European social dialogue, collective bargaining, European Union, European Commission, BusinessEurope, ETUC, SMEunited, CEEP, framework agreements

1. European social dialogue:
“bargaining in the shadow of the law”
Christian Welz _ Eurofound
Asia Social Dialogue Forum, Seoul, 12-13.11.2019

2. OUTLINE
1. national social dialogue (SD)
2. European social dialogue (ESD)
2.1 actors
- cross-industry
- sectoral
2.2 processes
2.3 outcomes
3. current challenges
4. elements of effective social dialogue
sources: EC, ETUI, Eurofound, ILO, OECD and Welz.

3. Definition of SD
• articles 152, 154 and 155 TFEU
• developed in a number of EC communications and
decisions
• discussions, consultations, negotiations and joint
actions undertaken by the social partner (SP)
organisations
• representing the two sides of industry (employers and
trade unions = social partners)

4. 1. national social dialogue

5. Trade Unions
Intersectoral
level
Government
Employers
Intersectoral
level
Sectoral level Sectoral level
Company level
Main levels of social dialogue
Company level
Belgium
Austria
Denmark 1
Finland
France 1
Germany
Greece
Ireland 1
Italy
Luxembourg 1
Netherlands
Portugal 1
Spain 1
Sweden1
Denmark 2
France 2
Ireland 2
Luxembourg 2
Portugal 2
Spain 2
Sweden 2
UK

6. Trade Unions
Intersectoral
level
Government
Employers
Intersectoral level
Sectoral level Sectoral level
Company level
Main levels of social dialogue
Company level
Slovenia 1
Bulgaria 1
Cyprus 1
Slovakia 1
Slovenia 2
Bulgaria 2
Croatia
Cyprus 2
Czech Rep.
Estonia
Hungary
Latvia
Lithuania
Malta
Poland
Romania
Slovakia 2

7. Trade Unions
Intersectoral
level
Government
Employers
Intersectoral level
Sectoral level Sectoral level
Company level
Main levels of social dialogue
Company level
Argentina
Brazil1
India1
Uruguay
Australia
Brazil2
Canada
China
India2
New Zealand
Japan
South Korea
US

8. Challenges in turbulent times (national level)
• decentralisation of collective
bargaining (CB)
• trade union density decline
–not employers!
• CB coverage decline
• new forms of employment
• governmental unilateralism

9. 2. European social dialogue

10. European Social Dialogue - level linkages

11. 2.1 actors

12. 2.1 cross - industry
Employers
- BUSINESSEUROPE
- European Centre of Employers and Enterprises
providing Public Services (CEEP)
- SMEunited (association for Crafts and SMEs in Europe
formerly UEAPME)
Trade unions
- European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
- CEC-European Managers
- EUROCADRES (Council of European Professional and
Managerial Staff)

13. 2.1 sectoral: 15 industry federations
EAEA European Arts and Entertainment Alliance
ECA European Cockpit Association
CESI European Confederation of Independent Trade
Unions
EFBWW European Federation of Building and Woodworkers
EFFAT European Federation of Food, Agriculture and
Trade Unions
EFJ European Federation of Journalists
EPSU European Federation of Public Service Unions
ETF Federation of Transport Workers
ETUCE European Committee for Education
FIA Internatinal Federation of Actors
FIFPro International Federation of Professional Footballers'
Associations – Division Europe
FIM International Federation of Musicians
IDC International Dockworkers Council
industriALL European TU (ETUF-TCL + EMCEF + EMF)
UNI-Europa Union Network International

14. 2.1 sectoral: 65 employers organisations
CEEMET Council of European Employers of the
Metal, Engineering and Technology-
Based Industries
Coiffure EU European Association of Employers'
Organisations in Hairdressing
EBU European Broadcasting Union
FoodDrinkEurope Europe's Food and Drink Industry
FERCO Federation of Contract Catering
Organisations
HOSPEEM European Hospital and Healthcare
Employers Association
Insurance Europe European Federation of National
Insurance Associations
PostEurop Association of European Public Postal
Operators

