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THE PRESIDENT OF THE EU COMMISSION Jose Manuel Barroso has provoked determined opposition among European trade unionists with plans to scrap over 60 prospective directives. The announcement follows an exercise in which Enterprise Commissioner Gunter Verheugen and Mr.Barroso examined over 215 proposals in the legislative pipeline with a view to simplifying EU law and cutting bureaucracy. 69 were identified as likely to have a negative effect on economic growth or as being too 'heavy handed'. Some of the draft laws were described as 'absurd' by President Barroso and included measures on food labelling, rules on sales promotions and weekend lorry-bans. He intends to carry the process further by examining laws which are already on the statute book to see if they can be repealed.
European trade unions in the shape of ETUC General Secretary John Monks reacted strongly against the initiative. Under particular fire was Mr. Barroso's description of the inclusion of sunlight in the recent directive on optical radiation as a 'joke'. Mr. Monks said that the debate on the future of the 'European Social Model' called for by the UK could be at risk if 'if pre-emptive strikes are made against key European regulations'. He is to demand a list of all threatened legislation and called on the Commission to proceed 'with a draft proposal on protection for workers against exposure to sun rays'. He also insisted that the normal processes of consultation with the social partners and the European Parliament must continue.
European employers were not as enthusiastic as might have been expected about the Commission's new tack. Erik Berggren from UNICE, argued that the simplification scheme itself can cause new difficulties. 'We noted in the past that some attempts aimed at reducing burdens could end up in just the opposite' while Luc Hendrick from the small business forum UEAPME commented 'It is not simply the problem ofÉ scrapping the laws which are burdensome for businesses, but the need to learn that you must approach those concerned by the legislative proposals'.
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A NEW REPORT ON INDUSTRIAL ACTION in Europe over the last five years has found that 'levels are generally low in historical terms'. The sectors in which strikes etc. most often occur are transport and communications, industry and manufacturing, and health and education. Pay disputes are the most common cause followed by redundancies and broader 'political' issues.. There are marked variations between countries with the 'new' EU Member States recording many fewer work days lost then the 'old' ones with places like Estonia, Lithuania and Poland losing none in some years. While action increases as new agreements are being negotiated, particularly in the Nordic countries, Italy and Spain consistently have higher levels of dispute than the comparable, 'large' nations of the UK, France and Germany. The UK is part of a middle group of countries where 20 to 70 working days are lost per 1,000 workers per year. Compared to the early 1980s when Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the UK all averaged over 400 days lost annually 'The early 2000s have thus clearly been a period of relative industrial peace in many countries' says the report. Developments in industrial action-2000-4 is available from the European Industrial Relations Observatory at: http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2005/06/update/tn0506101u.html |
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THE RESULTS OF BARGAINING IN GERMANY over the first half of the year show a moderation in wage rises and a concern for job security. The average negotiated wage increase matched annual inflation at around 1.8%, the former East Germany recording the slightly higher figure of 2.1%. as workers here still have some way to go to catch up with their western counterparts. Agreements such as those in the railway industry took account of non-pay issues by guaranteeing all employees with more than 5 years service that they would not be dismissed before 2010. In return the trade unions made concessions that will allow Deutsche Bahn to reduce its overall labour costs by 5.5%. After several strikes the steel industry union IG Metall achieved a rise of 3.5% for its members, well above the average.
A DANISH UNION HAS PUT FORWARD a novel demand for negotiation with employers. It wants to institute 'social shop stewards' who would be elected by the workforce. Their function is to re-introduce colleagues who have been off work for a long time due to illness, injury or personal crisis. Dansk Metal say that it would be up to the employee to decide if the steward could visit them at home and that they would not have to report to their line manager. Both the Confederation of Employers (DA) and the Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) support the initiative and the first agreement has been signed with train manufacturer Bombardier.
ITALIAN AUTOMOTIVE GIANT FIAT HAS managed to please the unions with its new 3 year plan which lays out the future of employment, investment and innovation within the group. 20 new models will be introduced to ensure full employment at all plants except one in Sicily. Savino Pezzotta, secretary general of the CISL confederation declared his support for a 'concrete industrial plan even if there are some elements which must be clarified É one of the main companies of the country took the path desired by the trade union'.
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