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August 2005

• 26 Aug 2005
  Denmark: European Court of Human Rights to rule on closed-shop agreements<#PDF_LINK>

  In June 2005, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg held a hearing on two applications by Danish workers questioning whether the existence of closed-shop agreements in Denmark is in compliance with the right to freedom of association laid down in the European Convention on Human Rights. The case has fundamental importance for Danish trade unions and indirectly for the country's model of labour market regulation. The Court's judgment is expected in autumn 2005.

• 25 Aug 2005
  Slovenia: Compliance with principle of free collective bargaining questioned<#PDF_LINK>

  In summer 2005, the issue of the compliance of Slovenian labour law with the principle of free collective bargaining has again been highlighted by a government proposal to ratify ILO Convention No. 154 on the promotion of collective bargaining, and the preparation of a report on national implementation of the European Social Charter (which includes the provision that all workers and employers have the right to bargain collectively). Concerns centre on the involvement in bargaining of employers' bodies with compulsory membership and legislative provisions that essentially make the conclusion of sectoral collective agreements compulsory.

• 25 Aug 2005
  Italy: Bargaining reform is key issue at Cisl congress<#PDF_LINK>

  In July 2005, Cisl, one of Italy's three main trade union confederations, held its 15th national congress in Rome. Delegates discussed a number of issues of crucial national importance, including the economy, work, industrial relations and reform of the welfare state. The main topic of debate was restructuring of the current collective bargaining system. Cisl has proposed a reform of the system and agreement on the issue will now be sought with the other two union confederations (as confirmed by the Cgil confederation at the congress). The congress also saw a renewed initiative by Cisl to establish a timetable and methods for the reorganisation of industrial relations in Italy, in which Cisl would have a leading role.

• 25 Aug 2005
  Netherlands: Social partners to play greater role under simplified Working Conditions Act<#PDF_LINK>

  In July 2005, the Dutch government accepted a recommendation from the tripartite Social and Economic Council (SER) on reform of the Working Conditions Act. This involves giving the social partners greater responsibility in the implementation of health and safety at work and cutting the number of rules and regulations, by distinguishing between objectives and means. The government will take responsibility for the objectives, with the Labour Inspectorate monitoring compliance, and employers and employees becoming jointly responsible for the methods used to achieve the objectives.

• 25 Aug 2005
  Denmark: Decline in union membership continues<#PDF_LINK>

  According to a paper drawn up by the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) in summer 2005, the decline in trade union membership in Denmark continues, with overall union density falling from 83.1% in 1996 to 78.5% in 2005. LO, the largest confederation, has experienced a continuous fall in membership over the past decade, while the other two confederations have seen their membership stagnate. Much of the drop in LO membership is explained by changes in the composition of the population and employment.

• 24 Aug 2005
  Italy: Company agreements signed at Manpower and Obiettivo Lavoro<#PDF_LINK>

  In May 2005, the main trade union organisations in the services sector signed company agreements for the employees of Manpower and Obiettivo Lavoro, two of the largest temporary work agencies in Italy. In the case of Manpower, this is the first company agreement covering its employees. The main points concern trade union rights and the regulation of shifts, holidays and leave. At Obiettivo Lavoro, the performance-related pay part of a company agreement concluded in 2002 has been renewed

• 24 Aug 2005
  France: Minimum wage rise restores single rate but causes concerns<#PDF_LINK>

  The hourly rate of France's SMIC national minimum wage was increased by 5.5% to EUR 8.03 from July 2005. Combined with lower rises in the various special guaranteed monthly wage rates for workers who have moved to the 35-hour week, this means that there is now again a single SMIC rate, after several years in which a range of rates applied. The employment minister has asked for a report assessing the minimum wage by the end of 2005, raising concerns among trade unions that the current mechanisms for calculating and adjusting the SMIC may come under threat.

• 24 Aug 2005
  France: Debate on social inequality and poverty indicators<#PDF_LINK>

  The National Council for Statistical Information, a forum for discussion between producers and users of statistics in France - including the social partners - debated the measurement of inequality at its plenary meeting in February 2005. The main topics in the discussion were the responsiveness of public statistics providers and the capacity of their tools to reflect economic and social change..

• 24 Aug 2005
  France: Government approves 67 competitiveness centres<#PDF_LINK>

  In July 2005, the French government gave official approval to 67 competitiveness centresto be created in 2006, including 13 seen as suited for projects on a worldwide scale. Around 3,000 research posts are to be created in 2006 and an estimated 400,000 jobs could be created or saved by these new specialised industrial innovation projects. The social partners have given mixed reactions to the initiative.

