In July 2003, a large-scale strike occurred at the Belgian Post Office,
triggered by the implementation of a new system for organising delivery
rounds, which is one of 10 measures being introduced by management in the
context of the EU-wide liberalisation of the postal sector. At the end of the
month, trade unions and management concluded a pre-agreement that halted
industrial action until mid-September, when the outcome of further
negotiations will be known.
There are currently almost 10,000 private security companies employing some
600,000 people within the existing borders of the EU, and these figures will
be roughly doubled when the Union is enlarged. A European-level social
dialogue process has been underway in the sector for around a decade
(EU9906179F [1]), with a formal sectoral dialogue committee in place since
1999, resulting in the conclusion of a number of joint texts by the
Confederation of European Security Services (CoESS), representing employers
in the industry, and UNI-Europa, the European regional organisation of Union
Network International (UNI), representing trade unions. On 18 July 2003, the
two organisations signed a code of conduct [2], reflecting a belief that the
rules governing their sector need to be harmonised across the EU and that
this will be particularly important when 10 new Member States join the EU in
May 2004. At the moment, national regulations and practices vary widely
between Member States and are sometimes, in the social partners' view,
inadequate or even non-existent, with the result that there are huge
variations in the quality of service provided and that the sector is unable
to take full advantage of European integration.
Around 500 British Airways (BA) customer service workers, including check-in
and ticket-desk staff, went on strike at the company’s Heathrow hub on 18
July 2003, in protest at the introduction of an automated swipe-card system
for recording their attendance. The strike led to the cancellation or
diversion of more than 500 flights affecting some 100,000 passengers, many of
whom were left stranded at the airport. Staff returned to work after two days
but the disruption continued as the company struggled to reposition aircraft
and crew. Three unions had members involved in the stoppage, the Transport
and General Workers’ Union (TGWU), GMB and Amicus, though the strike was
unofficial and not endorsed by them. There were threats to escalate the
dispute by balloting members for further industrial action. However, talks
between BA and the unions continued until a settlement was reached on 30
July.
In the light of the fact that the European Union will admit 10 new Member
States in May 2004, thus enlarging its membership from 15 to 25 countries,
work has been progressing on a revision of the various EU Treaties. The aim
is mainly to streamline the workings of the EU but also to simplify the
Treaties and make the EU more accessible to its citizens. The European
Convention- chaired by Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, the former French
President - was charged with reviewing the Treaties and proposing changes.
The Convention [1] began its work in February 2002 (EU0305203N [2] and
EU0201231N [3]) and concluded it with the presentation of a complete draft of
a new constitutional Treaty in the summer of 2003. A preliminary version of
the draft was submitted to the Thessaloniki European Council meeting in June
2003 (EU0307204F [4]), after which a final version was published on 10 July
2003 and submitted to the President of the European Council in Rome on 18
July.
On 13 June 2003, after a lengthy negotiating process in which the public
conciliator became involved, the Estonian Hospitals Association (Eesti
Haiglate Liit, EHL [1]) employers’ organisation and three trade unions -
the Estonian Medical Association (Eesti Arstide Liit, EAL [2]), the Trade
Union Association of Health Officers of Estonia (Eesti Keskastme
Tervishoiutöötajate Kutseliit, EKTK [3]) and the Federation of Estonian
Health Care Professionals Unions (Tervishoiutöötajate Ametiühingute Liit,
ETTAL [4]) - signed a pay agreement for healthcare workers. The main
objective of the agreement is to set minimum wage rates for the various
categories of employee and to harmonise differences in minimum wages between
regions and different types of hospitals. According to the new agreement, the
hourly minimum wages were to increase to EEK 50 for doctors (a 25% increase),
EEK 25 for nurses and EEK 16 for care assistants (an 18.5% increase) from 1
July 2003, assuming that the reference prices for medical services increased
simultaneously. This increase in reference prices would enable the Estonian
Health Insurance Fund [5] (Eesti Haigekassa) to find the additional money
required for the agreed wage increases.
The comparative study was compiled on the basis of individual national
reports submitted by EIRO's national centres. The text of each of these
national reports is available below in Word format. The reports have not been
edited or approved by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living
and Working Conditions. The national reports were drawn up in response to a
questionnaire [1] and should be read in conjunction with it.
The comparative study was compiled on the basis of individual national
reports submitted by EIRO's national centres. The text of each of these
national reports is available below in Word format. The reports have not been
edited or approved by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living
and Working Conditions. The national reports were drawn up in response to a
questionnaire [1] and should be read in conjunction with it.
Following several years of steady growth in sickness absence levels, new
figures [1] published by Statistics Norway (Statistisk Sentralbyrå, SSB) in
summer 2003 show that the growth came to a halt in the year to the first
quarter of 2003. Furthermore, figures produced by the Federation of Norwegian
Process Industries (Prosessindustriens Landsforening, PIL), a member
association of the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry
(Næringslivets Hovedorganisasjon, NHO), indicate a marked decline in the
number of working days lost due to sickness absence in companies that have
entered into so-called 'inclusive working life' agreements.
