European Social Dialogue: Achievements and Challenges Ahead
European social partners wish to continue to build on the outcomes of the previous joint projects on capacity building for the social dialogue, to discuss and review the main challenges that national social partners still face for an effective involvement in the EU Social Dialogue, including the extent to which EU social dialogue agreements have been given a follow-up at national level. They therefore intended to organise, in early 2011, a large-scale seminar on the EU Social Dialogue bringing together social partners from all EU member states and Croatia and Turkey.
This EU Social Dialogue seminar was organised and coordinated by ETUC on behalf of the EU social partners. It took place in Budapest on 3-4 May 2011. You can download here:
- the agenda
- the minutes of the conference
- the final synthesis report in English, French or German
- the experts presentation
- the presentation of an overview of the European social dialogue
Initiatives involving social partners in Europe on climate change policies and employment
European social partners are undertaking this exploratory joint study to better understand the impact of climate change adjustment policies on labour markets and to assess what is and can be the role of social partners at national level in this respect.
OBJECTIVE
It is intended to help European social partners to:
- Assess the impact of climate change mitigation and adaptation policies (e.g. environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, reducing emissions) on labour market policies in Europe;
- Assess the impact on future skills needs;
- Identify and discuss any present or future actions and / or ways in which social partners can work, separately or jointly, to better address climate change mitigation and adaptation policies and their impact on employment and skills.
A large part of the rationale of this initiative is also to capture positive examples of how companies and/or social partners are approaching the issue across a range of industries, sectors, and/or territories.
METHODOLOGY
A team of subcontracted experts are entrusted with preparing a literature review for the study. This review will also incorporate the views of social partners (interviews, questionnaires, good practices). A first EU-level seminar was held in Brussels on 29 June 2010 where national social partner organisations from 4 countries (Belgium, Germany, Spain, and UK) were able to present their different approaches to the issue and give examples of implemented and/or planned initiatives.
The full literature review was presented and discussed at a second EU-level seminar held in Brussels in spring 2011.
DOCUMENTS & TIMETABLE
|
CLUSTER |
COUNTRY / PRESENTATIONS |
SEMINAR MINUTES |
SEMINAR REPORT |
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| EU-Level Seminar 2, Brussels, 1-2 March 2011 – Agenda | EN FR | EN FR DE | ||
| SEMINAR 2MATERIALS | Experts | Syndex Presentation | ||
| Portugal | SYNDEX | |||
| ULCOS | ESTEP | |||
| Germany | WMP Hydro ZDH DGB | |||
| Sweden | SYNDEX | |||
| Romania | SASEC CMC | |||
| Denmark | SYNDEX LO-DK | |||
| Bulgaria | BIA | |||
| Belgium | FEB-VBO & FGTB | |||
| France | Ademe CFDT | |||
| UK | TUC Alstom | |||
| EU-Level Seminar 1, Brussels, 29 June 2010 Agenda | EN | Background Document | ||
| SEMINAR 1MATERIALS | Experts | SYNDEX presentation | ||
| Belgium | SYNDEX FEB-VBO & ACV-CSC Belgian Government |
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| Germany | SYNDEX ZDH VKU | |||
| Spain | SYNDEX CCOO UGT | |||
| UK | SYNDEX CBI TUC | |||
| EU Commission | Presentation | |||
Flexicurity – Social Partners and Flexicurity in Contemporary Labour Markets
This joint European social partners’ study is designed to assess the implementation of the common principles of flexicurity (* see bottom of page) and to assess the role of social partners in the process. It also aims to promote trust and mutual understanding among social partners so as to facilitate the implementation of flexicurity principles at national level.
This study covers 29 countries, all 27 EU Member States and Candidate Countries Croatia and Turkey.
METHODOLOGY
A team of subcontracted experts will prepare 29 national fiches that illustrate available data on quantitative indicators and commentary on the implementation of the relevant ‘flexicurity’ policy measures. The fiches also incorporate the views of social partners (interviews, questionnaires, good practices). The draft fiches will be discussed during cluster seminars, each involving 7-8 countries, that mix together geographically disparate countries of different sizes and with different industrial relations systems. The findings of the 4 cluster seminars and 29 fiches will be presented at an EU-wide seminar to be held in Brussels in spring 2011.