• 24 Aug 2005
  Italy: Confindustria proposes changes to bargaining structure<#PDF_LINK>

  In late July 2005, the executive committee of Confindustria, the major Italian employers’ association, and the presidents of its regional branches discussed a provisional document proposing reform of the collective bargaining structure established by the national tripartite agreement of 23 July 1993. The document - the definitive version of which will be submitted to the trade unions in September - reaffirms the validity and efficiency of the current two-tier bargaining system but emphasises a need to improve the mechanisms that guarantee compliance with the rules, in particular those on the right to strike and no-strike clauses. The proposals relaunches a dialogue between the social partners on the bargaining structure that broke down in 2004 when the unions failed to reach a consensus on the issue.

• 23 Aug 2005
  Bulgaria: Social dialogue in public emergency services examined<#PDF_LINK>

  A national tripartite workshop on the ILO's 2003 Guidelines on social dialogue in public emergency services in a changing environment was held in Bulgaria in April 2005. The article presents the main findings of a survey of employment conditions and workers' rights in public emergency services presented at the event, the discussions at the workshop, and the recommendations of the social partners.

• 23 Aug 2005
  Bulgaria: Labour market flexibility trends examined<#PDF_LINK>

  Official data for 2004 indicate that the Bulgarian labour market still has a low degree of flexibility. Nearly 15 years since the beginning of the process of liberalisation, only 2% of employed people work part time, 8% work on a temporary basis, 10% are self-employed and a similar percentage have atypicalemployment contracts.

• 23 Aug 2005
  Czech Republic: Reform of pensions system under debate<#PDF_LINK>

  In summer 2005, reform of the pensions system is high on the political agenda in the Czech Republic. The parliamentary political parties have put forward their proposals and appointed representatives to an expert government team, which has closely analysed the consequences of the various political proposals and assessed the chances of their being put into practice. The team's conclusions support the view that the current pensions system cannot be sustained for long and that it is not possible to delay its reform. Politicians are now faced with a search for a compromise, consensus solution, but in view of the fact that parliamentary elections are due to take place in 2006 this will not be an easy task.

• 23 Aug 2005
  Poland: State Labour Inspection reports on breaches of employees' rights<#PDF_LINK>

  In July 2005, the Polish cabinet adopted a document drawn up on the basis of results of inspections carried out by the State Labour Inspection in 2004. The data indicate a reduction in the number of employers violating employees' rights with respect to remuneration and other benefits. The government has proposed new measures, such as increased fines, to deter employers from breaching labour law.

• 23 Aug 2005
  Poland: Collective agreements in 2004 examined<#PDF_LINK>

  Information published by the State Labour Inspection indicates that the number of collective agreements registered in Poland in 2004 was lower than in 2003, a year which saw an upsurge in agreements. Remuneration remains the key issue regulated by collective agreements. It is increasingly rare for collective agreements to include provisions more favourable to employees than the statutory minima laid down in the Labour Code.

• 22 Aug 2005
  Ireland: Information and consultation Bill provokes mixed reactions<#PDF_LINK>

  At the end of July 2005, the Irish Minister for Labour Affairs belatedly published the Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005, with the aim of implementing the 2002 EU information and consultation Directive. The new Bill has attracted contrasting responses from the social partners, with employers seemingly happier with its contents than trade unions.

• 22 Aug 2005
  Germany: Interim report on 2005 bargaining round<#PDF_LINK>

  In July 2005, the Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI) presented its interim report on Germany's 2005 collective bargaining round. The study evaluates collective agreements concluded in the first half of 2005, affecting about 22% of all employees covered by collective agreements. Calculated on an annual basis, the average increase in pay will be around 1.8% in 2005, which is below the average increase in 2004 (2.0%).

• 22 Aug 2005
  Finland: Extensive state pay reform under way<#PDF_LINK>

  The central social partners in the Finnish state sector agreed in December 2004 that a pay structure they have been developing since 1993 should be extended to cover all state agencies. By July 2005, over half of the sector's employees were included in the new system, whereby up to a third of pay depends on employees’ individual competence. Opposition to the pay reform has been strong among border guards and university staff. They have argued that the reform increases competition and hierarchies among employees and leads to wider pay differentials.

