Brussels, 15/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 15 December, representatives of employers and workers at EU-level presented a report on how they have implemented their framework agreement on work-related stress. The objective of the agreement is for workers and employers to work together at better identifying, preventing and managing stress. Mr Vladimír Špidla, Commissioner for Social Affairs, Employment and Equal Opportunities urged national social partners who have not yet launched joint actions in this area to do so.
The European social partners' report presents the implementing measures from 21 Member States as well as from Norway and Iceland. But no reports were provided by Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Malta and Lithuania. The implementing measures took different forms: social partner (framework) agreements (for example joint guidelines in Sweden); national, sectoral or company collective agreements (for example in Belgium or France); national legislation (for example in the Czech Republic and Latvia); tripartite cooperation with public authorities (for example the joint promotion of the management standards for work-related stress in the UK); and complementary activities (for example tools for the measurement of stress or training). (L.C./trans/rh)