On 30 June 2003, a new collective agreement for electricians was concluded by
the Swedish Electricians' Union (Svenska Elektrikerförbundet, SEF) and the
Swedish Electric Contractors' Association (Svenska Elektriska
Installatörsorganisationen, EIO), ending several months of negotiations,
mediation and industrial action. SEF had cancelled the previous collective
agreement a year in advance, as permitted by the agreement, and presented a
list of 29 demands to the employers. The most important of the demands
related to decreasing stress in the building sector, where electricians are
reportedly being given less and less time to perform their work, which occurs
towards the end of the building process. EIO immediately rejected the union's
demands. Mediators were called in and drew up a proposal that was rejected by
SEF in late April 2003. The negotiations seemed to have reached a deadlock .
The European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) has reported on the employment impact of large-scale business restructuring since 2002. This publication series include the ERM reports, as well as blogs, articles and working papers on restructuring-related events in the EU27 and Norway.
Eurofound’s European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) paints a wide-ranging picture of Europe at work across countries, occupations, sectors and age groups. This series consists of findings from the European Working Conditions Telephone Survey (EWCTS) 2021, an extraordinary edition conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was first carried out in 1990.
This publication series gathers all overview reports on developments in working life, annual reviews in industrial relations and working conditions produced by Eurofound on the basis of national contributions from the Network of Eurofound Correspondents (NEC). Since 1997, these reports have provided overviews of the latest developments in industrial relations and working conditions across the EU and Norway. The series may include recent ad hoc articles written by members of the NEC.
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, launched in April 2020, with five rounds completed at different stages during 2020, 2021 and 2022. This is complemented by the inclusion of research into the ongoing effects of the pandemic in much of Eurofound’s other areas of work.
Eurofound's representativeness 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 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.
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.
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.
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).
In 2022, the European Semester was streamlined to integrate the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) established on 19 February 2021 (Regulation (EU) 2021/241). While facing the geopolitical and economic challenges triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Member States have been implementing the national Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs) for more than one year and around 100 billion euro in RRF funds have already been disbursed.
This report explores the association between skills use and skills strategies and establishment performance, and how other workplace practices, in terms of work organisation, human resources management and employee involvement, can impact on this. It looks at how skills shortages can be addressed, at least in part, by creating an environment in which employees are facilitated and motivated to make better use of the skills they already have. This further supports the business case for a more holistic approach to management.
This paper provides an analytical summary of state of the art academic and policy literature on the impact of climate change and policies to manage transitions to a carbon neutral economy on employment, working conditions, social dialogue and living conditions. It maps the key empirical findings around the impact of climate change and the green transitions on jobs, sectors, regions and countries in Europe, identifying the opportunities and risks that climate change policies bring to European labour markets.
With the expansion of telework and different forms of hybrid work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important for policymakers to consider both the opportunities and the negative consequences that may result. This report will explore potential scenarios for such work. In doing so, it will identify trends and drivers, and predict how they might interact to create particular outcomes and how they are likely to affect workers and businesses. Policy pointers will outline what could be done to facilitate desirable outcomes and to avoid undesirable ones.
This report explores the drivers of economic and social convergence in Europe, using a selected set of economic and social indicators to examine trends in the performance of individual Member States. It also investigates what role the Economic and Monetary Union plays in convergence, particularly in southern and eastern Member States. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on convergence is analysed and initial conclusions are drawn about the impact of EU recovery packages and their ability to prevent divergence.
As economies emerge from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, labour shortages are becoming increasingly evident. These include shortages exacerbated by the crisis in some sectors and professions where they had been endemic for some time. This report will look at measures implemented at national level to tackle labour shortages in the health, care and information and communications technology sectors, as well as those arising from the twin digital and green transitions.
Adequate, affordable housing has become a matter of great concern, with an alarming number of Europeans with low or lower household incomes unable to access any, especially in capital cities. Housing was a key factor in people’s experience of the COVID-19 pandemic: its quality and level of safety significantly affected how lockdowns and social distancing measures were experienced, with those who had no access to quality housing at higher risk of deteriorating living conditions and well-being.
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an extraordinary level of provision of social services across the EU. Healthcare and care providers carried much of the burden and, together with essential services, played a crucial role in getting citizens through the crisis. This report explores how public services adapted to the new reality and what role was played by the digital transformation of services. The aim is to contribute to the documentation and analysis of changes in funding, delivery and use of healthcare and social services during the pandemic.
The urban-rural divide in EU countries has grown in recent years, and the depopulation of certain rural areas in favour of cities is a challenge when it comes to promoting economic development and maintaining social cohesion and convergence. Using data from Eurofound and Eurostat, this report will investigate the trends and drivers of the urban-rural divide, in various dimensions: economic and employment opportunities, access to services, living conditions and quality of life.
Building on previous work by Eurofound, this report will investigate intergenerational dynamics over time. During the 2008 double-dip recession, worrying intergenerational divides appeared in many Member States, and while some of the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is universal, early data suggests disparities across demographic cohorts. Eurofound will examine how different age groups may have been affected in terms of their health, labour market participation, quality of life and financial needs, both in the short term and in the long term.
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