The Act on Data Protection in Working Life [1] (477/2001) came into force on
1 October 2001 (FI0106191F [2]), governing the protection of personal data in
the employment context. However, it lacked clear rules in a number of areas,
such as employers’ rights to conduct drug tests on job applicants and
employees, use video surveillance at the workplace and open employees’
e-mails while they are absent. On the initiative of parliament, the Ministry
of Labour soon afterwards set up a working group to prepare proposals for
legislation in these areas. The group included members from the Ministry of
Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Transport and the Data Protection
Ombudsman (Tietosuojaviranomaiset), as well as representatives of trade
unions and employers’ organisations. It published its unanimous report on
26 June 2003.
On 28 June 2003, the German Metalworkers' Union (Industriegewerkschaft
Metall, IG Metall) called off a four-week strike in the eastern German
metalworking industry, after failing in its attempts to negotiate a 35-hour
working week (down from the current 38 hours) with employers' associations,
amid widespread opposition to the action in the federal government, amongst
the general public and, indeed, in the union's ranks (DE0307204F [1]). IG
Metall's defeat has revived the debate on the future of collective bargaining
in Germany.
The Austrian Trade Union Federation (Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund,
ÖGB) enjoys a de facto monopoly of trade union representation, and Austrian
trade unionism is thus characterised by a notably high degree of unity and
coherence. ÖGB is currently divided into 13 member unions which together
cover all branches of the economy. Their membership domains are, in general,
complementary, though not in the strict sense that only one union always
covers any given sector or company. In the private sector, six blue-collar
workers' unions and one white-collar union coexist. Furthermore, there are
two unions which represent both blue- and white-collar workers - in the arts,
media, sports and liberal professions and in the printing, journalism and
paper industry respectively. The pattern of union representation in the
public sector mirrors the structure of the employing public authorities.
Accordingly, there are separate unions for central and regional government
and for local government. Separate unions also exist for former public
enterprises - ie postal services and telecommunications companies and the
Austrian Federal Railways (Österreichische Bundesbahnen, ÖBB) - which are
undergoing a transition period due to liberalisation and privatisation.
On 28 June 2003, a dispute over the introduction of a 35-hour working week in
the eastern German metalworking industry ended when the German Metalworkers'
Union (Industriegewerkschaft Metall, IG Metall) called off a four-week after
negotiations finally broke down without any agreement being reached. The
negotiating parties on the employers' side were the federal employers'
association for the German metalworking and electrical industry,
Gesamtmetall, and two regional employers' associations for the metalworking
industry in the eastern states (Länder) of Berlin, Brandenburg and Saxony -
Verband der Metall- und Elektroindustrie in Berlin und Brandenburg (VME) and
Verband der Sächsischen Metall- und Elektroindustrie (VSME).
An agreement on the reform of pay and conditions of employment covering a
million National Health Service (NHS) staff was concluded at the end of 2002
(UK0303104F [1]), and ratified later in membership ballots held by trade
unions (UK0306103N [2]). Separate negotiations between the government health
departments, NHS employers and the British Medical Association (BMA) - a
powerful professional association and the main trade union for more than
100,000 doctors - proved to be more difficult. The negotiation and
ratification of new contracts for 43,000 local doctors (general practitioners
or GPs), and for 27,000 hospital consultants and specialist registrars,
exposed serious tensions within the BMA and in its relationship with
government ministers. This feature first explores the completed contract
negotiations for GPs. It then outlines the main elements of a tentative
agreement on a new contract for hospital consultants reached on 17 July. If
this is accepted in a ballot of BMA members in August, it will end the threat
of industrial action by hospital doctors.
EU Directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers in the framework of
the provision of services [1] seeks to avoid 'social dumping' by ensuring
that a minimum set of rights is guaranteed for workers posted by their
employer to work in another country. The basic principle is that the working
conditions and pay in effect in a Member State should be applicable both to
workers from that State, and those from other EU countries posted to work
there. The Directive covers undertakings established in a Member State,
which, in the framework of the transnational provision of services, post
workers to the territory of another Member State.
EU Directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers in the framework of
the provision of services [1] seeks to avoid 'social dumping' by ensuring
that a minimum set of rights is guaranteed for workers posted by their
employer to work in another country. The basic principle is that the working
conditions and pay in effect in a Member State should be applicable both to
workers from that State, and those from other EU countries posted to work
there. The Directive covers undertakings established in a Member State,
which, in the framework of the transnational provision of services, post
workers to the territory of another Member State.
In June 2003, the Italian government approved a draft decree enacting the
recent 'proxy law' on employment and the labour market. The decree envisages
numerous measures and innovations in terms of employment services and
contracts - such as staff leasing, on-call work, project work and
work/training contracts - and of the involvement of the social partners in
management of the labour market. Before the decree is finally passed, it will
be discussed by the government and the social partners, which have differing
views on the proposals.
This article examines the Greek situation, as of June 2003, with regard to:
legislation and collective bargaining on the pay and conditions of posted
workers (ie workers from one EU Member State posted by their employer to work
in another); the number of such posted workers; and the views of the social
partners and government on the issue.
EU Directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers in the framework of
the provision of services [1] seeks to avoid 'social dumping' by ensuring
that a minimum set of rights is guaranteed for workers posted by their
employer to work in another country. The basic principle is that the working
conditions and pay in effect in a Member State should be applicable both to
workers from that State, and those from other EU countries posted to work
there. The Directive covers undertakings established in a Member State,
which, in the framework of the transnational provision of services, post
workers to the territory of another Member State.