DOCUMENTS & TIMETABLE
|
CLUSTER |
COUNTRY |
NATIONAL FICHE |
SEMINAR MINUTES |
SEMINAR REPORT |
| SYNTHESIS SEMINAR, Brussels – Agenda Results Eurofound | EN | EN FR | ||
| Country Cluster 1 Seminar, Warsaw, 22-23 November 2010 Agenda | Minutes | Evaluation Results I Results II Results III |
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| CLUSTER 1 | Belgium | Fact-file EN FR | ||
| Czech Rep | Fact-file EN CZ | |||
| Estonia | Fact-file EN ET | |||
| Greece | Fact-file EN EL | |||
| Finland | Fact-file EN FI | EK | ||
| Italy | Fact-file EN IT | Confindustria | ||
| Malta | Fact-file EN | |||
| Poland | Fact-file EN PL | Lewiatan | ||
| Country Cluster 2 Seminar, Lisbon, 9-10 December 2010 – Agenda | Minutes | Evaluation Results I-II Results III H. Seifert |
||
| CLUSTER 2 | Cyprus | Fact-file EN EL | ||
| Germany | Fact-file EN DE | ZDH | ||
| Portugal | Fact-file EN PT | |||
| Lithuania | Fact-file EN LT | |||
| Romania | Fact-file EN RO | |||
| Sweden | Fact-file EN SV | SALAR TCO |
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| Turkey | Fact-file EN TK | |||
| Country Cluster 3 Seminar, Paris 31 Jan – 1 Feb 2011 – Agenda | Minutes | Evaluation Results |
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| CLUSTER 3 | Austria | Fact-file EN DE | ||
| Denmark | Fact-file EN DA | DA LO |
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| France | Fact-file EN FR | |||
| Croatia | Fact-file EN HR | |||
| Hungary | Fact-file EN HU | MGYOSZ MOSZ |
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| Ireland | Fact-file EN | |||
| Latvia | Fact-file EN LV | |||
| Country Cluster 4 Seminar, The Hague – 8 February 2011 – Agenda | Minutes | Evaluation Results |
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| CLUSTER 4 | Bulgaria | Fact-file EN BG | ||
| Luxembourg | Fact-file EN FR | |||
| Netherlands | Fact-file EN NL | VSO SCO BZK | ||
| Spain | Fact-file EN ES | CEP | ||
| Slovenia | Fact-file EN SL | ZSSS | ||
| Slovakia | Fact-file EN SK | |||
| UK | Fact-file EN | |||
(*) Council Conclusions, 6 Dec 2007 (Download here)
- Flexicurity is a means to reinforce the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy, create more and better jobs, modernise labour markets, and promote good work through new forms of flexibility and security to increase adaptability, employment and social cohesion.
- Flexicurity involves the deliberate combination of flexible and reliable contractual arrangements, comprehensive lifelong learning strategies, effective active labour market policies, and modern, adequate and sustainable social protection systems.
- Flexicurity approaches are not about one single labour market or working life model, nor about a single policy strategy: they should be tailored to the specific circumstances of each Member State. Flexicurity implies a balance between rights and responsibilities of all concerned. Based on the common principles, each Member State should develop its own flexicurity arrangements. Progress should be effectively monitored.
- Flexicurity should promote more open, responsive and inclusive labour markets overcoming segmentation. It concerns both those in work and those out of work. The inactive, the unemployed, those in undeclared work, in unstable employment, or at the margins of the labour market need to be provided with better opportunities, economic incentives and supportive measures for easier access to work or stepping-stones to assist progress into stable and legally secure employment. Support should be available to all those in employment to remain employable, progress and manage transitions both in work and between jobs.
- Internal (within the enterprise) as well as external flexicurity are equally important and should be promoted. Sufficient contractual flexibility must be accompanied by secure transitions from job to job. Upward mobility needs to be facilitated, as well as between unemployment or inactivity and work. High quality and productive workplaces, good organisation of work, and continuous upgrading of skills are also essential. Social protection should provide incentives and support for job transitions and for access to new employment.
- Flexicurity should support gender equality, by promoting equal access to quality employment for women and men and offering measures to reconcile work, family and private life.
- Flexicurity requires a climate of trust and broadly-based dialogue among all stakeholders, where all are prepared to take the responsibility for change with a view to socially balanced policies. While public authorities retain an overall responsibility, the involvement of social partners in the design and implementation of flexicurity policies through social dialogue and collective bargaining is of crucial importance.
- Flexicurity requires a cost effective allocation of resources and should remain fully compatible with sound and financially sustainable public budgets. It should also aim at a fair distribution of costs and benefits, especially between businesses, public authorities and individuals, with particular attention to the specific situation of SMEs.