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European Commission» Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion» Social dialogue 28/06/2016 Issue N 2 In this issue News from the Commission Latest news from social partners Information from EU agencies Upcoming events Calls for proposals Send us your contribution Follow the EU Social Dialogue on Twitter! #eusocdia News from the Commission

27/06/2016 06/06/2016 Quadripartite statement on 'new start for social dialogue' On 27 June, Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue Valdis Dombrovskis together with Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Marianne Thyssen, signed on behalf of the Commission a statement on a 'new start for social dialogue'. The statement was co-signed by the European cross-industry social partners and by the Netherlands Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The statement underlines the fundamental role of the European social dialogue as a significant component of EU employment and social policy making. It identifies actions to be undertaken by the signatories with the aim of further strengthening social dialogue at EU and national level. More information can be found here. Consultations on European pillar of social rights As part of the consultation on the European pillar of social rights, the Commission held on 6 June a 1st hearing with EU social partners. The meeting was attended by delegations of 25 members on each side of industry representing EU crossindustry secretariats (ETUC, BUSINESSEUROPE, CEEP and UEAPME), national cross-industry organisations and EU sectoral social partners. National events on the Pillar involving national social partners are also taking place in each Member State. More information can be found here. 29/04/2016 16/06/2016 Council conclusions on 'a new start for a stronger social dialogue' On 16 June, the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council adopted Conclusions on 'a new start for a stronger social dialogue'. The conclusions cover the main themes discussed as part of the 'new start for social dialogue': strengthened involvement of social partners in economic governance, policy- and lawmaking, support to capacitybuilding and the need to take account of the specificities of social dialogue as part of the better regulation agenda. The conclusions can be found here. 10/06/2016 Proposal for directive on working conditions in the fishing sector

A New Skills Agenda for Europe On 10 June, the Commission adopted its New Skills Agenda for Europe. The aim is to ensure that people develop a broad set of skills from early on in life and to make the most of Europe s human capital, which will ultimately boost employability, competitiveness and growth in Europe. It calls on Member States and stakeholders, including social partners, to improve the quality of skills and their relevance for the labour market. The Commission will launch 10 concrete actions, including a Skills Guarantee, a review of the Recommendation on Key Competences, an initiative on graduate tracking, a review of the European Qualifications Framework, a Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition and a Blueprint for Sectoral Cooperation on Skills. Social partners' input was sought in the context of the preparation of the Agenda, notably during a dedicated hearing that took place on 20-21 January 2016. More information can be found here. On 29 April, the Commission presented a legislative proposal for a Directive implementing the agreement on working conditions in the fishing sector concluded by the European social partners of the sector. Discussions on the proposal have started under the Netherlands Presidency of the Council. More information can be found here.

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Latest news from social partners Cross-Industry Apprenticeships. On 26-27 May the European social partners held their joint conference Towards a shared vision of apprenticeships. The conference took place further to separate projects by the ETUC on a proposal for a European quality framework for apprenticeships and the employers on the costeffectiveness of apprenticeship schemes. Based on the project outcomes, the EU social partners have also adopted a statement outlining their common views, including a call for further debate with Member States and the Commission. Multi-sectoral initiative services industry On 13 June the social partners of the following sectors -- Banking, Industrial Cleaning, Commerce, Personal Services, Insurance, Private Security and Temporary Agency Work - adopted a joint statement entitled Shaping the future of the services industry: the all-important role of social partners. The statement is a follow up to the related EU social dialogue event of 30 November 2015. It positions European sectoral social dialogue as a specific instrument of European governance and it underlines the close link between national and European social dialogue. Agriculture Refugees. At the occasion of the last meeting of the social dialogue committee in May the European social partners (Effat and Geopa) agreed to continue working on an overview of the possibilities for asylum seekers to work in agriculture in the different Member States. Commerce sector Health & Safety. The social partners of commerce (Uni Europa and Eurocommerce) will organise on 29-30 June two workshops in the framework of their project on the role of social dialogue in improving health and safety at workplace. The first one will focus on ergonomics and the second one on psychosocial risks. It will gather experts of health and safety at work in the commerce sector. A session will be devoted to the presentation of the new OSHA campaign. Extractive Industries & Others Health & Safety, Autonomous Agreement. On 16 June 2016 the NEPSI Council celebrated 10 years of successful implementation of the multi sectoral Social Dialogue "Agreement on Workers' Health Protection Through the Good Handling and Use of Crystalline Silica and Products Containing it" (NEPSI Agreement). The Conference addressed the past, present and future developments of the NEPSI Agreement. See the agenda here. Food and drink Attractiveness of sector. FoodDrinkEurope and EFFAT presented in early June the results of their EU Funded joint project: " Bringing in new talents and managing an ageing workforce: two sides of the same coin- implementing good practices for a more attractive food and drink industry in Europe". The report, organised in a toolbox-format, highlights good examples and case studies on: recruiting young people and key groups experiencing an employment gap, improving training, apprenticeship and succession planning; retaining older workers in employment; good practices in age management, and improving the image of the sector. The presentation of the toolbox will be followed by a high level conference in Bratislava, Slovakia in September, which will close this joint EU funded European Sectorial Social Dialogue project. Hairdressers

