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Arbeitsbeziehungen

Gewerkschaften, Arbeitgeberorganisationen und Behörden spielen eine Rolle bei der Governance der Arbeitsbeziehungen. Sie sind miteinander verbundene Teile der auf europäischer, nationaler, sektoraler, regionaler und auf Unternehmensebene bestehenden Systeme. Angesichts von Technologien und Arbeitsformen, die sich in einem ständig wandelnden wirtschaftlichen Umfeld entwickeln, waren die Systeme der Arbeitsbeziehungen in den vergangenen Jahren mit kritischen Herausforderungen konfrontiert.

In diesem Zusammenhang hat die Europäische Kommission 2015 einen „Neustart für den sozialen Dialog“ in Europa auf den Weg gebracht. In einer gemeinsamen Erklärung von Juni 2016 betonten die Kommission, der Rat der Europäischen Union und die Sozialpartner seine wesentliche Rolle als wichtiger Bestandteil der Beschäftigungs- und Sozialpolitik der EU.

Topic

Recent updates

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Mindestlöhne im Jahr 2024: Jährlicher Bericht

This 2024 annual review of minimum wages provides a synopsis of minimum wage setting during 2023 in the EU27 and Norway. It reports in detail on the processes and outcomes...

26 Juni 2024
Publication
Research report

EU context

Tätigkeiten von Eurofound

Im Laufe von über 40 Jahren hat sich Eurofound zu einem wichtigen Kompetenzzentrum für die Beobachtung und Analyse von Trends bei den Arbeitsbeziehungen entwickelt. Dazu zählen Verbindungen zwischen dem sozialen Dialog auf europäischer und nationaler Ebene. Gestützt auf die Kenntnisse seines Netzwerks europäischer Korrespondenten in den 28 EU-Mitgliedstaaten sowie Norwegen hat die Stiftung die Entwicklungen in allen Mitgliedstaaten und in der EU insgesamt erfasst. 

Wichtige Beiträge

Eurofound hat eine Reihe von vergleichenden Analysen, Artikeln und Fallstudien in den 28 EU-Mitgliedstaaten und Norwegen im Bereich Arbeitsbeziehungen erstellt sowie regelmäßig aktualisierte Datenbanken zu verwandten Themen aufgebaut.

In einer vor Kurzem durchgeführten Studie werden die zentralen Dimensionen und Indikatoren, die für die Systeme der Arbeitsbeziehungen in Europa im 21. Jahrhundert von Bedeutung sind, erfasst und erörtert. Ein weiteres Forschungsthema war die Frage, wie die Sozialpartner in der EU und Norwegen auf neue Themen, Instrumente und innovative Konzepte eingegangen sind, um auf die zahlreichen neuen politischen, rechtlichen und sozialen Herausforderungen zu reagieren, die in den letzten Jahren entstanden sind.

Arbeitsentgelt und Arbeitszeit sind nach wie Bereiche von großem Interesse und werden jährlich überprüft. Ein Teilbereich der jüngsten Aktualisierung zum Arbeitsentgelt konzentriert sich auf die Höhe des gesetzlichen Mindestlohns in der EU, ein anderer auf die Tarifverhandlungen.

Seit 2006 führt Eurofound im Auftrag der Europäischen Kommission Studien zur Repräsentativität der europäischen Sozialpartnerorganisationen durch.

Ressourcen

Berichterstattung über Entwicklungen im Arbeitsleben

Eurofound bietet systematische und vergleichbare Daten zu nationalen Systemen der Arbeitsbeziehungen und Entwicklungen im Arbeitsleben durch Beobachtungs- und Berichterstattungsinstrumente, die sich auf Beiträge seines Netzwerks von europäischen Korrespondenten in den 28 EU-Mitgliedstaaten und Norwegen stützen.

 

Key outputs

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Arbeitszeit in den Jahren 2021/2022

This report examines the average weekly working hours across Europe in 2021 and 2022. It covers important developments resulting from legislative reforms in collective bargaining at national or sectoral level...

24 Oktober 2023
Publication
Research report
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Mindestlöhne im Jahr 2021: Jährlicher Bericht

Der Bericht über Mindestlöhne im Jahr 2023 wurde vor dem Hintergrund einer beispiellosen Inflation in ganz Europa erstellt. Obwohl im Zuge der Inflation die Nominallöhne in vielen Ländern angeboten wurden...

29 Juni 2023
Publication
Research report
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Mit der Zeit gehen Kommende Praktiken und Regelungen in Tarifverhandlungen

In diesem Bericht werden jüngste Entwicklungen und aufkommende Praktiken bei Tarifverhandlungen und deren Ergebnisse, hauptsächlich im Privatsektor, untersucht. Erfasst wurden Tarifverhandlungssysteme in 10 EU-Mitgliedstaaten, wobei auf Basis von Interviews mit...

