Social partners agree guidelines for implementation of European telework agreement

In June 2003, the Swedish social partners agreed a set of joint guidelines on the national implementation of the European framework agreement on telework, concluded by the EU-level social partners in 2002.

In late June 2003, Sweden's main trade union and employers' confederations agreed joint guidelines for implementing the European framework agreement on telework signed in July 2002 (EU0207204F) by the EU-level central social partners - the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the Council of European Professional and Managerial Staff (EUROCADRES)/European Confederation of Executives and Managerial Staff (CEC) liaison committee, the Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE)/the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (UEAPME) and the European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP). The EU-level telework agreement was the first cross-industry agreement between the social partners which was not intended to be implemented by an EU Directive, but by the national member organisations of the signatory parties 'in accordance with the procedures and practices specific to management and labour in the Member States'.

The Swedish social partner organisations see the EU telework agreement as a positive development in the European social dialogue, which concurs with the views of the Swedish labour market parties. On previous occasions, European social partner agreements were given legal force by EU Directives and then implemented by new legislation in Sweden. The approach of leaving implementation to the social partners themselves fits more closely the Swedish model of industrial relations.

The Swedish guidelines refer to the principles set out in the European telework agreement in areas such as employment conditions, data protection, health and safety, and work organisation. However, it is noted that, in concluding collective agreements on telework, the Swedish social partners will have to take into account different conditions in various branches, sectors, companies, governmental authorities and other public establishments, as well as conditions for individual workers. The seven organisations will make a joint report on implementation to the European-level social partners by 31 December 2005.

The employers' organisations that agreed the guidelines for Swedish implementation of the telework agreement were:

• the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise (Svenskt Näringsliv);

• the Swedish Association of Local Authorities (Svenska Kommunförbundet);

• the Federation of County Councils (Svenska Landstingsförbundet); and

• the Swedish Agency for Government Employees (Arbetsgivarverket).

The trade union signatories were:

• the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (Landsorganisationen, LO);

• the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees (Tjänstemännens Centralorganisation, TCO); and

• the Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikernas Centralorganisation, SACO).