• 22 Aug 2005
  United Kingdom: Health care assistants fill nursing gap<#PDF_LINK>

  In July 2005, the UK public service Unison held its second annual conference for health care assistants with major speeches by the health secretary and other senior National Health Service officials. This article highlights the rapid growth in the role and number of health care assistants in response to staff shortages among registered nurses, and the key issues facing this increasingly important group of workers.

• 22 Aug 2005
  EU Level: Social partners reply to European Commission on restructuring and EWCs<#PDF_LINK>

  In July 2005, the European Trade Union Confederation and the private sector employers’ body UNICE responded formally to a European Commission Communication on restructuring and the role of European Works Councils. This article highlights the key points of the two organisations’ submissions.

• 22 Aug 2005
  Malta: Sympathy strikes threatened against government’s restructuring policy<#PDF_LINK>

  In August 2005, Malta's General Workers Union threatened nationwide industrial action in sympathy with public employees who are faced with redundancy. The dispute started with a government decision to close a state-owned printing company, which will result in 35 workers losing their jobs.

• 15 Aug 2005
  Hungary: Pre-pension programme extended to private sector<#PDF_LINK>

  The Hungarian government has extended its Premium Years Programme to the private sector, in an effort to support both older employees who are threatened by redundancy and companies facing major structural reform. The amendment was passed, despite the reservations of the social partners.

• 15 Aug 2005
  Slovenia: Government rejects proposed revision of Working Time Directive<#PDF_LINK>

  According to the Slovenian government, public health sector needs have influenced its decision not to support the compromise proposal of the European Commission (EC), to revise the Working Time Directive. At the June Social Council, the minister expressed his lack of support for the EC’s compromise proposal in relation to the 48-hour working week. However, the Union of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia stresses that the compromise proposal is acceptable and that the government is not taking into account the opinion of the social partners.

• 15 Aug 2005
  Netherlands: Tripartite agreement generates considerable conflict<#PDF_LINK>

  The 2004 autumn agreement between government and the social partners was hammered out with great difficulty. Following arduous negotiations, government and the social partners finally reached accord on wage moderation, the Occupational Disability Insurance Act (WAO), life-cycle leave arrangements and early retirement, daycare, lifelong learning, and age-related personnel policy. With the exception of wage moderation, all other topics agreed at central level appear to have generated considerable conflict during the bargaining rounds. Only 6% of the collective labour agreements were closed before June 2005. A high degree of social unrest stemmed from two issues in particular: early retirement and the level of continued wage payment during the first two-year period of illness. Other important issues within the context of social innovation and age-related personnel policy were set aside, not even making it to the negotiating table.

• 15 Aug 2005
  Poland: Social dialogue takes political swing<#PDF_LINK>

  In recent months, social dialogue in Poland has increasingly become a political issue, which could seriously diminish the likelihood of achieving a collective agreement. This issue has been particularly prevalent in central areas, although other regions are taking part in the debate. One of the main reasons for this increased interest is the upcoming general elections, which are encouraging political leaders to seek allies among the social partners.

• 15 Aug 2005
  France: Evaluation of early exit schemes<#PDF_LINK>

  An initial assessment of the July 2003 pension reform measures can now be made in terms of the uptake of early exit schemes, the buying back of annual pension credits, and early retirement after a long career. The clear increase in the number of people taking early retirement due to exposure to asbestos has provoked criticism and suggestions for reforming this retirement scheme.

• 15 Aug 2005
  France: Phenomenon of company relocation under the spotlight<#PDF_LINK>

  Company relocation is a major subject of public debate in France at present. This debate has been triggered by numerous studies based on quantitative assessments of industrial restructuring or investment abroad, as well as qualitative analyses that come under the general heading of company relocation.

• 15 Aug 2005
  Bulgaria: Guaranteed compensation for workers in the event of company bankruptcy<#PDF_LINK>

  In January 2005, new legislation was introduced which gives workers and employees in Bulgaria the right to guaranteed compensation in the event of employer insolvency. To provide for such an eventuality, contributions will to be made to a special fund at the National Social Security Institute (NSSI). The amount of these contributions will be determined every year by the Law on the Budget of the NSSI. For 2005, however, the amount is to be calculated as 0.5% of the wages and is an expense borne entirely by the employer.