31 August 2022
Publication
Research report
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Arbeitsbeziehungen: Entwicklungen in den Jahren 2015 bis 2019

Im Rahmen ihres Auftrags, den Dialog zwischen Arbeitgebern und Arbeitnehmern zu fördern, überwacht und analysiert Eurofound seit über 40 Jahren die Entwicklungen der Systeme der Arbeitsbeziehungen auf EU-Ebene und in...

11 Dezember 2020
Publication
Flagship report

Current and ongoing research

 

Other ongoing work

    • Social dialogue in companies, particularly linkages that can be drawn between national and EU level, to better understand of cooperation mechanisms used in decision-making and implementation in multinational companies
    • Exploration of the role of national social partners in the European semester and analysis of quality and effectiveness of their involvement
    • Summary of discussions on capacity-building social dialogue to support a meaningful and effective social dialogue
    • A flagship report on industrial relations covering topics related to both social dialogue and working life developments, including updates on collectively agreed pay
    • Representativeness studies on a variety of sectors to provide the European Commission required information to assess the representativeness of European sectoral social partner organisations
    • Highlights of recent developments of selected features of working life in so called topical updates, with one featuring statutory minimum wages
    • Updated time series in EurWORK database of wages, working time and collective disputes
    • Updated time series and update on developments in collectively agreed pay
    • Exploring the feasibility for an Industrial Action Monitor

    Eurofound expert(s)

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    Ricardo Rodriguez Contreras

    Ricardo Rodriguez Contreras is a research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound and focuses on comparative industrial relations, social dialogue and collective bargaining...

    Research manager,
    Working life research unit
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    Mária Sedláková

    Mária Sedláková is a research officer in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. She is responsible for drafting overview reports for sectoral representativeness studies, management...

    Research officer,
    Working life research unit
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    Victoria Cojocariu

    Victoria Cojocariu is a research support officer for the representativeness studies in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. She is responsible for the management of the research...

    Research support officer,
    Working life research unit
    Publications results (517)

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Furniture sector

    This study aims to provide the necessary information to encourage sectoral social dialogue in the furniture sector in the EU28. The aim of Eurofound’s series of representativeness studies is to identify the relevant national and supranational social partner organisations in the field of industrial

    26 February 2016
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social partners
    Social dialogue
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Ports sector

    This study provides information designed to aid sectoral social dialogue in the ports sector. The aim of Eurofound’s series of representativeness studies is to identify the relevant national and supranational social partner organisations in the field of industrial relations in selected sectors. Top

    22 February 2016
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social partners
    Social dialogue
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Role of the social partners in the European Semester

    This report explores the involvement of peak social partners in the European Semester at EU and national level during the period 2011 to 2014. While their role in the European Semester is not set out in the European economic governance provisions (the so-called ‘Six-Pack’), the European

    16 February 2016
    Publication
    Research report
    Social partners
    Social policies
    Industrial relations
    Labour market policies
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Temporary agency work sector

    This study provides information designed to aid sectoral social dialogue in the temporary agency work sector. The study is divided into three parts: a summary of the sector’s economic and employment background; an analysis of the relevant social partner organisations in all EU Member States

    08 February 2016
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social partners
    Social dialogue
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Statutory minimum wages in the EU 2016

    In 22 out of 28 EU Member States, there is a generally applicable statutory minimum wage and the level of this minimum wage varies greatly from one country to another. This article provides information on statutory minimum wage levels and how this is determined across the EU in January 2016.

    29 January 2016
    Publication
    Research report
    Pay and income
    Working conditions
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations
    Minimum wage
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Graphical industry

    This study provides information designed to aid sectoral social dialogue in the graphical industry. The study is divided into three parts: a summary of the sector’s economic and employment background; an analysis of the relevant social partner organisations in all EU Member States, including their

    18 January 2016
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social partners
    Social dialogue
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Approaches towards the labour market integration of refugees in the EU

    This article reviews the current debate among social partners and governments about how to integrate asylum seekers into the EU's workforce. While employers claim that refugees could help to address skill shortages, unions are concerned about the consequences for the working conditions of both the

    07 January 2016
    Publication
    Research report
    Migration and mobility
    Skills and training
    Social partners
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Third European Company Survey – Direct and indirect employee participation

    This report studies practices in EU establishments for direct and indirect employee participation in decision-making. Indirect employee participation is the involvement of employee representatives in decision-making processes, while direct employee participation describes direct interaction between

    14 December 2015
    Publication
    Research report
    Social dialogue
    Participation at work
    Working time
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Working conditions
    Work organisation
    Employment and labour markets
    Employee representation
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations
    Innovation