This series reports on developments in minimum wage rates across the EU, including how they are set and how they have developed over time in nominal and real terms. The series explores where there are statutory minimum wages or collectively agreed minimum wages in the Member States, as well as minimum wage coverage rates by gender.
Eurofound’s work on COVID-19 examines the far-reaching socioeconomic implications of the pandemic across Europe as they continue to impact living and working conditions. A key element of the research is the e-survey, conducted in three rounds – in April and July 2020 and in March 2021. This is complemented by the inclusion of research into the ongoing effects of the pandemic in much of Eurofound’s other areas of work.
The European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) launched in 1990 and is carried out every five years, with the latest edition in 2015. It provides an overview of trends in working conditions and quality of employment for the last 30 years. It covers issues such as employment status, working time duration and organisation, work organisation, learning and training, physical and psychosocial risk factors, health and safety, work–life balance, worker participation, earnings and financial security, work and health, and most recently also the future of work.
The European Restructuring Monitor has reported on the employment impact of large-scale business restructuring since 2002. This series includes its restructuring-related databases (events, support instruments and legislation) as well as case studies and publications.
Eurofound’s Flagship report series 'Challenges and prospects in the EU' comprise research reports that contain the key results of multiannual research activities and incorporate findings from different related research projects. Flagship reports are the major output of each of Eurofound’s strategic areas of intervention and have as their objective to contribute to current policy debates.
Eurofound’s European Company Survey (ECS) maps and analyses company policies and practices which can have an impact on smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, as well as the development of social dialogue in companies. This series consists of outputs from the ECS 2019, the fourth edition of the survey. The survey was first carried out in 2004–2005 as the European Survey on Working Time and Work-Life Balance.
Eurofound's representativness studies are designed to allow the European Commission to identify the ‘management and labour’ whom it must consult under article 154 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). This series consists of studies of the representativeness of employer and worker organisations in various sectors.
This series reports on and updates latest information on the involvement of national social partners in policymaking. The series analyses the involvement of national social partners in the implementation of policy reforms within the framework of social dialogue practices, including their involvement in elaborating the National Reform Programmes (NRPs).
This series reports on the new forms of employment emerging across Europe that are driven by societal, economic and technological developments and are different from traditional standard or non-standard employment in a number of ways. This series explores what characterises these new employment forms and what implications they have for working conditions and the labour market.
The European Company Survey (ECS) is carried out every four to five years since its inception in 2004–2005, with the latest edition in 2019. The survey is designed to provide information on workplace practices to develop and evaluate socioeconomic policy in the EU. It covers issues around work organisation, working time arrangements and work–life balance, flexibility, workplace innovation, employee involvement, human resource management, social dialogue, and most recently also skills use, skills strategies and digitalisation.
The impact of COVID-19 has moved public health up the EU social policy agenda. As the EU directs its efforts towards establishing a European Health Union to guard against future health crises, this policy brief examines the extent to which the EU achieved upward convergence in terms of health and healthcare outcomes, as well as health expenditures and delivery, prior to the pandemic. It also examines convergence patterns in infections and deaths from COVID-19 and in the mitigating measures adopted by the EU and national governments.
This report addresses the main developments in statutory and collectively agreed working time regulation in 2019 and 2020. It covers several aspects of the duration of working time in the EU, such as information on maximum numbers of working days and weeks, normal working weeks and paid annual leave across the countries and within selected sectors. The report focuses on the education, health, transport, retail and public administration sectors, and provides accounts of major developments in working time regulation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This policy brief uses the data from the European Company Survey 2019 to examine the workplace practices of export-oriented companies and to analyse how these practices relate to outcomes. It also examines why these companies choose the workplace practices they adopt.
This report examines the labour market changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected sectors and occupations quite differently. It identifies those labour market categories most exposed to negative labour market outcomes. It analyses how differences in confinement and public health approaches may have contributed to different outcomes. It addresses previous assessments of the extent of occupational ‘teleworkability’ and of the sectoral impact of confinement rules. The report draws on EU Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS) data for its analysis.
This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the audiovisual sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in the European sectoral social dialogue and their capacity to negotiate agreements. The aim of this Eurofound study on representativeness is to identify the relevant national and European social partner organisations in the audiovisual sector in the EU Member States.
This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the live performance sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in the European sectoral social dialogue and their capacity to negotiate agreements. The aim of this Eurofound study on representativeness is to identify the relevant national and European social partner organisations in the live performance sector in the EU Member States.
This joint publication with the European Environment Agency (EEA) presents the findings from complementary research carried out simultaneously by both agencies on the socioeconomic impacts of climate policies and measures. While Eurofound focuses particularly on the distributional effects of these policies based on the experiences of Member States, the EEA analyses scientific research about the monetary and non-monetary social impacts of climate mitigation policies and its outcome in terms of inequalities.
This report analyses and compares the industrial relations landscape in a number of sectors and activities that form a public service cluster. The report draws on Eurofound’s recent representativeness studies investigating the following sectors: education, human health, central government administration and local and regional government sector (including social services).
Building on Eurofound’s previous research on youth, this report examines the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on young people, in particular their economic and social situation, with a focus on employment. It will also estimate how the NEET population – young people not in employment, education or training – has changed in size and composition over the last decade, and how the current crisis might affect this.
This report explores the impact of the use of digital technologies on work organisation and job quality, as well as the role of social dialogue and employee involvement in the digitisation process. The three technologies analysed are the Internet of Things, 3D printing, and virtual and augmented reality. The report draws on the views of experts and policy stakeholders and includes insights from 10 case studies of European establishments that have deployed one or more of the three digital technologies.
MEMBER OF THE NETWORK OF EU AGENCIES
Eurofound is an agency of the European Union