European Social Dialogue Achievements & challenges ILO seminar on social dialogue

1. European Social Dialogue Achievements & challenges ILO seminar on social dialogue

2. What is EFFAT? • The only European Federation of the trade Unions in the Agriculture, Food and tourism sector • 125 national affiliates in Europe • Representing 2.6 m trade union members in these sectors • Four main areas of work • More than 100 EWCs • Officially recognised European social partner • Agriculture, Sugar, Food Beverages, HRC, Catering

3. European Socialdialogue • AttheheartoftheEuropean Social Model • More than an informal chat , Part oftheEU Treaty (Art 152 TFEU) • ProposaloftheSocial Partner (SP) in 1991 • Social Partner: Employersand Trade unionorganisations • TwoPillars: - A structuretobalance different socialinterests(socialpillar) and - tocopewithsectoralchallengesjointly(political/sectoralpillar) • A functioning social dialogue is a competitive advantage and allows to better cope with the challenges of the crises. • Lessonofthecrises

4. EU Socialdialogue • Art 154 and 155 TFEU - theobligationofthe EU Commission - therightofthe SP tobeinformedandconsulted Information andConsultation on (a) Socialissues (b) Sectoralissues Twophasesoftheconsultation: • On possibledirectionof Community action • On contentoftheaction

5. EU Socialdialogue • Response ofthe SP: seperately, jointly, • startautonomousnegotiations (9 months) • Appliesforintersectoralaswellassectoralagreements • Implementationof SP agreement: • Internal implementationofthe SP • Implementation byLegislation/Directive Quasi legislative Function More rightsthan on national level Responsibilitymakesthedifferencebetweenthe SP andthe NGOs Implementation oftheprincipleofsubsidiarity

6. European Socialdialogue • Differences SD andCollective Bargaining • No legal provisionsfor transnational frameworkagreements, but fundamental righttostrike • SD ispartpfthe EU AcquisCommunitaire • Importantconsequencesfor national level: • EU aswellas national governmentshave not onlytotolerateandtoacceptthe SD • Theyhavetoprotect, to promote andtofacilitatethe national/sectoral SD (Art 151) • Governments: responsibleforcapacitybuilding

7. EU Socialdialogue • Intersectoral SD: Part time work, Fixed termcontracts, maternityleave, Teleworking, workrelated stress, harassmentandviolenceatwork, 60 documents • Sectoral SD: Transport: EU Directives (working time) • EFFAT SD in Agriculture, Sugar, HRC, Catering, Food Industry:

8. European Socialdialogue Someexamples • Health&Safety: multimedia Training tools (Sugar), MSD (Agriculture) • Jobs/Employment: Employability (sugar), Part time work (HRC), apprehentiships (sugar), • Training: Continuistrainingagreement (Catering), QualificationPassport (Agriculture, HRC), Hygiene Training (Catering), Future skills (Food industry) Common political initiatives (2.pillar ofthe SD) • SomeExamples: VAT (HRC), EU Sugar Reform (sugar), International Trade (sugar),Food Labelling, CAP

9. New developmentsoflabourmarkets • Segmentationanddiscrimination • Same job, but different salary and rights • PW isoneofthereasonsforsocialdumpingandunfair competition • Outcomeforworkers: workingpoor, morepoverty • Outcomeforemployers: cheaper ,but lessqualifiedandlessproductiveworkforce (Spain)

10. EFFAT documentsandtools • EFFAT Charta on precariuoswork • EFFAT roadmapimplementingthe Charta • EFFAT 10 Points on precariuoswork • EFFAT Rules on temporarywork • EFFAT website • EFFAT study on precariouswork

11. EFFAT workplan on PW • EFFAT sectorsparticularlyconcernedby PW • Seasonal, migrant, posted, temporarywork • Political aims: • Protectprecariousworker • Confineprecariouswork • Getridofprecariuoswork • Makeprecariousworkmore expensive (France) Equaltreatmentandinforcementofsociallaws By (1) legislatorand (2) socialpartner

12. 10 Points on Precariouswork • If it’s the same work it’s the same job, so it must come with the same rights and pay. • It is where you work that counts, not where you are from. The host country principle must be implemented everywhere in the EU. • All workers in Europe deserve decent minimum wage protection in all European countries. • Employment relationships must be simplified. • Precarious workers should be moved into permanent jobs.

13. 10 Points on Precariouswork • All employers need to engage in collective bargaining. • Investment in strong public employment services is essential. • Effective, well enforced regulation is needed for temp agencies. • Employers must be held to account for subcontracted workers. • Precarious workers must be organised and given a voice.

14. Temporary workers • Challenge for employees: increasing and replacing • For employers as well: often less well qualified than the company’s employees; • less motivated and less loyal towards the company • unfamiliar with the corporate culture; • less well acquainted with safety and quality standards; • more at risk of accidents; higher absenteeism rate. Many studies show that temps are ultimately costlier for the company, not cheaper!

15. Rules on temporaryagencywork • ETUC/BE: open-endedanddirectemploymentistheprimary form ofemployment • Clear agreementswitheachcompany on TaWneeded • Eualtreatmentandopportunities (EU Directive) • TW not toreplacepermanent work !! • Enforceablewrittencontractofamployment • Definedlimits on useof TAW (10% max.) • Cooperationwithcertifyed TA only • Offervacenciesto TAW first

16. Outsourcing Risks • Outsourcing: very popular, but often a mess for employees and employers as well • Deloitte‘s survey: “significant negative experiences“ (70%) • Dun & Bradstreet: 50% of projects failed • Diamond cluster International: 78% of executives terminated arrangements earlier due to poor service

17. Which are the risks ? • Loosing control over process • Additional cooperation requirements with external performer (cooperation costs) • Subcontractor less familiar with practises and standards of the company • Less commitment and motivation of the subcontracted staff • Bringing work back in-house difficult and costly • Unforeseen costs – often naive fallacy • Often not the best option

18. Some messages to employers • Real partnership instead of class struggle means Stakeholdervalue – not shareholder value • Take up the challenges of the market - do not deal too much with yourself (reorganisations) • Nothing is more de-motivating than permanent reorganisation, restructuring and cutting jobs • Learn the lessons of lean management etc. and do not let the accountants dominate HR policy • Go for the best not the cheapest options • HR has to play a strategic role

19. Some messages to employers • Ignore these new management ideas which are sold as universal remedies to all your HR challenges; • Value your staff and create a framework which allows workers to give their best performances; • Train and encourage the middle and junior management • Laws set minimum standards but these are not always the best and most appropriate standards. • Many social conflicts in companies cannot really be settled by law – only by common sense, mutual respect and compromise (win-win)

20. Some messages to employers • Employee reps in general contribute more towards the successful performance of the company than the shareholders. • Let the reps know. • Defend your long-term and sustainable strategies vis-à-vis the shareholders and ratings agencies (allies). • Do not simply tolerate social dialogue (as a necessary evil)– promote it. • The only way to cope with big challenges: jointly.

21. Thankyou www.effat.org