• 15 Aug 2005
  Spain: New direction for Labour and Social Security Inspectorate<#PDF_LINK>

  Following debate on the monitoring of labour regulations, concern was expressed about the lack of resources and staffing, and the limited scope of the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate. The Spanish government has now taken action on this, and though some terms of agreement are still pending definition, a commitment has been made to increase the workforce and possibly to define a new professional statute. However, a large percentage of the inspectors are still dissatisfied.

• 15 Aug 2005
  Germany: Survey highlights decline in apprenticeship places<#PDF_LINK>

  On 27 June 2005, the Cologne Institute for Business Research (IW) held a press conference to publicise new figures on training prospects for young people. The survey reveals that the number of apprenticeship places available could decrease in 2005. This may, however, be offset by a decline in the number of applicants.

• 15 Aug 2005
  Slovakia: Reaping the benefits of pension reform<#PDF_LINK>

  Since January 2004, old age pensions in Slovakia have been redefined, to better reflect the personal contribution of employees and, on average, assign them a higher value. However, differences between older and new pensions have sparked significant criticism. As a result, further changes have been introduced to the recently adopted legislation. Following these changes, pension levels are likely to be lower after 1 July 2005.

• 15 Aug 2005
  Czech Republic: New law on sickness insurance<#PDF_LINK>

  Health insurance in the Czech Republic does not meet current requirements, is costly and exploited by employees and employers alike. The government has therefore decided to take action. The first step was the amendment to Act No. 54/1956 Coll., which, in 2004, significantly reduced cases of short-term disablement, but led to increased lengths of disablement. In 2005, the government made a further proposal for new legal amendments, which are currently being debated in parliament. These amendments contain substantial innovation, including an obligation for employer’s to pay compensation for the first 14 days of employee disability, an amendment which has elicited opposition. The regulation should be in place from July 2006.

• 15 Aug 2005
  Denmark: Survey shows an increase of fringe benefits as part of the wage<#PDF_LINK>

  An increasing number of Danish employees receives a so-called wage-packagewhere the actual pay is supplemented by different fringe benefits. This is the result of a survey to be published in August 2005, made by the employers’ association Danish Commerce and Service, DHS, among its member companies.

• 15 Aug 2005
  EU Countries: Évolution de la situation en matière d‘actions syndicales - 2000-2004<#PDF_LINK>

  Cette étude examine l’évolution des actions syndicales dans l’Union européenne - ainsi qu‘en Bulgarie, en Norvège et en Roumanie - entre 2000 et 2004. Des différences considérables ont été relevées entre les pays en termes de nombre d’actions syndicales, l’Espagne et l’Italie étant les pays les plus enclins à la grèveet la Pologne et la Lituanie ceux qui le sont le moins, et le niveau moyen d‘actions syndicales étant considérablement plus élevé dans les anciensÉtats membres que dans les nouveaux, même si généralement les niveaux sont globalement faibles d’un point de vue historique. Le secteur des transports et des communications et celui de l‘industrie et de la fabrication sont les plus enclins aux conflits, suivis par le secteur public au sens large (en particulier la santé/ l’action sociale et l’éducation). La cause d’action syndicale la plus courante concerne les problèmes de salaires.

• 12 Aug 2005
  Sweden: Three unions create joint union for students<#PDF_LINK>

  In May 2005, three Swedish white-collar trade unions organising in the private, central government and municipal sectors formed a new inter-unionstudents’ organisation, known as Tria, with the aim of supporting students on their way towards working life.

• 12 Aug 2005
  Slovakia: Employees have won a dispute with the employer<#PDF_LINK>

  During the last year a labour dispute over higher wages arose between the employees and the employer of a paper mill company in Ružomberok. The dispute resulted in the dismissal of some of the protesting employees and in the establishment of a new trade union organization within the company. The dismissed workers brought a charge against the employer for unfair dismissal. The employees have recently won the dispute and the employer has to appoint them back.

• 12 Aug 2005
  Poland: Miners' unions demonstrate over pensions<#PDF_LINK>

  In July 2005, Polish coal industry trade unions organised a demonstration in front of the parliament buildings in Warsaw. The unions sought to persuade parliament to devote the last session of its current term to securing the early retirement rights of miners. The pressure seemed effective, as parliament voted in favour of the unions’ demands.

• 12 Aug 2005
  Poland: The Amended Employment Promotion Act Legislation Reaches End<#PDF_LINK>

  On 17 June the lower house of parliament (the Sejm) passed by a great majority of votes the governmental amendment to the Employment Promotion and Labour Market Institutions Act. In the end of July, the upper house of parliament (the Senate) is bound to finish working on the amendment and pass it forward to the President, whose signature will close the legislative process.

