Young Transport Workers - Conference 26 – 27 September 2011 Riga Report on Sectoral SD recommendations Group C / D / F – Railways

1.Key issues and demands from young workers in the sector What are possible reasons why a young worker does not want to start working or stops working in the railway sector? General feedback ETF Political Secretary: Considering the demographic developments and the age structure in the rail companies, this question will be an important issue for the future social dialogue in the railway sector. It is important to better understand the interests, expectations and needs of young workers. The European Sectoral Social Dialogue for the Railway Sector carried out several projects on “employability” as a new concept of human resource policies (see reports and joint recommendations at ETF website) and a project on the demographic situation in the rail sector. The “demography” projects showed that the average age in the rail companies is too high (54% of the workforce will retire within years) and companies will face big problems in the near future to attract young workers. The project report includes some activities of companies in order to attract young workers.ETF website We can also learn from the social dialogue projects on “Women in the rail sector”. A number of issues that are tackled in the current project (how to attract and retain women in technical professions, work life balance etc.) can give useful ideas for looking at the same questions from a young worker’s point of view. See “ETF website”ETF website

1.Key issues and demands from young workers in the sector What are possible reasons why a young worker does not want to start working or stops working in the railway sector? Outcome group exercise: o Bad reputation of the sector o Bad working conditions o Work-life balance Feedback ETF Political Secretary: The European Economic and Social Council adopted an opinion (rapporteur Mordant) on „social conditions in the transport sector”, which has been largely influenced by the ETF. This report clearly states - based on surveys of the European Foundation on the improvement of living and working conditions - that the reputation of the transport sector as an employer is very bad and that the sector will have serious problems in the future to attract young workers if not – among others – improve working conditions, find good solutions for an increased demand for better a work-life-balance, highly invests in training and life long learning and provides career opportunities for young workers.an opinion

1.Key issues and demands from young workers in the sector What are possible reasons why a young worker does not want to start working or stops working in the railway sector? Outcome group exercise: o Health and safety risks, stress Feedback ETF Political Secretary: The issue stress/psycho-social risks is part of the work program 2011/2012 of the European social dialogue in the rail sector. We are currently developing a concrete project proposal that means collecting all relevant aspects of stress in the rail sector, which should be tackled, to structure them and to define a project. We dealt with health issues in the context of the negotiations for a locomotive drivers’ license. Additionally, the social dialogue was actively involvement in drafting the so-called TSI OPE (technical specification interoperability operations and traffic management). This TSI OPE defines harmonised rules for the physical and psychological aptitudes for people working in professions with safety relevance (drivers, on-board staff, train inspectors) and the regular medical checks are defined for drivers and other safety relevant staff. Health issues and prevention were also tackled in the context of the “demography project” (more directed to ageing work force but with an emphasis on prevention). My question: Do young workers have concrete proposals on which health issues should be addressed?

1.Key issues and demands from young workers in the sector What are possible reasons why a young worker does not want to start working or stops working in the railway sector? Outcome group exercise: o Temporary work contracts Feedback ETF Political Secretary: We can raise the problem that determined work contracts in particular for young workers are increasing in the rail sector. But as far as I know, the employers would never agree with a joint recommendation on this issue. There are examples of other European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees, which have put the issue of “sub-contracting” on the agenda. We are planning to discuss the issue with the employers in the future. The social dialogue is currently discussing, whether to carry out a joint project on workers’ protection and social clauses in the case of competitive tendering of public passenger transport services. Such a project would directly deal with the issue of better job security. The decision has not been taken yet.

1.Key issues and demands from young workers in the sector Feedback ETF Political Secretary: We addressed the issue of training and harmonisation/ recognition of qualifications within the European social dialogue when negotiating the CER/ETF Agreement on a European locomotive drivers’ license. The ETF demands a joint action in the social dialogue on the certification of on-board personnel but the employers refuse such an initiative. They do not want EU regulations for qualifications of on-board staff. We managed, via the European Parliament, to make sure that at least the European Railway Agency has to deal with the question (overview of tasks and qualifications of on- board personnel across Europe exists) and the Commission has to deliver a report to the EP. This will be coming soon and then the ETF can start lobbying. Outcome group exercise: o Vocational training and education What are possible reasons why a young worker does not want to start working or stops working in the railway sector?

