In May 2005, employers’ associations and trade unions kicked off talks on teleworking to define the terms and conditions for the transposition of the 2002 European Union framework agreement into French law.
Download article in original language : FR0506102NFR.DOC
In May 2005, employers’ associations and trade unions kicked off talks on teleworking to define the terms and conditions for the transposition of the 2002 European Union framework agreement into French law.
On 4 May 2005, employers’ associations and trade unions began cross-sector negotiations on teleworking designed to enable the 2002 European Union framework agreement (EU0207204F) to be transposed into French law by the end of July at the latest. Teleworking is the fourth issue to be dealt with by cross-sector negotiations. An agreement has already been reached on the Personalised Back-to-work scheme (FR0505106F). Discussions are under way on employment of seniors and work hardship.
On 4 May, the players involved in the negotiation process agreed to use the European Union framework agreement as a starting point for talks but also agreed that the deal would require clarification and development. Nevertheless, differences in opinion surfaced, particularly on the legal definition of teleworking and on the scope of the future agreement. According to a recent Ministry of Employment (study), approximately 1.5 million people, or 7% of the French workforce, are involved in teleworking.
The employer’s association delegation led by Denis Gautier-Sauvagnac, from the Movement of French Enterprises (Mouvement des enterprises de France, MEDEF), stressed its 'resolve to reach the best possible agreement reflecting the interests of both companies and employees'. Employers see this process as important in so far as it represents a new opportunity to create jobs in France. MEDEF contends that it would be useful to leave room for talks at the sector level.
The trade unions on the other hand are keen to have a compulsory standard-setting deal covering all companies and clearly defining the term teleworker. The French Democratic Confederation of Labour (Confédération française démocratique du travail, CFDT) does not want to restrict the agreement to workers operating from home. It wants the deal to cover 'nomadic' workers operating outside their company premises but not necessarily from home. The French Confederation of Professional and Managerial Staff - General Confederation of Professional and Managerial Staff (Confédération française de l’encadrement - Confédération générale des cadres, CFE-CGC) is keen to look at all aspects of teleworking, ranging from the teleworker’s work space or place and his or her equipment to the clarification of 'coverage for costs, time worked and vocational training', etc. The French Christian Workers’ Confederation (Confédération française des travailleurs chrétiens, CFTC) has developed specific proposals 'on ensuring respect for a worker’s private life, the voluntary principle and reversibility, all of which must be clearly stated in employment contracts'. In the opinion of the General Confederation of Labour (Confédération générale du travail, CGT), it is important to ensure that 'teleworkers are treated equally, irrespective of their particular sector or the size of the company they work for'. The General Confederation of Labour - Force ouvrière (Confédération générale du travail - Force ouvrière, CGT-FO) considers that 'the issue has to be taken beyond the European Union agreement'. It contends that it is important to 'focus on wages and prevent them being replaced by piece-work'.
These are the main issues to be dealt with at the next meeting on 7 July, immediately following the election of MEDEF’s new chair (FR0502103N). Five contenders have thrown their hats into the ring to succeed the future chairman of UNICE (FR0505103N).
This information is made available through the European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO), as a service to users of the EIROnline database. EIRO is a project of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. However, this information has been neither edited nor approved by the Foundation, which means that it is not responsible for its content and accuracy. This is the responsibility of the EIRO national centre that originated/provided the information. For details see the "About this record" information in this record.
Eurofound recomienda citar esta publicación de la siguiente manera.
Eurofound (2005), Cross-sector Negotiations on Teleworking Kicked Off, article.
