EurWORK European Observatory of Working Life

Articles

EurWORK articles cover working life in Europe, in particular the fields of industrial relations and working conditions. The articles are based on quarterly reporting provided by the Network of Eurofound Correspondents.

  • Topical updates summarise and update developments around selected topics, which are relevant across a number of Member States at the same time
  • Spotlight reports cover in more depth country-level events, debates and changes in regulation related to working life, aiming to provide a balanced view of all parties’ positions
  • Research in Focus articles report on important research findings (including surveys) from the national level, often, but not exclusively, in the area of working conditions
  • In brief articles are short news items drawn from the correspondents' quarterly reports
  • Country updates summarise developments at national level and are published 4 times a year
13898 items found

  • Union opposes end of postal delivery monopoly

    • Germany
    • EF report
    • 27 February 1997
    • Eurwork
    As the legislation regulating the postal delivery monopoly will expire by the end of 1997, on 18 February Germany's governing coalition parties proposed a new law which would limit the exclusive licence of Deutsche Post AG, the national postal service, to handling letters weighting under 100g, and this only until the end of 2002. According to the Ministry responsible, this proposal would reduce Deutsche Post's current monopoly to 87% of the standard letter market. The proposed new law would also open completely the bulk mail market to licensed competitors from 1 January 1998.

  • Strikes focus on earlier retirement

    • France
    • EF report
    • 27 February 1997
    • Eurwork
    In January and February 1997, many French towns were hit by public transport strikes, affecting bus, tram and underground rail services. The strikers' demands differed somewhat from town to town but certain themes have been common. such as: improvements in working conditions; better protection from crime and delinquency, two consecutive days off in a week; and less taxing route schedules. Strikers have also been demanding pay rises and a reduction in the working week to 35 hours or less, with the recruitment of new personnel to take up the slack. Demands for the right to retire with full pensions at the age of 55, along with systematic replacement of retiring employees by new recruitment, have also been frequently voiced.

  • Implementation of the tripartite Pact for Employment

    • Italy
    • EF report
    • 27 February 1997
    • Eurwork
    The Italian Government and social partners are currently implementing their tripartite "Pact for Employment" (Patto per il Lavoro), which is intended to promote employment and foster economic development in Italy through the introduction of a wide and complex set of policies. The agreement, signed on 24 September 1996, is of the utmost political importance as it falls within within the framework of the renened social concertation strategy that has been pursued over the 1990s. The Pact earmarks a total amount of about ITL 15,000 billion for its implementation over the 1997-1999 period.

  • New sick pay legislation brings severe problems in interpretation

    • Sweden
    • EF report
    • 27 February 1997
    • Eurwork
    On 19 February, Arbio, the employers' association for the forestry industry, sued the Swedish Paper Workers' Union before the Labour Court. Formally, the parties are arguing over a sum of less than SEK 50, though in practice the case concerns an unlimited amount of money. This is a test case, and the question that the Court has to address is: how is the collective agreement on sick pay for employees in the paper industry to be interpreted?

  • Social partner negotiations on part-time work near deadlock?

    • EU Level
    • EF report
    • 27 February 1997
    • Eurwork
    In a recent press interview, Padraig Flynn, the European commissioner responsible for industrial relations and social affairs, expressed his unease at press reports that the social partners' negotiations on part-time work were heading for collapse, and stated that he remained hopeful of a positive outcome. Senior trade union negotiator and deputy general secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Jean Lapeyre, also stated that he remained convinced that the negotiations could succeed. He stressed, however, that if part-time work was to be made more attractive and acceptable for workers, assurance of "decent social protection" had to be offered.

  • Civil service normalises situation of its fixed-term contract workers

    • Portugal
    • EF report
    • 27 February 1997
    • Eurwork
    With the aim of abolishing "irregular" employment in the civil service, the Portuguese Government is planning to integrate into its permanent staff lists those workers who are currently on fixed-term and other forms of precarious contract.

  • CBI sets out its plans for 1997

    • United Kingdom
    • EF report
    • 27 February 1997
    • Eurwork
    At the beginning of February the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) set out its long term priorities for beyond the forthcoming general election. Its director general, Adair Turner said that "whatever happens between now and May, there are fundamental issues for business which need attention. The changing nature of the world in which we do business brings both opportunities and challenges, and the CBI should be at the heart of change."

  • 3,300 supply teachers reinstated in French secondary schools

    • France
    • EF report
    • 27 February 1997
    • Eurwork
    Following negotiations with the Education Minister, 3,300 unemployed supply teachers won the right in late January 1997 to be temporarily reinstated in their jobs.

  • Industrial action in public administration

    • Spain
    • EF report
    • 27 February 1997
    • Eurwork
    Industrial action has accompanied trade unions' pay demands in Spain's public administration since late 1996, and the threat of further action has been made if negotiations are not started immediately.

  • Working time moves to the top of the agenda

    • United Kingdom
    • EF report
    • 27 February 1997
    • Eurwork
    The immediate catalyst for the current prominence of working time in UK industrial relations is the failure in November 1996 of the Government's attempt to have the EU Directive on certain aspects of the organisation of working time (Council Directive 93/104/EC of 23 November 1993) annulled by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Steps are being taken to implement the Directive, though the present Conservative Government hopes to get the Directive "disapplied" if it wins the forthcoming general election. Also important, however, is the growing debate about the implications for the well-being of individuals and their families of the fact that UK's hours of work are long in comparison with other EU member states.

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