018
    Article
    Industrial relations
    Labour and social regulation
    Living conditions
    Working conditions
    Working time
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Sweden: latest working life developments Q2 2018

    A historic agreement on industrial action regulations and a narrowing gender pay gap are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Sweden in the second quarter of 2018.

    7 september 2018
    Article
    Agreements
    Collective bargaining
    Gender equality
    Industrial action
    Industrial relations
    Inequality
    Labour law
    Pay and income
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Italy: Increasing fragmentation in collective bargaining at sectoral level

    The increasing fragmentation of sectoral agreements in Italy is highlighted in a report, released in November 2017, by the tripartite National Economic and Labour Council. It adds that decentralised bargaining increasingly deals with performance-related pay and welfare benefits. Although this

    19 februar 2018
    Article
    Industrial relations
    Pay and income
    Representativeness
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Czech Republic: Attitudes to shorter working hours and flexible working

    There is a growing debate in the Czech Republic over moves to shorten working hours and introduce flexible forms of work to improve people’s work–life balance. This has been sparked by research showing that even though employees, especially men, tend to work long hours, labour productivity and

    1 juni 2017
    Article
    Industrial relations
    Working time
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Blogs results (18)
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    How to ensure adequate minimum wages in an age of inflation

    Minimum wages have risen significantly in 2022, as the EU Member States leave behind the cautious mood of the pandemic. However, rising inflation is eating up these wage increases, and only flexibility in the regular minimum wage setting processes may avoid generalised losses in purchasing power

    15 juni 2022
    Carlos Vacas‑Soriano
    Blog
    Pay and income
    Minimum wage
    Agreements
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations
    image_blog_collective_bargaining_28102020.png

    New impetus to collective bargaining: Insights from the ECS

    In the context of the ongoing trend of a fall in collective bargaining coverage, and recent calls at EU level to promote collective bargaining coverage as an instrument to support fair and decent wages, new data from Eurofound’s fourth European Company Survey (ECS) show that two-thirds of workers

    28 oktober 2020
    Christine Aumayr-Pintar
    Blog
    Social dialogue
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations
    Minimum wage
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    image_blog_minimum_wages_10032020.png

    What Europe can learn from living-wage campaigns

    The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is having drastic consequences for the world of work. In most European countries workers who are not delivering essential ‘frontline’ services are being asked to stay home. Unfortunately many are out of work, while many of those who are not are minimum-wage and low

    1 april 2020
    John Hurley
    Blog
    COVID-19
    Working poor
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations
    Minimum wage
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    Fears and hopes around future minimum wages

    As one of their ‘100 days in office’ initiatives, the new European Commission intends to propose an initiative for an EU minimum wage. The aim is that by 2024 every worker in the EU should earn a fair and adequate wage, no matter where they live.

    15 januar 2020
    Christine Aumayr-Pintar
    Blog
    Pay and income
    Industrial relations
    Minimum wage
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    Restructuring: Do unions still matter?

    Trade unions in many EU Member States face the issue of declining membership. This is a fundamental challenge for organised labour, but it is premature to speak about the redundancy unions: when it comes to important decisions affecting the workplace, restructuring being one, trade unions remain a

    20 november 2019
    Sara Riso
    Blog
    Restructuring
    Working conditions
    Employee representation
    Industrial relations
    Employment and labour markets
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    100 years of 8-hour working days

    The International Labour Organization (ILO) met for the first time 100 years ago, and right at the top of the agenda for discussion for this new specialised UN agency was the 8-hour working day. This discussion subsequently resulted in the Hours of Work (Industry) Convention, which stated that ‘The

    12 november 2019
    Nils Brandsma
    Blog
    Working time
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    Member States still getting to grips with the single labour market

    The European Platform Tackling Undeclared Work last year documented the case of a Dutch temporary work agency that hired workers of various nationalities to work for a construction company in Belgium. The wages were suspiciously low, and the Belgian Labour Inspectorate believed that EU law

    17 juli 2019
    Helen Burke
    Blog
    Posted workers
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Working conditions
    Undeclared work
    Fraudulent work
    Labour and social regulation
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations
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    What now for Europe?

    The votes have been cast, tallied and declared and we can now see the political landscape of the new European Parliament. It is a complex picture: there has been growth of far-right and populist parties, but well short of what was projected, and at the same time there has been a boost for pro

    30 maj 2019
    Juan Menéndez-Valdés
    Blog
    Living conditions and quality of life
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations
    Employment and labour markets
    Promoting social cohesion and convergence
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    Seniority entitlements: A policy of the past, or a fix for the future?

    Seniority entitlements have largely been on the decline since the 1990s, and have been gradually phased-out from legislation in Europe, as well as in collective agreements. However, it would be premature to dismiss seniority-based entitlements as a thing of the past, as they remain in force across

    17 april 2019
    Christine Aumayr-Pintar
    Blog
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations
    Labour law
    Pay and income
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    What about men?

    In this blog piece, originally published in Social Europe, Karel Fric and Camilla Galli da Bino look at the issue of discrimination against men in the workplace in Europe, and the current lack of research in this area.

    1 maj 2018
    Karel Fric
    Blog
    Discrimination at work
    Gender equality
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Upcoming publications results (9)

    National social dialogue addressing the twin transition

    This report reviews the quality of the national social partners’ involvement in the implementation of the reforms and investments shaping the digital and green transition in the context of national policymaking. These reforms and investments stem mainly from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

    March 2025
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Digitalisation
    European Green Deal
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations
    Social dialogue
    Social partners

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Extractive industries sector

    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 par

    November 2024
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social dialogue
    Social partners
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Construction sector

    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 participatio

    November 2024
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social dialogue
    Social partners
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Chemical sector

    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

    November 2024
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social dialogue
    Social partners
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Road transport sector

    This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the road transport sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participat

    November 2024
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social dialogue
    Social partners
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Postal and courier activities sector

    This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the postal and courier activities sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effec

    November 2024
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social dialogue
    Social partners
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Graphical sector

    This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the graphical industry. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation

    November 2024
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social dialogue
    Social partners
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

    Developments in working life 2023

    This publication comprises individual country reports on developments in working life in each of the 27 EU Member States and Norway in 2023, based on national research and survey results.

    June 2024
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Other
    Social partners
    Working conditions
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

    Minimum wages in 2024: Annual review

    The 2024 annual review of minimum wages presents the most recent rates of national minimum wages and recalls how they were set and agreed upon during 2023. It includes information on minimum wages set in sectoral collective agreements in countries without national minimum wages.

    June 2024
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Minimum wage
    Pay and income
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

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