Brussels, 03/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 3 March, the European Commission presented its new report on industrial relations in EUROPE 2010. These reports come out every two years. The latest focuses on the role of workers and employers in developing crisis response and on how their commitment has helped to minimise job losses through, for example, bringing in extended partial unemployment schemes. The report also shows how social dialogue has helped to avoid social conflict in a number of countries during the crisis. It above all shows that there is an unequal level of social dialogue in the different member states and that weaknesses mainly lie in member states that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007. The report highlights the key role that could be played by social partners in implementing the EU 2020 strategy - as two thirds of EU workers are covered by collective agreements.
In a press release, the Commission gives the main results of the report as follows:
1) Analysing the first phase of the crisis, the report examines in detail the crisis-response agreements reached in member states and in different sectors. Thus, in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Denmark and Finland, the national employers' and trade union federations signed specific agreements, either among themselves or with the government, or were involved in designing specific public policy measures, mainly short-time working schemes.
2) When it comes to wage flexibility, in several member states such as Ireland, Greece and Spain that are taking austerity measures, discussions relating to minimum wage and low pay are difficult and sensitive. The report also finds that the further decentralisation of wage-setting arrangements towards company-level bargaining is a continuing trend, with workers reaching agreements directly with their employers about pay.
3) Social partners are showing heightened interest regarding the transition to a low-carbon economy. In Belgium and Spain, for example, employers and trade unions are contributing concrete proposals for investment in green technologies and skills. In the long run, the report underlines, social dialogue is crucial for a well-managed and socially just transition to a low-carbon economy.
4) Collective bargaining is still very present in Europe. Trade union membership has declined - down from 37% of workers in 2000 to less than 31% in 2008 - but membership of employers' organisations, which largely determines collective bargaining coverage, appears to be stable.
The report is available on the website ec.europa.eu/social (G.B./transl.jl)