    Turbulent times in air transport: Recent collective disputes and the ‘race to the bottom’

    Air transport has been in the news in recent months as strikes and difficulties in social dialogue across the European Union have strained relations between the sector’s unions and companies. Disputes in the different countries have revolved around pay and working conditions, restructuring and

    09 December 2015
    Publication
    Research report
    Non-standard employment
    Work organisation
    Industrial action
    Restructuring
    Working conditions
    Industrial relations
    Employment and labour markets
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Public sector is focus of industrial action

    Strike activity across the EU dropped in 2014 following a crisis-related peak in 2010. However, evidence from EurWORK correspondents suggests that the more highly unionised public sector has been a focus of industrial action recently. In general, strikes have been triggered by pay freezes and cuts

    24 November 2015
    Publication
    Research report
    Industrial action
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Online resources results (1688)

    Belgium: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

    The definition of hazardous jobs, measures to promote youth employment, a series of collective redundancies and proposals to alter wage formation are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Belgium in the third quarter of

    2 November 2016
    Article
    Restructuring
    Health and well-being at work
    Psychosocial risks
    Pay and income
    Youth
    Retirement
    Working conditions
    Industrial relations
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Italy: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

    A new legal framework for call centres, the issue of work-related fatalities, contract renewals – especially in the large retail and textile sectors – and pension reforms are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Italy

    2 November 2016
    Article
    Health and well-being at work
    Social protection
    Retirement
    Non-standard employment
    Collective bargaining
    Working conditions
    Industrial relations
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Hungary: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

    Proposals on how to tackle labour shortages, a strike by municipal employees for higher wages, and mounting tensions around reforms to education and vocational training are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Hungary

    28 Oktober 2016
    Article
    Working poor
    Skills and training
    Industrial action
    Working conditions
    Employment and labour markets
    Industrial relations
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Lithuania: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

    The adoption of laws related to the new social model, the possible consequences of Brexit for the Lithuanian economy and collective bargaining in the education sector are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Lithuania

    28 Oktober 2016
    Article
    Collective bargaining
    Labour law
    Industrial relations
    Labour and social regulation
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Portugal: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

    Good news on unemployment, criticism by social partners of sanctions on Portugal for breaking EU rules on the public deficit, and talks on increasing the minimum wage are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Portugal

    28 Oktober 2016
    Article
    Minimum wage
    Job creation
    Working conditions
    Industrial relations
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Romania: Latest working life developments - Q3 2016

    Protests and strikes, the transposition of European directives on labour relations, a wage policy to encourage some workers and attempts to improve some public sector salaries are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in

    28 Oktober 2016
    Article
    Posted workers
    Industrial action
    Labour law
    Working conditions
    Industrial relations
    Labour and social regulation
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Latvia: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

    The drafting of the State budget (including discussions on the minimum wage), civil service reforms, an agreement on the State revenue system and debates on social insurance are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in

    28 Oktober 2016
    Article
    Migration and mobility
    Minimum wage
    Pay and income
    Youth
    Working conditions
    Industrial relations
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Norway: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

    A series of strikes related to the biennial renegotiation of national collective agreements, an increase in temporary employment and the changing use of occupational health services are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working

    28 Oktober 2016
    Article
    Health and well-being at work
    Working time
    Non-standard employment
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial action
    Working conditions
    Employment and labour markets
    Industrial relations
    Labour and social regulation
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Finland: Latest working life developments - Q3 2016

    A trial of a new basic income, budgetary proposals to reduce unemployment, and conflicts between Akava and other trade union confederations are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in Finland in the third quarter of 2016.

    27 Oktober 2016
    Article
    Retirement
    Leave
    Social partners
    Social protection
    Working conditions
    Industrial relations
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue

    Croatia: Latest working life developments – Q3 2016

    The general election result, industrial relations developments, equality in the workplace, what makes a good employer, trade union education and moves to improve social dialogue are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in

    24 Oktober 2016
    Article
    Gender equality
    Skills and training
    Working conditions
    Industrial relations
    Labour and social regulation
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Blogs results (18)
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    How to ensure adequate minimum wages in an age of inflation

    Minimum wages have risen significantly in 2022, as the EU Member States leave behind the cautious mood of the pandemic. However, rising inflation is eating up these wage increases, and only flexibility in the regular minimum wage setting processes may avoid generalised losses in purchasing power amo

    15 Juni 2022
    Carlos Vacas‑Soriano
    Blog
    Pay and income
    Minimum wage
    Agreements
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations
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    New impetus to collective bargaining: Insights from the ECS

    In the context of the ongoing trend of a fall in collective bargaining coverage, and recent calls at EU level to promote collective bargaining coverage as an instrument to support fair and decent wages, new data from Eurofound’s fourth European Company Survey (ECS) show that two-thirds of workers (i

