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:

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

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
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
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
Turkey Fact-file  EN  TK
Country Cluster 3 Seminar, Paris 31 Jan – 1 Feb 2011 – Agenda Minutes Evaluation
Results
CLUSTER 3 Austria Fact-file  EN  DE
Denmark Fact-file  EN  DA DA
LO
France Fact-file  EN  FR
Croatia Fact-file  EN  HR
Hungary Fact-file  EN  HU MGYOSZ
MOSZ
Ireland Fact-file  EN
Latvia Fact-file  EN  LV
Country Cluster 4 Seminar, The Hague – 8 February 2011 – Agenda Minutes Evaluation
Results
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)

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.