Joint DA-LO proposal on Europe's future

In September 2002, the Confederation of Danish Trade Unions (LO) and the Danish Employers' Confederation (DA) sent a joint paper to the Convention deliberating the future of the EU. The proposals call for a strengthening of the social dialogue and of the autonomy of the EU-level social partners to conclude agreements.

In late September 2002, the Confederation of Danish Trade Unions (Landsorganisationen i Danmark, LO) and the Danish Employers’ Confederation (Dansk Arbejdsgiverforening, DA) presented a joint paper to the Danish representation on the European Union Convention- the body charged with preparing for the next Intergovernmental Conference, by proposing a new framework and structures for the EU, notably in the light of enlargement (EU0201231N). The joint DA-LO paper includes proposals on social dialogue in the future European labour market.

The basic attitude expressed in the paper is that the European social partners should be empowered to conclude agreements independently and that agreements in individual countries should, to the widest possible extent, be respected. The social dialogue in the EU between employers and trade unions should not gradually be taken over by the civil dialogue (ie that involving non-governmental organisations and civil society more widely). The two should be clearly separated.

The joint paper is inspired by the Danish bargaining model, with the social partners concluding their own agreements without government interference. This model is seen as being of increasing importance in the EU context. There is, therefore, a need to strengthen the special role played by the social partners when the Convention submits its proposal for a new Treaty for the future of Europe. This is the shared opinion of DA and LO.

The most important demands made in the joint proposal are:

• respect for the autonomy of the social partners to conclude independent EU-level agreements;

• clarification of the boundaries between the competences of the EU and the Member States in the labour market and industrial relations field;

• maintenance of the social partners' special position in relation to the EU social dialogue, which gives them influence on the formulation of policies in the labour market and industrial relations field. It is important that the social dialogue does not become part of the civil dialogue, as this would undermine the possibilities for the social partners to conclude direct agreements;

• the establishment of concise objectives and principles for the EU's future influence on social, employment and labour market policies;

• the provision of common minimum standards - for instance in the field of health and safety - to ensure fair competitions and a high level of protection;

• a strengthening of tripartite consultation between the social partners and the EU institutions, as foreseen in the proposed tripartite social summit (EU0208203F).

According to Hans Jensen, the president of LO, if DA and LO's joint proposals were implemented: 'When the social partners sit down at the negotiation table the result will be a more a flexible regulation which will to a higher degree take national conditions into account. At the same time, the parties involved will feel a higher degree of responsibility for the observance of the agreements at the individual workplaces when they have themselves been involved in the conclusion of the agreements. This is why the European labour market should be regulated through a bargaining system supplemented with provisions concerning minimum standards.'