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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 Styczeń 2024
Publication
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)

Social partners sign agreement on Youth Guarantee

A Youth Guarantee initiative was launched in Lithuania on 1 January 2014. The scheme seeks to ensure that all young people up to age 29 are offered either a quality job or an apprenticeship, traineeship or other continued education within four months of leaving formal education or becoming

Unions win return to 35-hour week in local administration

The basic working week in Portugal’s public sector was increased from 35 to 40 hours by Law No. 68/2013 (in Portuguese, 945 KB PDF) [1] as part of the government’s austerity measures to cut costs in the sector. The law came into force on 28 September 2013. At the beginning of September, however, a

Agreement boosts pay of Estonian ship workers

The Estonian Seamen’s Independent Union (EMSA [1]) has more than 2,000 members, more than 1,400 of whom work on ships owned by the AS Tallink Group (Tallink [2]), the biggest shipping company in Estonia. The first collective agreement between Tallink and the EMSA was concluded in 1997 and since then

Unions say employment strategy is unrealistic

On 9 October 2013, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria [1] adopted an updated employment strategy for 2013–2020. The strategy was developed in response to the falling employment rate as a result of the global economic and financial crisis and by the deepening unprecedented

Brewery sector collective agreement renewed

Collective agreements are legally binding documents, and since 2003 the Labour Code has made it possible for them to be extended by ministerial decree. In 2010, four branch collective agreements were extended for the first time to wood and furniture, water supply, brewing and the paper and pulp

Three-year redundancy plan at Telecoms company

As part of the reorganisation and modernisation of the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CyTA [1]) and with the immediate objective of reducing its operating costs, CyTA announced a voluntary early retirement scheme in December 2013. It aims to cut staff by between 550 and 600 and is expected to

Social partners agree vocational training reforms

Having successfully negotiated national interprofessional agreements on the ‘generation contract’ (*FR1209031I* [1]) in 2012, and on safeguarding jobs (*FR1302011I* [2]) on 11 January 2013, the social partners have completed the negotiation of a major reform of vocational training. Talks started in

New bilateral fund to support craft sector workers

The craft sector in Italy has a consolidated system of bilateral bodies, regulated by cross-industry agreements at national and regional levels. The sector is also regulated by sectoral collective agreements (*IT0812059I* [1]). This bilateral system has ensured income support benefits for craft

Trade unions in social security sector unite

On 12 November 2013, four unions which represent social work employees signed an agreement to establish a new joint union committee. They are the Lithuanian Education Trade Union (LŠPS [1]), the Lithuanian Civil Servants Trade Union (LVTPS [2]), the Federation of Lithuanian Public Service Trade

Employers establish new business council

On 2 December 2013, a memorandum establishing the Lithuanian Business Council was signed by the four main national employers’ organisations: the Confederation of Lithuanian Industrialists (LPK [1]), the Investors’ Forum (IF [2]), the Lithuanian Business Employers Confederation (LVDK [3]) and the


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 Czerwiec 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 Grudzień 2020

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