Radni odnosi i socijalni dijalog

Ključne poruke u pogledu politike

Glavni rezultati istraživanja Eurofounda služe oblikovateljima politika kao doprinos na temelju kojeg mogu pristupiti rješavanju nekih od ključnih pitanja u tom području.

• Socijalni partneri u okviru kolektivnog pregovaranja imaju presudnu ulogu u osiguravanju pravednog postupanja s europskim radnicima te stabilnog i predvidivog okvira za poslodavce.
• Uspješno kolektivno pregovaranje, odnosno utvrđivanje zajedničkih pravila o plaćama i radnim uvjetima, omogućuje da se tržišno natjecanje među poduzećima temelji na povećanju učinkovitosti, a ne na izrabljivanju radne snage.
• Sustavi radnih odnosa u sve su većoj opasnosti zbog promjena u društvu, na tržištima rada i u organizaciji rada. To je dovelo do problema u pogledu sposobnosti ključnih aktera u sustavima radnih odnosa u državama članicama.
• Kad je riječ o plaći, rezultati pokazuju da sedmero od deset radnika u EU-u koji primaju minimalnu plaću navodi da, barem u određenoj mjeri, teško spaja kraj s krajem, a kad je riječ o ostalim radnicima, to navodi manje od petero od deset radnika. Međutim, te se brojke znatno razlikuju među zemljama. U kontekstu pandemije, minimalne plaće mogu imati ulogu u kombinaciji politika čija je svrha stabilizacija dohodaka, i samim time potražnje, radi sprječavanja recesije ili depresije.
• Uspješnost europskog socijalnog dijaloga ovisi o snažnim vezama s nacionalnom razinom kako bi program EU-a i dalje bio relevantan te kako bi se autonomni sporazumi EU-a svrhovito provodili na nacionalnoj razini.
• Iako je iz europskog socijalnog dijaloga proizašlo nekoliko zajedničkih inicijativa, sklopljen je malen broj sporazuma. U nekim je sektorima izražena zabrinutost da su zahtjevi socijalnih partnera za provedbu sporazuma u okviru europskog zakonodavstva odbijeni te se smatra da je potrebno uspostaviti bolju povezanost razine EU-a i nacionalne razine.
• Trend smanjenja sindikalne gustoće razlog je za zabrinutost u brojnim državama članicama. Određeni oblik predstavljanja zaposlenika prisutan je u manje od jedne trećine poduzeća (s više od deset radnika) u EU-u (29 %). Zakonski su zahtjevi ključan razlog postojanja predstavljanja.
• Kolektivno pregovaranje i dalje je u središtu sustava radnih odnosa u EU-u. Oblikovatelji politika trebali bi iskoristiti krizu uzrokovanu bolešću COVID-19 za uvođenje novih inicijativa usmjerenih na promicanje, jačanje i podupiranje kolektivnog pregovaranja.
• Osim truda koji ulažu socijalni partneri, za uspostavljanje uspješnog socijalnog dijaloga i radnih odnosa koji dobro funkcioniraju potrebna su javna sredstva i potpora javnih tijela. Oblikovatelji politika trebali bi istražiti nove načine prijenosa znanja, pribavljanja resursa ili suradnje sa socijalnim partnerima na razini EU-a i nacionalnoj razini.
• Očuvanje i promicanje pravednih i uravnoteženih radnih odnosa koji dobro funkcioniraju ključno je za osiguranje uključivog i održivog rasta i društvenog napretka u EU-u. Uslijed pandemije bolesti COVID-19 to će isto tako bitno pridonijeti radu oblikovatelja politika na integraciji društvene i gospodarske dimenzije EU-a u skladu s europskim stupom socijalnih prava.

During 2021–2024, Eurofound will provide important insights into the challenges and prospects in the area of industrial relations and social dialogue in the EU. With a long-established expertise in this field, Eurofound explores the main developments affecting the actors, processes and key outcomes of industrial relations. It compares national systems of industrial relations, including national social dialogue and collective bargaining. Building on its EU PolicyWatch database created in 2020, Eurofound will monitor policy initiatives by governments, social partners and other actors to cushion the social and economic fallouts of the crisis, as well as to assist in the recovery efforts. Its regular reporting on pay setting, minimum wage and working time developments, as well as working life outcomes, will be ongoing.

Eurofound’s expertise supports the capacity-building of the social partners to achieve effective social dialogue, and the Agency promotes the development of the European social dialogue by looking at the representativeness of social partner organisations in different sectors to assess their eligibility to participate in social dialogue committees.

Eurofound’s research aims to assist the European institutions, national public authorities and social partners at various levels to address the challenges facing the EU and at national level in the areas of policy formation, social dialogue, collective bargaining and the regulation of employment relations.

The Agency’s work programme is aligned with the European Commission’s political guidelines over the next four years, directly feeding into a number of key policy areas aimed at creating a strong social Europe. In particular, Eurofound will support the policy initiatives under the European Pillar of Social Rights linked to social dialogue and the involvement of workers, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific findings will be available to inform the European policy debate on minimum wages and pay transparency, as well as on working time. In consultation with the European Commission, Eurofound will continue its focused work on European social dialogue through its series of representativeness studies in selected sectors.

• European Commission: Priorities 2019–2024: An economy that works for people
• European Commission: Priorities 2019–2024: A new push for European democracy

In 2024, Eurofound continues its national monitoring of trends and developments in industrial relations, social dialogue, collective bargaining and working life regulations and outcomes. 

To support European social dialogue, in 2024 the Agency plans to publish studies on the representativeness of social partner organisations in six sectors: construction, extractive industries, chemical sector, road transport including urban public transport, postal and courier services, and graphical industries. In addition, studies are ongoing on the following sectors: agriculture, temporary agency work, ports, maritime transport, tanning and leather, footwear, sugar, inland waterway transport, central government administration, railways and commerce. Eurofound continues its work on initiatives to support capacity building for effective social dialogue. In 2024, the Agency launches a new phase of Tripartite Exchange Seminars in collaboration with the European Training Foundation, Cedefop and the European Environment Agency.

Eurofound carries out its annual exercise of examining the involvement of national social partners in policymaking, in the context of the European Semester process and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, which in 2024 includes findings on the role of tripartite discussions held in Economic and Social Councils in Member States having such bodies. The contribution made by sectoral social partners to the implementation of reforms and investments included in the Recovery and Resilience Plans is also analysed, looking at policy processes that link European and national policy agendas. 

Eurofound’s EU PolicyWatch database continues to capture relevant policy initiatives by governments, social partners and other actors, including those taken to mitigate the socioeconomic consequences of the war in Ukraine, as well as those related to the twin transition.

Work on outcomes in collective bargaining agreements beyond the topic of pay concludes in 2024 and the results and dataset are planned for 2025. Research also concludes on how larger increases in statutory minimum wages affect collective bargaining and collectively agreed wages for low-paid groups. 

Eurofound collaborates with the European Institute for Gender Equality in 2024 to investigate further experiences with the implementation of gender pay transparency measures, with a focus also on those Member States that have recently introduced new legislation, and how the ‘work of equal value principle’ is defined and implemented.

The annual reviews on minimum wages and on working time in the EU continue in 2024. The working life country profiles are also being updated. The ongoing monitoring of industrial relations systems includes regular updates to the European Industrial Relations Dictionary.

• Resource: EU PolicyWatch
• Pilot: Minimum wages pilot project
• Resource: European Industrial Relations Dictionary