Health & Safety. Hairdressing Social Partners, Coiffure EU and UNI Europa Hair & Beauty, signed the European framework agreement on the protection of occupational health and safety in the hairdressing sector on 23 June and the Declaration on Health and Safety for the sector on 17 May. The agreement aims at better protecting the health and safety of hairdressers. The social partners have asked for this agreement to be implemented via European law (in accordance with art. 155 TFEU). See the article from the trade unions on UNI Europa website. Industrial Cleaning Sector Procurement. On 8th March, 2016, UNI Europa and EFCI (European Federation of Cleaning Industries) signed a joint declaration in support of the "Cleaners Charter" asking for socially responsible procurement. The provision of high quality cleaning services is only possible when there is respect for collective agreements and the fulfillment of social security and tax obligations. More information can be found here. Insurance Demography, well-being at work. On 12 May 2016, the European social partners (Uni Europa, Insurance Europe, Bipar and Amice) published a booklet outlining successful initiatives that promote insurance workers wellbeing, as well as innovative solutions to demographic challenges facing the sector. The initiatives address work-life balance, qualifications and lifelong learning, health and safety at work, working longer and telework in the insurance sector. The booklet, which has a particular focus on Central and Eastern Europe, was issued at the occasion of a conference in Bucharest. Local & Regional Governments Well-being at work, Social Dialogue. The seminar Promoting well-being at work and role of social partners in local and regional government took place on 9 June in Zagreb. It was the fourth seminar in the framework of the EPSU-CEMR project: New forms of service delivery for municipalities, the contribution of social dialogue and good practice for well-being at work, and focused on promoting wellbeing at work and role of social partners in local and regional government. Postal services Social Dialogue & Structural Change. Mobilising social partners in a new context or "how can social dialogue support the change process in the European postal industry?" was the key question of the final conference of the EU-funded project on 24-25 May in Bucharest. This conference gathered 52 postal operators and trade unions from 18 EU countries. The results of a comparative analysis of labour agreements from 16 postal companies were presented. Measures regarding the evolution of employment, wages, work organisation, mobility and training were discussed and illustrated by several national case studies. Following a lively debate and exchange of best practices the social partners concluded that social dialogue, at all levels, is key to manage the transformation of the postal sector. Railways Attractiveness of sector. The European social partners of the rail sector, CER and ETF, have the objective to promote employment and good working conditions in the European rail sector. A Conference organised on 19 April 2016 within the framework of a project funded by the EU discussed the project results with politicians, representatives of the European institutions and the social partners. To remain competitive, the European rail sector needs a qualified and motivated workforce. Fair, stable and binding social and work standards are essential to ensure an effective and forward-looking work force. Sufficient opportunities for training, professional education and good working conditions are key to an attractive workplace especially for younger generations. Read the final report.

Sports and active leisure Health & Safety (OIRA tool). The social partners of the sport and active leisure sector, UNI Europa and EASE, have developed three new tools for comprehensive risk evaluation, with the support from the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work, EU-OSHA. - Learn more about occupational safety and health in the sports sector. CESI CESI Youth participated at the European Youth Event (EYE) in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on May 20/21. The delegation of 26 young affiliates ran a successful booth on trade union work for young people and held a well-visited workshop on a positive reception of young refugees in Europe. CESI Youth Representative Matthäus Fandrejewski was also panelist in a debate on the integration of migrants in the European Parliament's plenary chamber. CESI and the New European Business Confederation (UNITEE), in collaboration with the European Movement International (EMI) and KYM International held a CESI@noon on Labour market integration of refugees the role of entrepreneurs and trade unions in Brussels on 14 June. CESI and the EPC held the third and last expert workshop on social investment: 'How to develop, select and use some social policy benchmarks and to ensure that the EU collectively moves towards upward social convergence. Which social policy indicators should be used to monitor progress?'on 23 June. Information from EU agencies EU-OSHA Online risk assessment tools for small companies EU-OSHA offers a platform to develop occupational safety and health online risk assessment tools (OiRA) for micro and small companies. The scheme is open to sectoral social dialogue partners who are invited to develop their own tools at EU level. Participating in the OiRA approach is a great opportunity to take EU sectoral social dialogue results into practice! See the available OiRA tools. EU-OSHA offers financial and technical support to interested partners. Please contact: flintrop@osha.europa.eu Seminar Occupational safety and health (OSH) in small enterprises A seminar on Micro and small enterprises in Europe: how can we make sure they are safe, healthy and productive places to work? took place on 28 June 2016 in Brussels as part of a project by EU-OSHA. It aims to identify key success factors in policies, strategies and practical solutions to improve OSH in MSEs. Speakers include MEPs, the European Commission, Social Partners and academics. More information here. Worker representation on occupational safety and health (OSH) evidence from ESENER-2 EU-OSHA s second European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks (ESENER-2, 2014) interviewed almost 50,000 establishments in 36 European countries on how they manage OSH. One of the follow-up studies of ESENER-2 returns to some respondents in seven countries to interview them on how worker representation in OSH is organised in practice (publication in 2017). www.esener.eu