• 12 Aug 2005
  Poland: Workers protest against French investors<#PDF_LINK>

  In July 2005, the employees of a number of French-owned companies in Poland protested against these investors’ policies. The trade unions concerned accuse the French employers of lowering wages, making mass redundancies and cutting employment conditions..  

• 12 Aug 2005
  Latvia: Amendments to the Labor Law support the fight against all forms of discrimination<#PDF_LINK>

  In order to remove the possibility of there being any form of discrimination and to adopt the requirements of the European Union Directive on ensuring equal opportunity between men and women, the government has passed the latest amendments to the Labor Law which restrict discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation, promote the observance of equal opportunity when employing pregnant women, protect employees who provide information about misdemeanors or criminal activities in the workplace, and also bring in other changes.

• 12 Aug 2005
  France: EU Directives applied in civil service<#PDF_LINK>

  A law was passed in France in July 2005 on the application in the civil service of various aspects of EU employment legislation. The new law regulates the use of fixed-term contracts in the civil service and introduces provisions on the reduction of precarious forms of employment, free movement and the fight against discrimination.

• 12 Aug 2005
  Italy: European strike in protest at Electrolux restructuring<#PDF_LINK>

  On 12 July 2005, workers at the Italian and German factories of Electrolux, the Swedish-based home appliance manufacturer, held a strike to protest at the company's restructuring plans, which include plant closures and job losses.

• 12 Aug 2005
  Czech Republic: Largest trade union holds congress<#PDF_LINK>

  The Czech Metalworkers' Federation KOVO (Odborový svaz KOVO, OS KOVO) is the Czech Republic's largest trade union, with some 200,000 members. It held its congress in June 2005, adopting a a new programme and electing a new executive board.

• 12 Aug 2005
  Finland: Border guards' strike ends<#PDF_LINK>

  Negotiations between the Finnish Frontier Guard authority and the Border Guard Union concluded on 28 June 2005. The border guards ended their strike the following day and their union’s council approved the settlement on 18 July. The definition of essential workduring industrial action became a particularly sensitive issue during the negotiations; both the Frontier Guard and the government took steps to limit the effects of the strike by attempting to give supervisors the right to perform strikers' duties. Both attempts were ultimately blocked.

• 12 Aug 2005
  EU Level: Informal Council discusses employment<#PDF_LINK>

  In July 2005, EU employment ministers met informally in Belfast, Northern Ireland, under the UK Presidency. The theme of the meeting was to find ways of increasing employment and improving social cohesion.

• 12 Aug 2005
  Latvia: Specialised civil servants demand better pay and conditions<#PDF_LINK>

  As part of a campaign to secure the rights of specialised civil servants, the Latvian Police Society planned to organise a picket in Riga on 16 August 2005 - the day when the government was to decide on amendments to the 2005 state budget. Firefighters and border guards were to join the police officers' protests, which focus on pay rises, and payment of childbirth, vacation and other allowances stipulated by law.

• 12 Aug 2005
  Greece: Triumph subsidiary to close<#PDF_LINK>

  In late June 2005, the German-based lingerie manufacturer Triumph International announced its intention to close down its production department in Greece, a decision involving the dismissal of around 350 workers, most of them women.

• 11 Aug 2005
  Austria: Future of Austrian social partnership after the EU enlargement discussed<#PDF_LINK>

  At the end of June, representatives of the social partners and the government discussed the future outlook for the Austrian social partnership after the EU enlargement at an EIRO event in Austria. It turned out that this subject matter is strongly linked with the European social dialogue and the development of the Austrian social partnership during the last years.

• 11 Aug 2005
  Ireland: Waterford Crystal redundancy plan unveiled<#PDF_LINK>

  Workers in the world famous glass manufacturer, Waterford Crystal, are currently examining a comprehensive set of restructuring proposals, which include redundancy payouts up to EUR 116,000, deferred pension options, relocation payments and redeployment terms.

• 11 Aug 2005
  Ireland: Top peopleget 7.5% interimaward<#PDF_LINK>

  Top public servants, including senior politicians and judges, have been awarded an interim pay increase of 7.5% by the Higher Review Body on Remuneration, with the Body set to commence a further study that will focus on pension and performance bonus issues.