15. 43 Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees
- Agriculture
- Audiovisual
- Banking
- Catering
- Central §
- Civil aviation
- Cleaning
Industry
- Commerce
- Construction
- Education
- Electricity
- Extractive
Industries
- Food and Drink
- Football
- Footwear
- Furniture
- Gas
- Graphical sector
- Horeca
- Hospitals
- Inland Waterways
- Insurance
- Local and regional
Government
- Live performance
- Maritime Transport
- Metal
- Paper
- Personal services
- Ports
- Postal services
- Private security
- Railways
- Road transport
- Sea fisheries
- Sea Transport
- Shipbuilding
- Steel
- Sports
- Sugar
- Tanning and leather
- Telecommunications
- Temporary agency work
- Textile and clothing
- Woodworking

16. 2.2 processes

17. Community
method
EC
EPordinary / special legislative procedureCouncil

18. European
social dialogue
EMP
EC
TUbargaining in the shadow of the law

19. ESD under articles 154/155 TFEU
proposal in the
social policy field
where appropriate,
EC follow-up
where appropriate,
EC follow-up
EC art. 155art. 154
1. consultation on the
direction
opinion
2. consultation on the
content
opinion
failure
if EU action
is desirable
negotiation
nine months,
unless extended
agreement
social partners

20. Agreement implementation
autonomous route
according to procedures &
practices specific to management
and labour and the MS
legislative route
1. submitted to the EC
2. EC makes proposal
3. EP informed
4. Council decision
= extension erga omnes

21. 2.3 Outcomes by type of text (October 2019)
9
15
159 101
50
56
45
20
10
11
546
Autonomous agreements Agreements Council Decision
Declarations Tools
Procedural texts Follow-up reports
Guidelines Policy Orientations
Codes of conduct Framework of actions
Joint opinions

22. Agreements: Council decision
sectoral / cross sector
Parental leave 1995
Part-time work 1997
WT seafarers 1998
Fixed-term work 1999
WT mobile staff aviation 2000
Working conditions of mobile railway workers 2004
Maritime Labour Convention (1) 2008/16
Prevention from sharp injuries 2009
Parental leave (revised.) 2009
Agreement on fishing 2012
Health and safety in hairdressing (1&2) 2012/16
Working time (WT) inland waterway 2012
I&C rights for workers in central public administration 2015

23. Autonomous agreements
multi / sectoral / cross sector
Telework 2002
Combatting stress 2004
Driving license railways cross-border services
2004
Good conduct in handling crystalline silica 2006
Combatting violence & harassment 2007
Certificate for hairdressers 2009
Minimum contract requirements in football 2012
Inclusive labour markets 2012
Active ageing & inter-generational approach 2017

24. Failures of the ESD
1. European Works Councils
2. Reversal of burden of proof
3. Information and consultation
4. Temporary agency work
5. Revision of the WT directive

25. 3. Challenges in turbulent times (national level)
• decentralisation of collective
bargaining (CB)
• trade union density decline
–not employers!
• CB coverage decline
• new forms of employment
• governmental unilateralism

26. 3. Challenges in turbulent times (EU level)
• capacity of social partners
– to negotiate agreements at EU level
– to implement agreements at national level
– financial / HR
• representativeness
• links between cross-industry and sectoral SD
• links between EU and national levels of SD
• rebuilding trust ‘after’ the crisis
• BREXIT

27. 3. Challenges in turbulent times (EU level)
• output of ESD as hard law rather limited
– 24 European “collective agreements”
– from cross-sector to sectoral
– from soft to hard law
– from soft to even softer law

28. 4. Elements of effective social dialogue
• enabling institutional framework
• autonomy of the social partners
• strong social partners
– representative actors
– mandate and capacity to negotiate
– sufficient resources (financial and human)
– good skills (industrial relations, negotiations, language, etc.)

29. 4. Elements of effective social dialogue
• bipartism is precondition for tripartism
• mutual trust
• good level linkages between the different
levels of social dialogue
• raise awareness in society for the benefits of
social dialogue

30. Further information
• European industrial relations dictionary
• Measuring varieties of industrial relations
• Working life country profiles
• christian.welz@eurofound.europa.eu