EUROFOUND Eurofound latest publications (March May 2016) Reports 1.Regulation of labour market intermediaries and the role of social partners in preventing trafficking of labour + Executive summary 27/04/2016 + National Contribution The report examines how public authorities are currently regulating labour market intermediaries across the EU. It also examines activities by social partners aimed at preventing the trafficking of labour. The overall aim is to contribute to the development of a best practice guide for public authorities to encourage better monitoring and enforcement of regulations deterring trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation. 2.Working time developments in the 21st century: Work duration and its regulation in the EU + Executive summary, 01/03/2016 The report examines the main trends and milestones of the most important aspects of collectively agreed working time in the EU during the first decade of the 21st century across all EU Member States and Norway. It focuses in particular on five sectors: chemicals, metalworking, banking, retail and public administration. 3.Start-up support for young people in the EU: From implementation to evaluation + Executive summary, 13/04/2016 The report provides an overview of the current start-up support measures targeted at young people, introduced by several Member States as part of the Youth Guarantee, as well as other more general measures that have relevance for them. It also reviews evaluations of the impact of selected start-up support measures. 4. Engaging the missing middle : Status quo, trends and good practice, 23/03/2016 This paper describes the young people who have completed second-level education but do not follow academic routes into higher education- and looks at recent trends in policy from different EU countries aimed at engaging this group. EurWORK topical updates Working life experiences of LGBT people and initiatives to tackle discrimination, 13/05/2016 The research shows that many employees do not in fact disclose that they are LGBT in order to avoid discrimination in the workplace. Governments, social partners, NGOs and other actors have recently undertaken various initiatives aimed at addressing the plight of LGBTs in the workplace. Upcoming events 05/07/2016 (Brussels) Liaison Forum The next meeting will focus on the role of social partners in the labour market integration of refugees. Social partners are invited to actively participate in this discussion. 05-06/07/2016 (Brussels) Cross-Industry Social Partners ETUC, BUSINESSEUROPE, CEEP and UEAPME will organise a Joint Conference on Promoting and reinforcing the EU social dialogue on 5-6 July 2016 in Brussels. More than a year after the conference on a New Start for Social dialogue, the aim is to take stock of the developments. The conference will be an opportunity to discuss the different points addressed under the joint statement on a New Start for a Strong Social Dialogue. It will also build upon the findings of the integrated projects on reinforcing EU social dialogue for the period 2014-2016. Around 100 places are available for social partners. For more information please contact: Ruairi Fitzgerald for the trade unions or Guillaume Cravero for the employers.

17/11/2016 (Brussels) EUROFOUND 6th European Working Conditions Survey joint event with the Employment and Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament The event will see the launch of Eurofound s overview report of the latest European Working Conditions Survey. For more information please contact Cristina Arigho 28-29/11/2016 (Berlin) EUROFOUND EU labour market integration of asylum-seekers and refugees - Eurofound National Cluster Seminar, Eurofound organises national cluster seminars to reach out to the key tripartite stakeholders at national level with relevant Eurofound research and expertise. This seminar brings together representatives from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to discuss EU labour market integration of asylum-seekers and refugees. For more information please contact Catherine Leeson Calls for proposals Curious to know what projects have been funded in 2015 in support of social dialogue? Titles and short descriptions of the grants awarded in 2015 can be found here. Send us your contribution You have a contribution for the next edition of the newsletter? Please contact the editor. Contributions to be sent by 30 September 2016. Next edition: mid October 2016. We also look forward to your comments and suggestions. Disclaimer The views expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission. Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission may be held responsible for the use that may be made of the information contained in this newsletter. Privacy statement If you wish to unsubscribe from the Social Dialogue newsletter mailing list, please send us an email. Publisher: European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion, Social Dialogue Unit Contact Legal notice