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  • Article
    27 April 1997

    In a recent report (/Social Europe/ 4/96, published in March/April 1997), the
    European Commission assesses the progress towards the achievement of the
    goals of the medium-term social action programme covering the period between
    1995-7. This social action programme, adopted in April 1995, is seen by the
    Commission as marking a breakthrough for new ideas and policies. The basic
    concept underlying the programme is that social policy is a productive factor
    facilitating change and progress, rather than a burden on the economy or an
    obstacle to growth.

  • Article
    27 März 1997

    The announcement by the French auto manufacturer, Renault, of the closure of
    its plant with a workforce of 3,100 in Vilvorde in the Flanders region of
    Belgium, has caused a wave of indignation throughout Europe. The closure is
    part of a European restructuring project which also includes the axing of
    2,800 jobs in France. The response by the unions, of an unusually rapid and
    massive nature, took the form of strikes in all the group's European plants,
    and a series of joint demonstrations.

  • Article
    27 März 1997

    Portugal's major Lisnave shipyards are being privatised. New industrial
    readjustment and work organisation strategies are reforming human resource
    management and training standards. However, in a company that has strong
    trade union traditions, discussions with employee representatives on
    restructuring have been conducted in a relatively formal and
    institutionalised way, with little participative input from the employees
    concerned themselves.

  • Article
    27 März 1997

    All industrial relations activities in Spain have been at a standstill in
    early 1997, pending the conclusion of negotiations between trade unions and
    employers' organisations on labour market reform. However, initial agreements
    have been reached on types of employment contract and on dismissal

  • Article
    27 März 1997

    The UK has been the main recipient of Toyota's European investment so far, at
    its plant in Derby. If the UK were to lose the new investment to France, it
    would be a huge blow to the Government which recently had to "rebuild some
    fences" after the company announced in February 1997 that it might switch its
    investment elsewhere in Europe if the UK did not join the single European
    currency.

  • Article
    27 März 1997

    The issue of the use of national and European subsidies to support employment
    in a particular country, region or sector, has come under the spotlight in
    recent weeks in the context of the controversy which has arisen from
    Renault's announcement of the closure of its factory at Vilvoorde in Belgium
    (see Record EU9703108F [1]). Renault's request for subsidies to expand its
    operations in Spain was blocked by European competition policy commissioner,
    Karel Van Miert, in order to investigate whether EU funding was being used to
    transfer employment to a region offering lower wage and social costs.

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

  • Article
    27 März 1997

    Wage bargaining in the private sector commenced on 10 March 1997 with
    negotiations between the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and
    theConfederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO). So far the
    question of voluntary early retirement has been the most difficult issue and,
    after around one week, LO broke off the negotiations. Mediation was due to
    commence the first week after the Easter holidays.

  • Article
    27 März 1997

    On 20 February 1997, Parliament adopted a law establishing retirement savings
    funds. This legislation has a dual objective. Firstly, to provide private
    sector employees with a new retirement cover financed by capitalisation, and
    secondly, to strengthen the Paris financial market and balance the growing
    power of foreign institutional investors.

  • Article
    27 März 1997

    The Portuguese Government is planning to extend its "base-line" minimum
    income system to the whole country, and there are calls for greater
    involvement by the social partners in its operation.

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