European Social Dialogue in the metal
industry
People to People Programme
DG Enlargement,
Brussels 17th December 2008
Andrea Husen-Bradley,
European Metalworkers’ Federation
Brussels, 17/12/2008
European Social Dialogue in the metal
industry
This Presentation
Developing the social dialogue in the European metal sector:
Evolution and EMF strategy
EMF social dialogue activities
Outlook
Brussels, 17/12/2008
Developing the Social Dialogue in the European
Metal Sector
Weak social dialogue - a characteristic of metal
sector at European level during 80s and 90s
Metal sectoral level
• Mid-80s and 90s: European SD develops but not in
metal sector
• Metal employers (WEM) oppose Europe as a level of
SD activity
• Employers organisationally weak in Europe
Sub-sectoral level
• Steel sector an exception: ECSC Consultative
Committee was the birthplace of the European
structured social dialogue
Developing the Social Dialogue in the European
Metal Sector
Developing a social dialogue strategy
•EMF Copenhagen Congress 1999: social dialogue
development becomes a political priority (4th pillar)
•Creating structural pre-conditions: negotiation mandate
•Strategic focus on sub-sectoral level and European industry
associations. Aim: sectoral social dialogue committees
•2001: EC gives negotiation mandate for establishing social
dialogues in pilot sectors: steel, shipbuilding, automobile
•some success:
-shipbuilding social dialogue committee 2003
-ad hoc EMF/WEM work group “skills shortages” 20012003
•Steel: lagging, automobile: not viable
Developing the Social Dialogue in the European
Metal Sector
2005/2006: The strategy is paying off!
Sub-sectoral Level
•Steel social dialogue committee launched 21st June 2006
•First sectoral social dialogue agreement in metal sector
(SDA on protection from silicia dust, foundry sector)
•Several dialogues in preparation: automotive, non-ferrous
metals
Metal Sectoral Level
•Formal launch of social dialogue with CEEMET (without
Commission)
•Formal participation of CEEMET in multisectoral negotiation
platform on silica
EMF Social Dialogue Activities
•
•
•
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Shipbuilding
Steel
The NEPSI agreement
Dialogue with CEEMET
EMF Social Dialogue Activities:
SHIPBUILDING
• History of pragmatic cooperation and joint
action between EMF and CESA (sector crisis,
trade conflicts)
• Formal social dialogue committee established in
2003 – the first in the metal sector
• 4 priority areas in first work programme:
– Develop a common understanding of the sector
– Improve skills and training
– Improve the image of the sector
– Manage cyclical changes in demand
EMF Social Dialogue Activities:
SHIPBUILDING
Develop a common understanding of the
sector
• Monitoring market and policy developments in
committee meetings (CESA, EMF, sometimes
external speakers)
• European shipyards survey (structure,
production, employment)
EMF Social Dialogue Activities:
SHIPBUILDING
Improve skills and training
• 1st joint workshop October 2005, Trieste:
– best practice exchanges on managment of
qualifications and organisation of training
activities
• 2nd workshop planned for June 2008, NL:
– study on demographic change, skills needs
and qualification requirements
– Best practice exchanges on skills
development
EMF Social Dialogue Activities:
SHIPBUILDING
Manage cyclical changes
• identification of existing instruments in EU
Member States to manage variations in the
workload of shipyards (in cooperation with
Dublin Foundation)
• compilation of a « tool box » as a point of
reference for national social partners
EMF Social Dialogue Activities:
SHIPBUILDING
Improve the image of the sector
• Joint image campaigns
• 1st European shipyard week March 2006
– High-level European conference in European
Parliament
– Activities at the national level (open days in
yards, regional and national conferences
etc.)
• 2nd European shipyard week April 2008
– European kick-off event, national activities
EMF Social Dialogue Activities:
STEEL
• Long history of social dialogue
• Consultative Committee of European Coal and
Steel Community (ECSC) operates for 50 years
• Following expiry of ECSC Treaty (2002) EMF
and Eurofer establish a social dialogue
committee in 2006
• Work programme establishes 4 work groups
– WG1 – Health & Safety and Improvement of Workplace
Conditions
– WG2 – Training and Life-long Learning
– WG3 – Structural Change in the Steel Industry
– WG4 – Joint political declarations
EMF Social Dialogue Activities:
STEEL
• Slow start
• Until May 2007 work group meetings with
difficulties of representation on both sides
• June 2007 plenary meeting with clear intent to
make a new start
• Joint policy statement on emission trading in
preparation
EMF Social Dialogue Activities:
The NEPSI agreement
• Agreement establishes sector-specific measures and
principles aimed at preventing or minimizing
exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS)
• First social dialogue agreement negotiated and
signed in European metal sector
• Negotiated within the multi-sectoral Negotiation
Platform on Silica (NePSi) by sectors exposed to
RCS:
5 Extractive Sectors: Aggregates (UEPG), Cement (Cembureau),
Industrial Minerals (IMA-Europe), Mines (Euromines), Natural Stones (EuroRoc)
9 consumer sectors: Ceramics (Cerame-Unie), Foundry (CAEF/CEEMET),
Glass fibre (APFE), Special (ESGA), Container (FEVE) & Flat Glass (GEPVP),
Mineral Wool (EURIMA), Mortar (EMO), and Pre-cast Concrete (BIBM)
with their Unions’ representatives (EMCEF & EMF)
EMF Social Dialogue Activities:
The NEPSI agreement
An innovative initiative
• Fourth Autonomous SDA after telework (2002),
European licence for drivers carrying out a cross-border
interoperability service (2004) and work-related stress
(2004) agreements
• First multi-sectoral European Agreement (usually
sectoral agreements)
• First agreement also signed by non-social partners
having successfully been scrutinised by the EC as
representative of their sectors
• First Agreement to be supported by a structured
reporting process through a Council set up by the
Parties
EMF Social Dialogue Activities:
CEEMET
• After years of metal employers' opposition a
social dialogue structure was established in
January 2006 (outside Commission
framework)
• Two work groups on:
– Competitiveness and employment
– Education and training
• Joint application for establishment of SSDC
September 2008
EMF Social Dialogue Activities:
CEEMET
Competitiveness and employment:
• Joint paper on key principles and pre-conditions
for strengthening competitiveness and
delivering high quality and sustainable
employment in the European metal sector
• Themes:
– the role of innovation, employee skills and R&D;
– the need for better quality regulation;
– increasing productivity and controlling costs
– the role of employer/employee relations
EMF Social Dialogue Activities:
CEEMET
Education and training:
• Continues the work of the first EMF/CEEMET ad hoc work
group that concluded its work in 2003 with a joint report
on skills shortages and a joint conference
• Update on major national and European developments in
addressing skills shortages
• Joint conclusions on the principles, methods and
limitations in the area of anticipating skills requirements
• Proposed action points:
– Identify future skill requirements in some core occupations
of metal sector
– Establish a network between national skills observatories
– Monitor jointly Commission project on emerging
competencies
EMF Social Dialogue Activities
Outlook
• Develop social dialogue as a strategic tool to implement
EMF policies (IP, CBP, CP)
• More binding results
• Moving beyond discussions on industrial and economic
developments
• European social standards (restructuring, CSR, health &
safety etc.)
• Implementation at national level
• Consolidate and further develop exisiting dialogues
• Prepare and launch SD in other sectors
• Support SD capacity building in new EU Member States
Thank you for your attention!