EurWORK European Observatory of Working Life

Eurofound’s long-established observatories on industrial relations (EIRO) and working conditions (EWCO) have since 2014 been combined to form EurWORK: the European Observatory of Working Life. EurWORK gathers all Eurofound's resources on working conditions and industrial relations, and is supported by a Network of Eurofound Correspondents across all EU Member States and Norway.

Eurofound runs two regular surveys on working life issues: the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) and the European Company Survey (ECS).

EurWORK focuses on

Working conditions and sustainable work

The demographic challenge of an ageing population and the increasing diversity of working life have led to an increased focus on the concept of sustainable work over the life course. This emphasises the relevance of the quality of a worker’s job and their working environment over the entire course of their working life.

Industrial relations

Trade unions, employer organisations and public authorities all play a role in the governance of the employment relationship. They are interlocking parts in a system that operates at European, national, sectoral, regional and company level. In recent years, as technology and forms of work evolve within a constantly changing economic environment, industrial relations systems have faced key challenges.

Reporting on working life developments

Eurofound provides systematic and comparable data on national industrial relations systems and developments in working life through monitoring and reporting tools drawing on contributions from its network of correspondents across 28 Member States.

Featured - Latest developments on working life

What has taken place during the first quarter of 2019 in the industrial relations and working conditions landscape in European countries? There is no need to look further: you can get up-to-date information as reported by our Network of Eurofound Correspondents who, on a quarterly basis, chart the latest developments in those fields of observation. What measure has the German government proposed in Germany to strengthen dual vocational training? What is at the nub of the issue in the hotel industry in Cyprus? What reactions have emerged from the proposal on parental leave in Malta?

Be informed at a glance about the following issues and actions: • Private sector firms’ plans to increase employees’ pay in Ireland • Social unrest in the education sector in Poland • Proposals on national collective bargaining in the public sector in Lithuania for 2020 • Abolition of unpaid sick pay in Czechia • Launch of a national debate on tackling the yellow vests crisis in France • Measures taken by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research to prevent violence and threats in schools • Resolution of the Port of Gothenburg conflict in Sweden

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