1.Key issues and demands from young workers in the sector What are possible reasons why a young worker does not want to start working or stops working in the railway sector? Outcome group exercise: o Low wages; minimum salary Feedback ETF Political Secretary: The European level has no competence to discuss the wage policy and it is not very likely that the national trade unions would give the ETF a mandate to negotiate such issues with the employers at European level.

2.Recommendations for the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Which (young workers’ related) topics would you recommend to discuss in the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Railways? Outcome group exercise: o Liberalisation, privatisation / environment Feedback ETF Political Secretary: Until 1998, the CER and ETF regularly adopted ‘joint declarations”, addressed to the European Commission, European Parliament and European Council of Transport Ministers. In 1998 CER changed policy and is not fighting liberalisation/competition anymore. So there is no bases for joint action in the European Social Dialogue anymore. Although ETF and CER have a joint position against the total separation of infrastructure management and operations, a “joint declaration” is not possible anymore since the 3rd social partner in the European social dialogue, the European Infrastructure Managers (EIM), is in favour of this separation and an expression of the European social dialogue is only possible when all social partners agree. We managed to have “joint declarations” on the issue of “internalisation of external costs” and more specific the Eurovignette Directive.

2.Recommendations for the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Which (young workers’ related) topics would you recommend to discuss in the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Railways? Outcome group exercise: o European Sectoral right to strike Feedback ETF Political Secretary: The European level has no competence in such questions. Although we would like to have the right to go on strike on European political matters, I seriously doubt that we would be able to agree on a “mandate for the ETF” in order to negotiate the terms and conditions for a “European right to strike” since the national situations are so different (Would the French give up there strike law? Would the German or British government ever agree to introduce the French or Belgian strike law in their countries?) In the contrary, in the current debate on the Recast of the 1 st Railway Package and the Transport White Paper we strongly fight ideas of the European Commission to introduce “minimum service provisions” in the case of strikes. We should touch the issue of a European right to strike only when we are sure that we can politically win the case (the right majorities in the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers). It is very dangerous.

2.Recommendations for the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Which (young workers’ related) topics would you recommend to discuss in the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Railways? Outcome group exercise: o European accepted licences for railway workers in each profession Feedback ETF Political Secretary: At European level we dealt with the common definition of tasks for four safety relevant professions: drivers, on-board personnel, train inspectors and shunters. The TSI OPE includes a common list of tasks for drivers, on-board staff and train inspectors. It was refused to include as well the shunters. Why? Because the European level wanted to deal only with such staff categories, which are responsible for railway safety in cross-border traffic. Train inspectors are responsible for railway safety in cross-border traffic, shunters are not. We as trade unions would like to define a « profession » at a high qualification level and a defined time for the vocational training (rather years than months). Employers and also the European institutions totally reject such an approach. The maximum they agree on is to define « tasks » that a profession has to fullfill. It should remain a responsibility of the indiviual company/country to fix how to achieve the necessary competences. We criticise that it supports « qualification dumping ». Via the social dialogue study on rail freight restructuring and the impact on personnel we dealt with the issue of changes in professions due to competition and « efficiency increase ». While the employers favour « polyvalance » we suggested to rather discuss « new freight profession ». This initiative is still in the pipe line.

3.General remarks ETF Political Secretary Feedback ETF Political Secretary: Young workers’ issues as such have not been discussed in the European Sectoral Social Dialogue for the rail sector. Although there is nothing specific on « young workers » in the work programme 2011/2012, the sense of urgency to tackle the difficulties of the rail companies to attract young workers for the rail sector is growing. When defining activities for the European social dialogue, it is important to be aware of the competences of the European social dialogue, that it is not replacing national social dialogue and of the instruments available for the EU social dialogue. I invite you to work more in depth on the topics and try to define more precisely the problems and demands (mandate) that should be addressed on European level, e.g. regarding Health and safety: What is the main problem that could be solved at European level? Work-life balance: What are possible solutions for rail professions that is organised in shifts? Career opportunities: Where exactly do you see the problems? Age structure in the companies with too many elderly workers? Lack of support and training in order to grow within the company?