• 11 Aug 2005
  United Kingdom: Draft age discrimination legislation published<#PDF_LINK>

  In July 2005, the Department of Trade and Industry published draft Employment Equality (Age) Regulations for consultation. The Regulations are intended to implement the age discrimination provisions of the EU framework equal treatment Directive, and are due to come into force in October 2006.

• 11 Aug 2005
  Germany: New website for wage information in Germany<#PDF_LINK>

  The Institute for Economic and Social Research (WSI) launched in July 2005 the starting version of a new non commercial and free of charge online salary check on www.lohnspiegel.de. The salary check is a key product of a website which is established with the support of the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB) and its affiliates. This website aims at providing users with online information on wages, salaries, bonus payments and other labour market-related information. It is part of a European project co-ordinated by the AIAS-Institute of the University of Amsterdam. The project involves research about wage differentials, the gender pay gap, collective bargaining coverage and working time preferences.

• 11 Aug 2005
  Germany: Study confirms positive impact of work-life balance policies<#PDF_LINK>

  In June 2005, the German Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Renate Schmidt, presented a study on work-life balance as a motor for economic growth and social stability. The Prognos AG found that family-friendly policies not only increased the success of enterprises, as a result of productivity gains, but also fostered economic growth because they helped to raise labour force participation rates.

• 11 Aug 2005
  France: Uncertain Future for La Samaritaine Workers<#PDF_LINK>

  La Samaritaine, a Parisian department store with iconic status, closed for an unspecified period in June 2005. Safety work being carried out is said to make it impossible for the store to re-open in less than 6 years. Its 1,500 workers have been left in limbo.

• 11 Aug 2005
  France: French Bosses Elect Female President to Head of MEDEF<#PDF_LINK>

  On 5 July 2005, The General Assembly of the Movement of French Business (Mouvement des entreprises de France, MEDEF) elected 46 year-old Laurence Parisot to the Chair of the main French employers’ association. This election sees a woman accede to this position of great responsibility at a moment when plenty of sensitive issues are on the agenda. The new Chair will come under close scrutiny.

• 11 Aug 2005
  Italy: Strike within the local public transport sector<#PDF_LINK>

  On Friday, 15 July 2005 local public transport workers went on strike in support of their demand for payment when on sick leave. The local public transport companies Association unilaterally decided to reduce the sick pay provisions of the national collective labour contract.

• 11 Aug 2005
  Italy: Recent report highlights the growing gap in economic performance between Northern and Southern Italy.<#PDF_LINK>

  The 2005 report on the Southern Italian economy has signalled a widening gap between the Centre-North and the South. In Southern Italy, the GDP is growing slowly, employment is declining and the unemployed are abandoning the labour market and returning once again to fuel internal migration.

• 11 Aug 2005
  Belgium: BASF in Feluy to undergo restructuring<#PDF_LINK>

  The German chemicals giant BASF announced on 15 June the shutdown of its main production lines at its Feluy site (southern Belgium). The restructuring is expected to result in the loss of 203 of a total of 306 jobs and to slash current production capacity at the Feluy site by 75 to 80%. Management and unions are set to meet on 5 September to begin talks on the social planks of the restructuring plan.

• 11 Aug 2005
  Cyprus: Government initiative to enforce equal pay<#PDF_LINK>

  In June 2005, the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance communicated to the social partners a circular on the furtherance and immediate implementation of the provisions on equal pay for men and women for similar work or work of equal value.

• 11 Aug 2005
  EU Level: 2006 is declared European worker mobility year <#PDF_LINK>

  In June 2005, the European Commission stated that 2006 would be the European Year for mobility of workers. The aim of this is to encourage EU citizens to work abroad and in different sectors in their home country, to enable them to benefit from new skills and experience.

• 11 Aug 2005
  EU Level: European conference on demographic change<#PDF_LINK>

  A major conference on demographic change in the EU was held in July 2005, to debate issues raised by a Green Paper published by the European Commission in March 2005.

• 03 Aug 2005
  EU Countries: Minimum wages in Europe<#PDF_LINK>

  Nearly three-quarters of EU Member States have some form of statutory national minimum wage, with sectoral collective agreements playing the main role in setting minimum pay rates in the remainder of the countries. This comparative study (which also includes Bulgaria, Romania and Norway) examines these minimum wage systems, looking at: current rates (both absolute and as a proportion of average wages) and their recent development; beneficiaries; the existence of differentiated rates (eg for young workers); adjustment mechanisms; enforcement; the role and positions of governments and social partners; and current academic debates on the issue.