Turlan, Frédéric
France: Donation of leave to employees with seriously ill children
18 december 2014
Certain French companies have traditionally allowed employees to donate some of their leave to colleagues with seriously ill children. This tradition is sometimes implemented informally and sometimes enshrined in a company-level labour agreement. The French National Assembly has now passed a law providing a framework for companies to manage this practice.
France: A legal right to switch off from work
18 december 2014
On 19 June 2013, France’s social partners adopted a national interprofessional agreement on well-being at work which encourages businesses to find ways of avoiding intrusion on employees' private lives by defining periods when devices can be switched off and no company emails will be sent. The aim is to improve working conditions but also to avoid legal disputes.
New government launches plan to tackle unemployment
20 marec 2014
Luxembourg’s parliamentary elections in October 2013 removed former Prime
Minister Jean-Claude Juncker from office after 18 years, even though his
Christian-Social People’s Party (CSV [1]) topped the polls. Three smaller
parties agreed to form a coalition: the liberal Democratic Party (DP [2]);
the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP [3]); and The Greens (DG
[4]). On 2 December 2013 the coalition introduced a new programme.
[1] https://csv.lu/
[2] http://www.dp.lu
[3] http://www.lsap.lu/
[4] http://www.greng.lu
Social partners agree vocational training reforms
09 marec 2014
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 September 2013 (*FR1310011I* [3]) and concluded on 14 December.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/industrial-relations-undefined/generation-contract-to-benefit-young-and-older-workers
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/industrial-relations-undefined/landmark-agreement-paves-the-way-for-labour-market-reform
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/social-partners-begin-talks-on-vocational-training-reform
Trade union position stable after workplace elections
04 marec 2014
Workplace elections are held in Luxembourg every five years. The most recent
elections were held on 13 November 2013, and 437,000 employees and retired
workers were eligible to vote. , However, the turnout was just 36%
(approximately 158,000 people). Just over 700 companies were involved.
Labour inspectorate reform comes into effect
02 február 2014
On 29 October 2013, French Labour Minister Michel Sapin sent a government
statement (in French, 1MB PDF) [1] to the departments of his ministry about
the implementation of labour inspectorate reform. The reform was later the
subject of a paper on the reform of the labour inspectorate (in French) [2]
presented to France’s Council of Ministers on 6 November 2013.
[1] http://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/instruction_du_ministre_Ministere_fort.pdf
[2] http://www.gouvernement.fr/gouvernement/la-reforme-du-systeme-d-inspection-du-travail
Film industry finally strikes collective agreement
09 január 2014
In 2003, after a protracted industrial dispute in the French film industry,
the social partners in the live performance and audio-visual sectors were
asked to clarify and simplify their collective bargaining system
(*FR1202041Q*). Both sectors make extensive use of short-term employment
contracts. The request to reform their bargaining procedures came from the
Ministry of Labour [1], which also asked the sectors to negotiate eight
national collective agreements, including one covering film production.
[1] http://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/
Social partners begin talks on vocational training reform
16 december 2013
The French vocational training system has been described by Labour Minister
Michael Sapin as being in ‘a time-worn state’. Companies with 10 or more
employees have, since the system was established1971, been compelled to
contribute a percentage of their payroll costs to the financing of vocational
training. As shown in the table, in 1991 this obligation was extended to
businesses with fewer than 10 employees.
More collective agreements and less conflict in 2012
16 december 2013
The French Labour Ministry’s annual report, Collective Bargaining 2012 (in
French, 4.3MB PDF) [1], was published on 2 July 2013 at the National
Commission of Collective Negotiations. The report shows that the number of
collective agreements has increased at all levels except the national
inter-professional level. The report also provides information on key issues
and areas of concern, data on the number of agreements concluded and
identifies trends in the issues addressed by collective bargaining.
[1] http://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Bilan_NC_en_2012_signets_.pdf
Collective agreement in construction sector finally renewed
28 november 2013
On 10 July 2013, unions and employer organisations in Luxembourg’s
construction industry agreed to renew a sectoral collective agreement which
covers about 14,000 people.