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Agreements

Agreements are the outcome of collective bargaining and social dialogue processes. Social partners are encouraged to negotiate and conclude collective agreements  that can then be implemented at European, national, regional, sectoral or company level.  Increasingly Union labour laws are shaped by agreements that the parties voluntarily enter into and by soft law mechanisms. 

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In this pilot project, Eurofound successfully established the feasibility of, and piloted, an EU-wide database of minimum pay rates contained in collective agreements related to low-paid workers. A conceptual and...

26 January 2024
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Research report

Eurofound expert(s)

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Christine Aumayr-Pintar is a senior research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. Her current research topics include minimum wages, collectively agreed wages and gender...

Senior research manager,
Working life research unit
Publications results (40)

In 2010, average collectively agreed weekly working time in the European Union stood at 38 hours. The figure was 0.4 hours lower in the pre-2004 EU15 and 1.7 hours higher in the new Member States. Agreed normal annual working time averages around 1,708 hours – around 1,693 hours in the EU15 and 1

27 July 2011

In 2009, average collectively agreed weekly working time in the European Union stood at 38.7 hours. The figure was 0.8 hours lower in the pre-2004 EU15 and 0.9 hours higher in the new Member States. Agreed normal annual working time averages around 1,750 hours – just above 1,700 in the EU15 and a

25 July 2010

EIRO’s annual analysis of pay trends finds that the average collectively agreed nominal wage increase across the EU fell from 5% in 2008 to 4.2% in 2009. In the former EU15, the average nominal increase declined from 3.8% in 2008 to 3.1% in 2009, while in the 12 new Member States that joined the EU

23 June 2010

EIRO’s annual analysis of pay trends finds that the average collectively agreed nominal wage increase across the EU fell from 7% in 2007 to 6.6% in 2008. Taking into account inflation, which rose strongly in 2008, the rate of real pay increase across the EU fell sharply, from 3.6% in 2007 to 1.3% in

03 September 2009

In 2008, average collectively agreed weekly working time in the European Union stood at 38.6 hours; agreed normal annual working time averaged about 1,740 hours. Of the three economic sectors examined in this study, agreed weekly working hours are highest in metalworking (38.7), followed by the

23 July 2009

Transnational Framework Agreements are a new industrial relations instrument that encourages the recognition of social partnership across national borders and could lead to new forms of social regulation at global level. The rationale for taking the initiative to negotiate such agreements can be

22 June 2009

The review of pay trends in Europe in 2006 and 2007 finds that average collectively-agreed nominal wage increases across the EU rose from 5.6% in 2006 to 7% in 2007. However, taking into account rising inflation, the rate of real increase fell from 2.7% in 2006 to 2.3% in 2007. During the period

03 August 2008

This review of working time developments in Europe in 2005 and 2006 finds that over the period the average collectively agreed weekly working time in the EU was 38.7 hours, while agreed normal annual working time averaged around 1,750 hours. Of the eight sectors and occupational groups examined in

18 July 2007

This review of pay trends in Europe in 2005 and 2006 finds that average collectively-agreed nominal wage increases across the EU rose from 4.9% in 2005 to 5.6% in 2006. When inflation is taken into account, the rate of real increase rose from 1.9% in 2005 to 2.7% in 2006. However, the data show that

01 July 2007

Increasingly, corporate decision-making takes place at transnational level; however, employees’ rights to information and consultation are still defined at national level. To bridge this gap, a 1994 Directive was adopted, aimed at promoting voluntary agreements on the constitution and operation of

12 March 2007

Online resources results (321)

A look behind 80% bargaining coverage: What do collective agreements actually contain?

The EU Minimum Wage Directive aims to achieve a collective bargaining coverage of 80%. However, not all collective agreements regulate workers’ pay and in some cases pay rates remain outdated for too long.

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Collective bargaining and social dialogue – Back to normal in 2021?

Two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, social dialogue continues to make a significant contribution to helping economies recover. Managing the crisis led many governments to rely on tripartite social dialogue to develop the policies that would mitigate the negative impact of the

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Impact of the COVID-19 crisis on wages and wage setting

The COVID-19 crisis had a significant impact on wages and wage setting across Europe in 2020. The uncertain economic scenario, together with the difficulties inherent in online bargaining, led to a general postponement of collective agreements to 2021, especially at company level. Real wages

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To have or have not: A statutory minimum wage

​​​​​​​Cyprus and Italy are currently considering the introduction of a universal minimum wage floor by law. With this move, they would be joining 22 other EU Member States that already have one in place. In the remaining Member States – Austria, Denmark, Finland and Sweden – and in Norway, too

Norway: latest working life developments Q2 2018

A settlement on pensions, amendments to the Working Environment Act, plans for a survey of foreign tour bus companies and a new report on working environments and occupational health are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working

Sweden: latest working life developments Q2 2018

A historic agreement on industrial action regulations and a narrowing gender pay gap are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Sweden in the second quarter of 2018.

Cyprus: latest working life developments Q2 2018

An agreement to restore wider public sector salaries and mass redundancies at CCB bank are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Cyprus in the second quarter of 2018.

Germany: Study reveals huge gap between collectively agreed and usual weekly working time

Data produced by the German Federal Statistical Office and the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health show substantial differences, across and between sectors, in working time that has been collectively agreed and in actual working time. The data also reveal that the longer the working

Cyprus: Latest working life developments – Q4 2017

A work stoppage by cleaning staff at the state hospital in Limassol, and the agreement to establish a single collective agreement for all local government employees are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Cyprus in


Blogs results (2)
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Minimum wages have risen significantly in 2022, as the EU Member States leave behind the cautious mood of the pandemic. However, rising inflation is eating up these wage increases, and only flexibility in the regular minimum wage setting processes may avoid generalised losses in purchasing power

15 June 2022
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Whatever the benefits of telework – and there are many, including more flexible working time, increased productivity and less commuting – there are drawbacks, as many of the one-third of Europeans who were exclusively working from home during the pandemic will attest. Primary among these is the ‘alw

3 December 2020

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