Brussels, 15/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) has published a number of studies on issues affecting European citizens in this time of crisis. We would mention more specifically the following papers:
(1) Working Paper 1/2009 - Plant-level responses to the economic crisis in Europe: this paper summarises the plant-level responses of social policy players to the symptoms of the current recession between October 2008 and mid-January 2009. It examines how organised labour and capital responded to the crisis in key sectors and countries and what collective bargaining and labour market policy tools were available to deal with its effects and thus safeguard employment. The paper, drafted by ETUI researchers Vera Glassner and Béla Galgóczi, is available in English only.
(2) Jobs on the move - an analytical approach to relocation and its impact on employment: this book, edited by Béla Galgóczi, Maarten Keune and Andrew Watt, explores the complexity of the new forms of international division of labour within the enlarged EU using an analytical approach. Relocation proves to be a complex phenomenon, and, to better understand how it works, regional considerations and sector-specific features are analysed. The book's main focus is on the employment impact of these processes and both qualitative and quantitative terms. On the basis on the findings, implications for trade union strategies are drawn in the concluding chapter. The book is available only in English.
(3) The European Company Statute - a new approach to corporate governance: the directive on the European company statute is one of the most important pieces of company law adopted by the European Union. The aim of the directive is to regulate, on a voluntary basis, the internal functions of a business operating at the same time in more than two European countries. Published by Peter Lang, the book provides a comprehensive analysis of the history, structure, legal basis and impact of the European company statute, and how it has developed over the last 30 years. The authors, Michael Gold, Andreas Nikolopoulos and Dr Norbert Kluge, provide country case studies drawn from Greece, Slovenia and the United Kingdom.
(4) Benchmarking Working EUROPE 2009: this report, coordinated by Janine Leschke, highlights the discrepancy between the initial Lisbon Strategy targets set in 2000 and the results achieved so far. It notes that only limited progress has been made in the areas of lifelong learning, school drop-out rates and investment in research and development. Employment, it finds, has increased, but mainly through part-time and temporary jobs. Wages for workers have declined significantly. The report concludes that raising social and environmental standards could assist in ensuring sustainable growth and a more cohesive society in Europe.
All of these reports and documents are available in English at http: //http://www.etui.org/research/publications For further information, contact Tristan Macdonald, ETUI, tel. - 32 224 0562, email - tmacdonald@etui.org (G.B./transl.rt)