EIRObserver (Issue 2/02)

EIRObserver is the bi-monthly bulletin of the European Industrial Relations Observatory. It contains an edited selection of feature and news items, based on some of the reports supplied for the EIROnline database over each two-month period. On top of this, EIRO also conducts comparative research on specific themes. The comparative supplement looks at the EU-level and national debate on working time and quality of work, outlining the wide variety of governmental initiatives and the views of the social partners, and examines the level and content of collective bargaining on the theme. The study concludes that there appears to be a considerable gap between rhetoric and reality so far as working time developments and the quality of work are concerned. While the issue has climbed up the agenda of policy-makers and there have been significant government initiatives, collective bargaining seems to be lagging behind, with relatively few innovative agreements
Published: 20 December, 2005