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  • Article
    27 April 1997

    Ireland's largest trade union, the Services Industrial Professional and
    Technical Union (SIPTU), has a new president after a closer than expected
    ballot of its 180,000 members. The tight result - announced in early April
    1997 - surprised the union's leadership, given the fact that a left-wing
    activist polled almost 42% of the votes cast compared with the 56% who voted
    for former vice-president, Jimmy Somers.

  • Article
    27 April 1997

    In the wake of Renault's announcement of the closure of its plant at
    Vilvoorde (EU9703108F [1]) European trade unions, the European Commission and
    the European Parliament have called for tougher measures to protect the
    interests of employees in the event of large-scale redundancies, business
    transfers and relocation. In an address to the European Parliament (EP) in
    March, Padraig Flynn, the commissioner responsible for industrial relations,
    employment and social affairs, reminded member state governments that they
    had rejected such tougher measures in 1992. While he argued that existing
    legislation covered the situation at Renault, there had to be a serious
    question mark over the deterrent effect of the level of sanctions currently
    available. He told MEP s that he would "propose to the Commission that we
    proceed in the coming weeks with the first stage of consultations with the
    social partners at European level on this issue and I sincerely hope that we
    are able, through this action, the strengthen the protection of workers"
    (reported in RAPID, 11 March). He also pronounced himself in favour of the
    institution of general rules to complement existing measures, aimed at making
    information and consultation compulsory at member state level.

    [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-working-conditions/the-renault-case-and-the-future-of-social-europe

  • Article
    27 April 1997

    The /Seymour-Smith/ case has raised the issue of the legality of the two-year
    qualifying period of employment before employees may bring a claim for unfair
    dismissal. The /Observer/ in April reported that many employees are having
    their employment contracts terminated only days before completing the
    two-year period which is necessary to gain employment protection. At present,
    full-time employees must have accumulated two years' continuous service,
    while for employees who work between eight and 16 hours per week, the
    qualifying period is five years.

  • Article
    27 April 1997

    The Belgian Defence Minister, Jean-Pol Poncelet, has announced measures that
    will prompt far-reaching changes in the personnel structure of the Belgian
    armed forces, covering the army, navy and airforce. The policy directly or
    indirectly affects about 40,000 military personnel. Mr Poncelet's plans are
    innovative and rather unusual for the armed forces, which are not normally
    known for their swift changes in organisational structure and personnel
    management. The Minister feels, however, that the armed forces should not be
    exempt from moves towards greater flexibility, currently a prominent theme in
    labour negotiations in Belgium. Moreover, changes in the armed forces can
    serve as an example for other sectors of the Belgian economy.

  • Article
    27 April 1997

    The principal collective agreement in the Dutch information technology and
    office equipment sector, concluded in April 1997 between the employers'
    organisation and one of the trade unions, has been criticised by the other
    unions and four large software and service companies

  • Article
    27 April 1997

    In March 1997, the social partners in Italy's leather and suede sector agreed
    a code of conduct providing for the application of International Labour
    Organisation (ILO) Conventions on the rights of workers and the employment of
    minors.

  • Article
    27 April 1997

    With 270,000 persons either on early retirement, unemployed or otherwise
    excluded from the labour market, theSocial Democrat-led Government is anxious
    to involve the social partners in producing workable alternatives for job
    creation for these groups of workers, rather than simply paying lip-service
    to the idea. In the 1995 collective bargaining round, the social partners
    were invited to elaborate on social clauses in their collective agreements.
    Accordingly, 90% of the bargaining units in the are covered by the LO trade
    union confederation and DA employers' confederation agreed on what have
    become known as "Social Chapters", which contain framework provisions on job
    creation on special terms of employment - ie, content of work, working hours
    and pay - to be negotiated and elaborated upon at local and company level.
    Similarly, the bargaining parties in government employment agreed on Social
    Chapters in their 1995 collective agreements. Employees in local government
    at regional and municipal level were also covered by a framework agreement
    negotiated in May 1996.

  • Article
    27 April 1997

    After three months' bargaining, the annual revision of the national
    collective agreement covering banks and other credit institutions was
    concluded in April 1997. It is the first collective agreement in Portugal to
    grant five weeks' paid holidays, and also increases pay and improves
    maternity and paternity provisions

Series

  • New forms of employment

    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.

  • European Company Surveys

    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.

  • European Quality of Life Surveys

    The European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) is carried out every four to five years since its inception in 2003, with the latest edition in 2016. It examines both the objective circumstances of people's lives and how they feel about those circumstances and their lives in general. It covers issues around employment, income, education, housing, family, health and work–life balance. It also looks at subjective topics, such as people's levels of happiness and life satisfaction, and perceptions of the quality of society.

  • European Jobs Monitor

    This series brings together publications and other outputs of the European Jobs Monitor (EJM), which tracks structural change in European labour markets. The EJM analyses shifts in the employment structure in the EU in terms of occupation and sector and gives a qualitative assessment of these shifts using various proxies of job quality – wages, skill-levels, etc.

  • European Quality of Life Survey 2016

    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 2016, the fourth edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 2003. 

  • European Working Conditions Survey 2015

    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 2015, the sixth edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 1990.

  • European Working Conditions Survey 1996

    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 1996, the second edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 1990.

  • European Working Conditions Survey 2001

    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 2001, which was an extension of the EWCS 2000 to cover the then 12 acceding and candidate countries. The survey was first carried out in 1990.

  • European Working Conditions Survey 2000

    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 2000, the third edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 1990.

  • European Company Survey 2004

    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 first edition of the survey carried out in 2004–2005 under the name European Establishment Survey on Working Time and Work-Life Balance. 

Forthcoming publications