    28 Oktober 2020
    Christine Aumayr-Pintar
    Blog
    Social dialogue
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations
    Minimum wage
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    What Europe can learn from living-wage campaigns

    The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is having drastic consequences for the world of work. In most European countries workers who are not delivering essential ‘frontline’ services are being asked to stay home. Unfortunately many are out of work, while many of those who are not are minimum-wage and low

    1 April 2020
    John Hurley
    Blog
    COVID-19
    Working poor
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations
    Minimum wage
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    Fears and hopes around future minimum wages

    As one of their ‘100 days in office’ initiatives, the new European Commission intends to propose an initiative for an EU minimum wage. The aim is that by 2024 every worker in the EU should earn a fair and adequate wage, no matter where they live.

    15 Januar 2020
    Christine Aumayr-Pintar
    Blog
    Pay and income
    Industrial relations
    Minimum wage
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    Restructuring: Do unions still matter?

    Trade unions in many EU Member States face the issue of declining membership. This is a fundamental challenge for organised labour, but it is premature to speak about the redundancy unions: when it comes to important decisions affecting the workplace, restructuring being one, trade unions remain a p

    20 November 2019
    Sara Riso
    Blog
    Restructuring
    Working conditions
    Employee representation
    Industrial relations
    Employment and labour markets
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    100 years of 8-hour working days

    The International Labour Organization (ILO) met for the first time 100 years ago, and right at the top of the agenda for discussion for this new specialised UN agency was the 8-hour working day. This discussion subsequently resulted in the Hours of Work (Industry) Convention, which stated that ‘The

    12 November 2019
    Nils Brandsma
    Blog
    Working time
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    Member States still getting to grips with the single labour market

    The European Platform Tackling Undeclared Work last year documented the case of a Dutch temporary work agency that hired workers of various nationalities to work for a construction company in Belgium. The wages were suspiciously low, and the Belgian Labour Inspectorate believed that EU law guarantee

    17 Juli 2019
    Helen Burke
    Blog
    Posted workers
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Working conditions
    Undeclared work
    Fraudulent work
    Labour and social regulation
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations
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    What now for Europe?

    The votes have been cast, tallied and declared and we can now see the political landscape of the new European Parliament. It is a complex picture: there has been growth of far-right and populist parties, but well short of what was projected, and at the same time there has been a boost for pro

    30 Mai 2019
    Juan Menéndez-Valdés
    Blog
    Living conditions and quality of life
    Working conditions and sustainable work
    Industrial relations
    Employment and labour markets
    Promoting social cohesion and convergence
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    Seniority entitlements: A policy of the past, or a fix for the future?

    Seniority entitlements have largely been on the decline since the 1990s, and have been gradually phased-out from legislation in Europe, as well as in collective agreements. However, it would be premature to dismiss seniority-based entitlements as a thing of the past, as they remain in force across E

    17 April 2019
    Christine Aumayr-Pintar
    Blog
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations
    Labour law
    Pay and income
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
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    What about men?

    In this blog piece, originally published in Social Europe, Karel Fric and Camilla Galli da Bino look at the issue of discrimination against men in the workplace in Europe, and the current lack of research in this area.

    1 Mai 2018
    Karel Fric
    Blog
    Discrimination at work
    Gender equality
    Industrial relations
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Upcoming publications results (8)

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Graphical sector

    This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the graphical industry. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation

    July 2025
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social dialogue
    Social partners
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

    National social dialogue addressing the twin transition

    This report reviews the quality of the national social partners’ involvement in the implementation of the reforms and investments shaping the digital and green transition in the context of national policymaking. These reforms and investments stem mainly from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

    March 2025
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Digitalisation
    European Green Deal
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations
    Social dialogue
    Social partners

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Extractive industries sector

    This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the extractive industries sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective par

    December 2024
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social dialogue
    Social partners
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Construction sector

    This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the construction sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participatio

    December 2024
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social dialogue
    Social partners
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Chemical sector

    This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the chemical sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participation in

    December 2024
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social dialogue
    Social partners
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Road transport sector

    This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the road transport sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective participat

    December 2024
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social dialogue
    Social partners
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

    Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Postal and courier activities sector

    This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the postal and courier activities sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effec

    November 2024
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Research report
    Representativeness
    Social dialogue
    Social partners
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

    Developments in working life 2023

    This publication comprises individual country reports on developments in working life in each of the 27 EU Member States and Norway in 2023, based on national research and survey results. The topics covered include the political context in 2023; updates on the social partners and social dialogue ins

    July 2024
    Forthcoming
    Publication
    Other
    Social partners
    Working conditions
    Collective bargaining
    Industrial relations and social dialogue
    Industrial relations

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