Local government social partners sign joint declaration on equal opportunities

In March 1999, the European-level social partners in the local government sector, CEMR Employers' Platform and EPSU, signed a wide-ranging joint declaration on equal opportunities. They call for the promotion of positive action, enhancement of training and career opportunities for all regional and local authority employees, measures to combat sexual harassment and to ensure the provision of equal pay for work of equal value, and the development of more "family-friendly" working practices.

Fittingly, it was on 8 March 1999, International Women's Day, that the Council of European Municipalities and Regions Employers' Platform (CEMR-EP) and the European Federation of Public Service Trade Unions ( EPSU_)_ signed a wide-ranging joint declaration on equal opportunities. The declaration was signed in the presence of Odile Quintin, the deputy director general of DGV of the European Commission, on the occasion of a joint conference on equal opportunities in local government organised by the social partner organisations representing employers and employees in regional and local government. According to a joint CEMR-EP/EPSU press release, the parties consider the joint statement to be "the most progressive statement in the area of any of the social partners".

The aim of the conference was to "help instigate and foster equality measures at every level of local government", according to Isabelle Dusstour of CEMR-EP. Speaking at the conference, Dagmar Schorsch-Brandt of EPSU emphasised that "equality is a European-wide concern and goes beyond the normal borders of employers and trade unions. At the start of the century the fight for equality was intense but as we approach the end of the century we must not be complacent." Speaking for the Commission, Ms Quintin welcomed the valuable role that the public sector has played in the area of equal opportunities: "In the areas of positive action, working time and the modernisation of work, the public sector has pointed the way forward. It is illustrative that in the EU 44% of women are employed in the public sector compared to only 22% of men."

At the conference, the social partners underlined their resolve in securing a joint social dialogue committee (EU9902150F) to ensure a strong voice for local government in Europe. It was argued that such a committee would allow for a positive link to be established between collective bargaining and equal opportunities. The European-level dialogue between CEMR-EP and EPSU has been underway since 1995, leading to a number of joint statements and conferences (EU9803190F).

The joint declaration on equal opportunities

In their March 1999 joint declaration on equal opportunities, the social partners in local and regional government affirm their commitment to the construction of a "democratic, pluralist, tolerant and open Europe that respects the dignity and integrity of all human beings". The focus of the statement is on the promotion of equality between men and women at work, though the signatories also acknowledge the broader context of equality issues in relation to other disadvantaged groups, including people with disabilities and black and ethnic minority communities.

The social partners welcome existing EU action on equal opportunities, in the form of equality legislation, action programmes and the emphasis placed on the achievement of equality of opportunity in the current Employment Guidelines (EU9810130F).

EPSU and CEMR-EP note that they have previously developed their position on equal opportunities in joint declarations on the modernisation of public services (November 1996) and on employment (November 1997). The two organisations also contributed to the Commission's study on Women's working conditions in different sectors of the European economy (produced by ECOTEC in 1998).

The joint declaration states that the workforce is the greatest resource in public services. The majority of workers involved in delivering local and regional services are women. Many of these employees work in flexible employment patterns, such as "atypical" and part-time employment. While the social partners recognise that local authorities in many countries have taken significant steps towards eliminating low pay, they note that this "remains an issue".

Principles

The declaration states that the goal of the social partners is to contribute to the achievement of equality of opportunity between women and men. Equality of opportunity between men and women in working life is seen to exist when women and men have "the same formal and practical rights and the same practical possibilities" to:

• gain and keep employment;

• be educated to develop and be promoted in their work;

• be found in approximately the same proportions in different occupations and levels of hierarchy;

• enjoy the same conditions of employment, eg equal pay for work of equal value;

• combine employment, family life and civic activities; and

• when workplaces, methods of organisation and working conditions in general are adapted to both women and men.

The social partners agree that equality is also a matter of democracy at the place of work. Women and men should have the same formal and practical possibilities to take part in and have responsibilities for decisions at work.

Local and regional authorities have an important role to play in promoting good equal opportunities practice as public authorities, because of the demonstration effect these practices could have on their local partners. The social partners agree that equality of opportunity is a vital issue for the local and regional government sector, in relation to the composition of the workforce and the role of authorities as employers. As such, equality of opportunity should be an integral part of the general human resources management of the workforce.

The joint declaration emphasises the role that access to appropriate childcare provision plays in promoting full participation, particularly for women and men within the workplace. The social partners note that the 1992 EU Council Recommendation on childcare recommends that Member States act to ensure availability of adequate good-quality childcare provisions at affordable prices.

Actions

The social partners therefore support the following activities to achieve the goals of greater equality of opportunity:

• promoting positive action- supporting and encouraging the development of women and men into non-traditional roles, including the development of more representative workforces at all levels, by promoting positive action;

• training and development- encouraging and supporting development of flexible training and development to accommodate and maximise the potential of all employees regardless of mode of employment or family responsibilities. In this regard, the development of programmes for vocational education and training would have an important role;

• combating sexual harassment- developing comprehensive programmes to prevent sexual harassment at, or in relation to, work based on the EC Recommendation and Code of Practice on the protection of the dignity of women and men at work. Developing appropriate remedies for handling complaints and disputes which arise;

• family-friendly employment policies and practices - retaining the skills and experiences of workers as their family and career commitments develop, by developing supportive policies and practices which reflect the reality of workers' lives;

• equal pay for work of equal value - endorsing the principle of equal pay, the social partners will endeavour to ensure application of the principle by local and regional authorities; and

• modernising public services- initiating the development of methods for applying a gender perspective throughout the process of modernising of public services.

The April 1997 Green Paper on Partnership for a new organisation of work (EU9707134F) identifies important issues in relation to the employment opportunities and experience of women. The social partners in the joint declaration emphasise that equal opportunities strategies must be developed within the context of new forms of work organisation which:

• use resources efficiently and effectively to deliver quality services;

• maximise the quality, motivation and performance of staff; and

• nurture cooperation and break down dysfunctional barriers.

The social partners equally recognise that workers' social needs and responsibilities as well as their need for employment security form part of the context within which new ways of work organisation are developed.

Conclusions and recommendations

In conclusion, the social partners argue that equality must be considered as a long-term issue, with considerations including the development of the tools and methods necessary to reach equality. CEMR-EP and EPSU recommend that the social partners at the appropriate level assign a high priority to the issues raised in the declaration. EPSU and CEMR-EP also state that they have noted the conclusions, recommendations and best practices set out in the 1998 Commission-sponsored ECOTEC study on women's working conditions (see above) and will consider these further. One aim of the March 1999 joint conference was to develop the joint statement and issues further for future work.

The social partners state that they are concerned that the important role of local and regional authorities as major employers should be recognised, and promoted and encouraged through support and funding for developing innovative approaches and projects. The partners would also encourage the Commission to support discussions between CEMR-EP and EPSU for exploring new ways forward and more generally for sharing good practice and networking initiatives within and between sectors.

Commentary

In formulating this joint declaration, the European-level organisations representing workers and employers in the regional and local authorities have taken a significant step forward towards developing a joint equality agenda from which joint activities can spring. It is the most wide-ranging declaration of its kind to spring from the sectoral social dialogue. A number of interesting examples of good practice already exist in the sector, which would benefit from further dissemination through a European-level process. (Tina Weber, ECOTEC Research and Consulting)