Documents Welz, Christian 28 results

"This report maps, analyses and discusses key dimensions and indicators for a comparative framework of industrial relations. It then identifies and assesses existing data sources that can be used to measure the different dimensions of the comparative framework. Lastly, it identifies possible data gaps that may be filled through Eurofound's future work in the 2017 project, ‘Application of the key dimensions of industrial relations'. The findings highlight the relevance of the key dimensions to European governments and social partners. The conceptual framework and the key dimensions proposed may serve as a monitoring instrument to assess the developments in principles, values and their operational application in the industrial relations systems in the EU. "

"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 institutional bodies view the two sides of industry as being key to the development of the Semester, and have called for their closer involvement. This report assesses the degree to which the social partners are involved in the different stages of the European Semester procedure on matters regarding employment and social policy issues and how their involvement could be enhanced. At the same time, it examines the role played by the European Commission and the national governments in communicating the country-specific recommendations. The study also looks at the views of the social partners themselves. The report was compiled on the basis of desk research and individual national reports submitted by Eurofound's network of European correspondents covering all 28 EU Member States. An executive summary is available - see Related content."

"Since the onset of the crisis in 2008, collective wage-setting mechanisms across the EU have faced pressure to become more ‘marketized'. Surveying developments across EU Member States, this article finds profound changes in wage-setting mechanisms in some countries, alongside less far-reaching ones in some others and little, if any change, in yet others. Pressure for further marketization has particularly focused on multi-employer bargaining arrangements, which constitute a fundamental feature of wage setting in western Europe. In particular, state supports underpinning such arrangements in the six countries subject to international financial assistance have been curtailed or removed. More profound changes are shown to have been driven by government imposition rather than negotiation between employers and unions. European and international institutions have exercised considerable influence, through requirements from the ‘troika' but also through the EU's new regime of economic governance. For the Member States subject to international financial assistance, an alternative to current EU policy prescriptions is to promote mechanisms facilitating company-level negotiations within, and to reinstate state supports for, multi-employer bargaining frameworks."

"This report describes the main developments in industrial relations and working conditions in 2013 in the 28 EU Member States and in Norway, from both a national and EU-level perspective. Beginning with an overview of the current economic and political context in these countries, the report goes on to outline trends in industrial relations, including changes in the role and organisation of the social partners and the impact of government measures and legislation. The report highlights policies and initiatives, legislative developments and social dialogue in the following areas: industrial action, pay and wage-setting, working time, health and safety at work, conditions of employment – including job security, contractual arrangements, job mobility and transition – gender equality and discrimination, entry into and exit from employment, and skills development."

"This working paper examines how social dialogue has addressed the impact of the crisis. In order to make reasonable comparisons between countries as diverse as Brazil, China, Japan and the USA it is necessary to take into account the institutional, political, economic and social backgrounds. However, the purpose of this short paper was not to provide a profile of the countries included but rather to identify practices employed by the social partners in dealing with some of the great challenges caused by the crisis."

"This report documents the industrial relations situation in all 10 acceding countries – Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia – as they prepare for Economic and Monetary Union. It is based on joint research carried out by the Foundation in cooperation with the Swedish Work Life and Enlargement project. The report looks at each country's capacity to support the convergence process towards the Maastricht criteria, by means of national development programmes currently in operation. Above all, it shows how social dialogue can be harnessed to generate economic growth in conjunction with employment and social protection in these countries."

"With a particular focus on the crisis and responses to it, this annual review highlights developments in working conditions and industrial relations in the EU Member States and Norway in 2010, both at national and EU level. At national level, the report examines key issues covered by collective bargaining (pay and working time) and looks at developments in social partner activity and industrial action. It also looks at company restructuring, the impact of the crisis and approaches to pension reform in light of demographic change. At European level, it reviews the year's main events and trends in employment legislation and policy (in areas like paternity/maternity leave and working time), as well as in the European social dialogue at cross-sectoral, sectoral and company levels. The final chapter focuses on training initiatives provided or supported by enterprises for their employees during the recession."

"This reports analyses data from Eurofound's European Company Survey of 2009 to examine the incidence of performance-related pay (PRP) in European establishments and what determines it, with a specific focus on the role of employment relations. Larger establishments, those in foreign ownership, in the financial intermediation and commerce sectors, and those located in some central and eastern European countries are more likely to have a PRP scheme based on the performance of individuals. Across Europe, PRP schemes are more likely to be in place in companies that have employee representation in place."

"With the historic enlargement of May 2004, the European Union faces new challenges. How the industrial relations systems of the new Member States respond to the challenges of accession, the single market and, eventually, EMU will play a crucial role in determining the ease of their assimilation within the enlarged Union. This article, based on a research and development project undertaken by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, investigates and assesses a specific aspect of their industrial relations institutions, the mechanisms of extra-judicial conflict resolution. The existence of effective and efficient collective conflict resolution procedures and institutions strengthens social dialogue and the latter, again, plays an important role in the creation or reform of the existing dispute resolution procedures. Consequently, the article concludes that successful dispute resolution is directly correlated with the nature, scope and quality of collective bargaining and social dialogue in the new Member States."