Weber, Tina
Transport unions organise day of action to underline lack of progress in working time debate
27 Септември 1999
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), with the support of
the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) have organised for 5 October
1999 a repeat of the day of action they held in September 1998 (EU9809127F
[1]) under the banner /Fatigue kills/. The aim of the "international road
transport action day", in which over 100,000 drivers worldwide were due to
participate, was to highlight the health hazards to drivers and the general
public of excessively long working hours. The protest was intended to
underline the trade unions' demands for the limitation of working time to a
maximum of 48 hours per week in line with International Labour Organisation
Convention No. 153 on hours of work and rest periods (road transport) [2],
through adoption of legislation at national level in each country. In Europe,
unions are demanding the implementation of European Commission proposals [3]
to legislate to limit working hours in road transport to an average of 48
hours per week (EU9901144F [4]). Working time negotiations between ETF and
the International Road Transport Union (IRU) had broken down in September
1999 (EU9809127F [5]).
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/industrial-relations-undefined-working-conditions/social-partners-fail-to-reach-agreement-on-working-time-in-road-transport
[2] http://ilolex.ilo.ch:1567/public/50normes/ilolex/pdconv.pl?host=status01=iloeng=154=1=(C153
[3] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/soc-dial/labour/com98-662/com662en.pdf
[4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-working-conditions/commission-proposes-directives-to-end-exclusion-of-sectors-from-working-time-directive
[5] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/industrial-relations-undefined-working-conditions/social-partners-fail-to-reach-agreement-on-working-time-in-road-transport
Reduction of VAT on labour-intensive services agreed
27 Септември 1999
The Council of Economic and Financial Affairs Ministers reached agreement on
8 October 1999 on a Directive amending Directive 77/388/EEC on tax
harmonisation [1], enabling Member States, on an experimental basis, to apply
a reduced rate of value-added tax (VAT) on certain labour-intensive services.
The new Directive was to be formally adopted at a subsequent Council meeting.
[1] http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=en&numdoc=31977L0388&model=guichett
Informal Social Affairs Council addresses problems of older workers
27 Јули 1999
An informal Labour and Social Affairs Council of Ministers meeting was held
under the Finnish Presidency in Oulu, Finland from 8 to 10 July 1999, with
the participation of the European-level social partners and the European
Parliament. In line with the priorities of Finnish labour market policy in
recent years (FI9708125F [1]), the Finnish government - which took over the
EU Presidency in July 1999 - was keen to shift the focus of labour market
policy away from youth unemployment towards the problems facing older
workers. Ministers expressed concern at the lack of older workers in the
labour market.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-social-policies/finland-launches-a-five-year-national-programme-for-older-workers
Commission President presents new team
27 Јули 1999
The new President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi- chosen by the EU
Member States and approved by the European Parliament- announced his new
19-member team of Commissioners on 9 July 1999, by common accord with the
Member States. The first meeting of the proposed new-look Commission took
place on 16 July. Few of the sitting Commissioners survived the shake-out
following the allegations of irregularities which had beset the outgoing
administration. On announcing his team, Mr Prodi said that: "when I accepted
the job of Commission President, I promised to launch a new era of change in
the Commission. The Commission needs it. The European Parliament and Member
States have asked for it. The European public has urged us to carry it out.
This is what I intend to deliver, starting from today.".
Commission Communication urges coordinated modernisation of social security systems
27 Јули 1999
On 14 July 1999, the European Commission adopted a Communication entitled A
concerted strategy for modernising social protection [1] (COM(99)347 final).
The Communication emphasises the key role played by social protection systems
in supporting public health and well-being and in redistributing wealth. It
is argued that, without social security transfers, nearly 40% of EU
households would be living in relative poverty (compared with the actual rate
of 17%). Spending on social protection accounts for an average of 28.5% of
GDP.
