On 18 September 1996, the European Commission adopted a /Communication Concerning the Development of the Social Dialogue Process at Community Level/ (COM(96) 448 final). Launching the Communication, the commissioner responsible for social affairs, Padraig Flynn, said that the time had come to reform

The European Commission has recently published its report on progress made in the implementation of equitable wage policies since 1993. The aim of providing all employees with an equitable wage was enshrined in the Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers, which was adopted by 11 member

In a recent press interview, Padraig Flynn, the European commissioner responsible for industrial relations and social affairs, expressed his unease at press reports that the social partners' negotiations on part-time work were heading for collapse, and stated that he remained hopeful of a positive

The Employment and Labour Market Committee (ELC), established by a Council Decision on 20 December 1996, held its inaugural meeting in Brussels on 29 January 1997. The ELC was created in response to a request by the European Council for the setting up of a stable structure to support the work of the

In January 1997, the European Commission adopted a report on the Promotion of Participation by Employed Persons in Profits and Enterprise Results, including equity participation (PEPPER II). The report suggests that profit-sharing schemes lead to higher productivity, whatever method, model

At its plenary session of 13-17 January 1997, the European Parliament debated two important measures relating to employee consultation in European companies. After the European Works Councils (EWCs) Directive was passed in 1994, the Commission published a Communication on the future of employee

The primary objectives of Partnership 2000 (P2000) are: " the continued development of an efficient modern economy capable of high and sustainable economic and employment growth and operating within the constraints of international competitiveness, ensuring that Irish society becomes more inclusive

Nurses had threatened industrial action on 10 February 1997 in pursuit of a claim for a major overhaul in their pay structures and an improved early retirement scheme. However, the action was called off when the nurses accepted an IEP 85 million formula drawn up by the Labour Court, which includes