Experiences of the participation in social dialogue at the EU level

1. Experiences of the participation in social dialogue at the EU level

2. Social dialogue • Consultation and information among social partners • Social partners: employers employees government • Form of participation: tripartite bipartite

3. History of consultation in Europe • at the level companies with the same owners/shareholders European Works Council • at the level of companies in the same sector sectoral social dialogue (SSD)

4. European Works Councils • 1990ies: influx of large corporations to Eastern Europe • elbow-room of companies increase – dependance of employees increase, too • need for a consultation forum for the multinational company as a whole • 1994 EU directive - development of the EWC

5. ENI European Works Council • established 1995: ENI – EMCEF – FILCEM, FEMCA , UILCEM • agreement renewed after 3 years • members: 1 secretary, 1 from EMCEF, 3 from Italian unions, 15 Italian, 15 European employees • meetings: once a year + special negotiating body • themes: strategic plan, employment policy, consultation

6. Positive factors in the EWC work • contacts with representatives of other affiliates • access to useful information • possibility to establish contacts among the workers representations of the different companies • joint action, raising awareness

7. Negativefactors in the EWC work • number of meetings not enough • reports do not cover all important issues • employer provides the report only at the meeting, no possibility to prepare • problems of the mother company get more emphasis than the rest • local problem cannot or only marginally be covered (wages, organisational changes)

8. Is the right for information and consultation sufficient for the EWC? • two principles clash: - the interference in the decision making mechanism of the company is an obstacle to the free disposal over the property - decisions concerning the living and working conditions of the employees are taken at the corporate (multinational) level • 2002 the EU passed new directives on EWCs: the objective is tto strengthen the dialogue between the social partners

9. Sectoral Dialogue Committees • 1963: development of the institution of sectoral social dialogue • established on the joint initiative of the social partners • task: - consultation on commondevelopments- establish and promote sectoral social dialogue

10. Developments in the work of the sectoral dialogue committees • in the beginning: joint statements, recommendations (employment, working time, vocational training) • later: voluntary agreements (low level minimum standards)

11. European Sectoral Social Dialoguie Committee Gas Industry • established: March 2007 • social partners: -EMCEF -EPSU-EUROGAS

12. 2007-2008 ECOTEC study: • the general situation of the gas industry, strengths and weaknesses • demographic changes and their impact on the gas industry

13. Guarantee qualified workforce • define required professions • keep the elderly generation active • life-long-training • attract young workers to the sector

14. Health and safety • create healthy working conditions • health checks • minimise work-related accidents

15. Social responsibility • develop joint models on labour safety and environment • present best practices, develop a tool-kit

16. The future of energy in Europe • changes in the use of gas • EU 3. Energy packagedefine the energy process until 2050

17. Annual programme 2010 • occupational health and safety • reorganisations • vocational training and qualification • equal opportunities

18. Thank you for your attention! Gyula Varga Gas Industry Trade Union Federation VDSZ