[1] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/soc-prot/social/com99-347/com99-347_en.pdf
Expectations and outcomes of the Cologne European Council
27 Јуни 1999
In the run-up to the European Council meeting held in Cologne on 3-4 June
1999, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) reinforced its support
for the German Presidency's proposal for an "employment pact" (EU9905174N
[1]). It argued that an effective strategy for reducing unemployment was
necessary to strengthen the European Union's credibility with workers and the
public. In a statement on the eve of the summit [2], ETUC welcomed the
inclusion of the employment chapter [3] in the Amsterdam Treaty, which came
into force on 1 May 1999 (EU9905175N [4]), and the process of formulating and
implementing Employment Guidelines [5] (EU9810130F [6]), but argued that in
itself this was insufficient. It strongly argued that labour market policy
measures had to be effectively combined with growth-oriented economic policy
measures: "active employment and labour market policies coupled to essential
economic reforms can help create the jobs Europe needs only if they are part
of a strong growth scenario than we have today."
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/german-presidency-presents-draft-employment-pact
[2] http://www.etuc.org/press/Highlight/pr14e.cfm
[3] http://ue.eu.int/Amsterdam/en/traiteco/en/conso2/cons225.htm
[4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/amsterdam-treaty-enters-into-force
[5] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/empl&esf/empl99/guide_en.htm
[6] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/draft-employment-guidelines-for-1999-emphasise-continuity
German Presidency presents draft employment pact
27 Мај 1999
In April 1999, the German EU Presidency issued Member States with a draft
version of a European employment pact entitled /European employment pact -
Closer cooperation to boost employment and economic reforms in Europe/. The
idea of such a pact (EU9902156N [1]) to reinforce the European employment
strategy (EU9905171F [2]) had been endorsed by the December 1998 Vienna
European Council (EU9812141N [3]).
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/uncertainty-over-definition-of-european-employment-pact
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/communication-emphasises-need-to-coordinate-economic-and-employment-policies
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/vienna-summit-reaffirms-employment-as-priority
Amsterdam Treaty enters into force
27 Мај 1999
After having been ratified by all Member States, the Amsterdam Treaty [1]
finally entered into force on 1 May 1999. The Treaty (EU9707135F [2]) was
formally signed in October 1997 and the final ratification instruments were
deposited by France and Greece in March 1999.
[1] http://ue.eu.int/Amsterdam/en/traiteco/en1.htm
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/amsterdam-treaty-brings-small-advances-for-employment-and-social-policy
Focus on greater women's representation in decision-making
27 Мај 1999
A European conference on gender balance in decision-making was held in Paris
on 15-17 April 1999, organised with the support of the European Commission by
a number of French ministries. The event focused on balanced participation in
political and professional life and the role of NGO s and social partners in
promoting a gender balance. At the closing session, a declaration on women in
decision-making was signed by ministers from 13 EU Member States. The
declaration aims to ensure balanced participation by women and men and
recommends that European institutions, governments and political parties take
measures both in the electoral field and in the appointment of members of
advisory bodies. Furthermore, the French government presented an action plan
defining a strategy for partnership, including changing women's image in
society and steps for renewed democracy to achieve parity in participation.
Communication emphasises need to coordinate economic and employment policies
27 Мај 1999
At the Luxembourg"employment summit" of November 1997, the European Council
endorsed a "European employment strategy" involving the coordination of
Member State employment policies on the basis of commonly agreed Employment
Guidelines (EU9711168F [1]), implementing the new "employment chapter" of the
Amsterdam EU Treaty in advance of the Treaty coming into force. The first
such Guidelines were adopted for 1998, and the process was repeated for 1999
(EU9810130F [2]). At Luxembourg and subsequent European Councils, the
importance of a coordinated approach to macroeconomic development and
employment creation was emphasised. The December 1998 Vienna European Council
(EU9812141N [3]) also endorsed the idea of a "European employment pact" to
reinforce the employment strategy (EU9902156N [4]), to be discussed at the
Cologne summit in June 1999. This concept is currently being defined in more
detail in discussions in Economic and Financial Affairs Council of Ministers,
the Labour and Social Affairs Council of Ministers (EU9903160N [5]), the
Economic Policy Committee, the Employment and Labour Market Committee, the
Standing Committee on Employment and the Social Dialogue Committee.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/employment-summit-agrees-limited-package-of-measures-to-combat-unemployment
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/draft-employment-guidelines-for-1999-emphasise-continuity
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/vienna-summit-reaffirms-employment-as-priority
[4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/uncertainty-over-definition-of-european-employment-pact
[5] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/labour-and-social-affairs-council-discusses-european-employment-pact