Weber, Tina

In October and November 1997, based on proposals by Martin Bangemann, the commissioner responsible for industry, the European Commission adopted communications to the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament and Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, aimed at improving the competitiveness of two sectors of European industry - textiles/clothing and construction.

The European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs adopted a report in October 1997 on the framework agreement on part-time work [1] concluded by the European-level social partners on 6 June 1997 (EU9706131F [2]). The agreement is currently being given legal force via a draft Council Directive (EU9707139N [3]) The Committee's report expresses the European Parliament's support for enshrining the principle of non-discrimination against part-time workers in legislation, but criticises the fact that the agreement is limited to part-time work and does not cover other forms of "atypical" employment. The agreement also excludes social security matters which, it argues, need to be covered by legislation. In this respect the agreement falls short of the standards enshrined in International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions. The report argues that, without such a basis, the agreement allows exceptions to the principle of non-discrimination on the basis of "technical" or "objective" reasons, such as part-time workers who work only on a casual basis, or who do not qualify because of certain thresholds based on length of service, working time and salary conditions. [1] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/soc-dial/social/parttime_en.htm [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/social-partners-reach-framework-agreement-on-part-time-work [3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/commission-adopts-draft-directive-on-part-time-work

On 5 November 1997, the European Commission decided to launch the second phase of consultations with the European social partners on the possible content of European Union legislation in the field of information and consultation of employees at the national level. The first phase of consultations, which aimed to establish the social partners' opinion on the advisability of legislation in this field was launched upon an initiative by Padraig Flynn, the commissioner for employment, industrial relations and social affairs in June 1997 in the wake of the Renault Vilvoorde crisis (EU9706132F [1]). The social partner organisations responded to this first document by October (EU9710157N [2]): while there was agreement on the importance of the information and consultation of workers as part of company management, there was a significant divergence of opinion on the desirability of Community legislation in this field. While the trade union side expressed itself in favour of EU-level regulation, the employer side firmly rejected such an initiative, arguing in particular that such a move would be in contravention of the principle of subsidiarity. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/working-conditions-undefined/european-social-partners-discuss-the-social-impact-of-restructuring [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/european-social-partners-do-not-agree-on-eu-regulation-of-national-information-and-consultation

Criticisms have been levied against the perceived punitive effects of high rates of value-added tax (VAT) by employer and employee representatives in certain sectors - an example is the cleaning industry (EU9710153F [1]). In light of this, the European Commission has put to the European Council, in advance of the latter's Jobs Summit [2] to be held on 20-21 November 1997, the idea of authorising the Member States to apply a reduced rate of VAT on certain highly labour-intensive services supplied locally. The proposal which, if approved, is to apply on an optional and trial basis, is based on the initiative of Mario Monti, the member of the Commission with special responsibility for taxation. If the Council shows itself in favour, the Commission is planning to present a proposal for a Directive outlining the following principles: [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/conference-highlights-contribution-of-sectoral-social-dialogue-to-the-european-employment-strategy [2] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/elm/summit/en/home.htm

On 4 June 1997, the European Commission opened first-stage consultations with the European-level social partner organisations on possible Community action on "Information and consultation of workers within the national framework", under the terms of the Maastricht social policy Agreement (EU9706132F [1]). This instrument, which has been under consideration for some years, was promised by Commissioner Padraig Flynn in the aftermath of the Renault Vilvoorde affair (EU9704118F [2]). [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/working-conditions-undefined/european-social-partners-discuss-the-social-impact-of-restructuring [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/working-conditions-undefined/eu-continues-to-feel-impact-of-renault-crisis

The Council of Labour and Social Affairs Ministers met on 7 October, chaired by Luxembourg's Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Juncker (currently President of the Labour and Social Affairs Council as well as the European Council). Ministers devoted most of its meeting on the preparations of the special Jobs Summit [1] to be held under the Luxembourg Presidency on 20-21 November 1997. The debate focused on the documents recently adopted by the European Commission- the draft /Joint Employment Report 1997/ and the Proposal for Guidelines for Member State Employment Policies 1998 [2]. The former is to be approved by the joint Economic and Financial Affairs and Social Affairs Council to be held on 17 November 1997. Ministers equally debated the establishment of a list of best practices on employment, based on the national contributions provided by the Member States in response to a request from Mr Juncker. [1] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/elm/summit/en/home.htm [2] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/elm/summit/en/papers/guide.htm

In the run-up to the special Jobs Summit [1] to be held in Luxembourg on 20 and 21 November 1997, the European Commission, on 1 October 1997, adopted a package of three documents: [1] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/elm/summit/en/home.htm

Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs from the 29 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries met in Paris on 14-15 October 1997 to discuss the implementation and monitoring of the OECD's /Jobs Strategy/ put forward in 1994. The meeting [1] came in the run-up to the EU special Jobs Summit [2] held on 20-21 November 1997 and the G8 Conferences in Kobe and London in February 1998, at which the crisis of unemployment and the maintenance of global competitiveness will also be at the top of the agenda. [1] http://www.oecd.org/news_and_events/release/nw97-89a.htm [2] http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/elm/summit/en/home.htm

According to statistics released by the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) in late September 1997, the average level of unemployment across the EU fell during both June and July 1997. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates were down to 10.7% in June and 10.6% (some 18 million people) in July after having remained static at 10.8% for the previous five months. Unemployment stood at 5.0% in the USA and 3.4% in Japan in June 1997.

A report released by the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) in early September 1997 seeks to examine the extent of adult training in the Member States of the European Union. The data collected forms part of the European labour force survey undertaken in the spring of 1996. The findings of the survey show that for the EU has a whole, over 8 million individuals aged 30 and over said that they received education and training in the four weeks immediately preceding the interview. Of these, 6.3 million were employed, 0.5 million were unemployed and 1.3 million were economically inactive (retired people, students etc).