1. Industrial relations and Social dialogue in the Commerce sector in Europe Torino, 22 March 2011 Christian Welz

2. Recent Eurofound studies on the Commerce sector Industrial relations developments in the Commerce sector in Europe Industrial relations, social dialogue and working time: The commerce sector in Europe Representativeness study of the social partners in the Commerce sector

3. The QR code technology The picture on the front is a QR code. Readable e.g. by smartphones and barcode scanners Suitable applications are available on the internet. The code contains an URL: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/events/2010/commerce2911/index.htm This web-page is hosting a number of Eurofound’s recent publications investigating the commerce sector. QR codes are becoming more widely used in the commerce sector due to the fact that complex information can be embedded in them.

4. Representativeness study of the social partners organisations in the Commerce sector

5. Objectives of the study to identify the relevant national and supranational associational actors  trade unions and employer associations –  and show how these actors relate to the sector’s European interest associations of labour and business impetus for this study, arises from the aim of the European Commission to identify the representative social partner associations to be consulted under the provisions of the EC Treaty.

6. An organisation is a sector-related social partner organisation, if it is either a party to ‘sector-related’ collective bargaining OR a member of a ‘sector-related’ European association of business or labour that is on the Commission’s list of European social partner organisations consulted under Article 154 of the EC Treaty, and/or which participates in the sector-related European social dialogue.

7. Sector relatedness and domain patterns of an organisation Demarcation of the Commerce sector: NACE G: Wholesale, retail and wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles.

8. 93 Trade unions and 106 employer’s organisations fulfil the criteria

9. National trade union systems 93 trade unions in 25 countries identified. Domain demarcations are most frequently (60%) sectionalistically overlapping with regard to the sector. Relatively low union densities, in particular with regard to the sector. 91 of the 93 trade unions are engaged in sector-related collective bargaining.

10. The national systems of employer organisation 106 employer organisations in 25 countries listed. 16 out of the 25 countries register pluralist associational systems. High incidence of narrow membership domains: most frequently (i.e. 51%) sectionalist with regard to the sector. Relatively high density rates in terms of both companies and employees. Of the 105 employer organisations for which data are available, 93 are engaged in sector-related collective bargaining.

11. Industrial relations, social dialogue and working time: The commerce sector in Europe

12. European Company Survey 27.000 establishments > 10 employees EU-27+TR, HR, MK Interviews with management and employee representatives (where available) Fieldwork in 2009

13. Commerce sector in the survey 4006 establishments (NACE G) in sample. 626 interviews with employee representatives. Eurofound analysis of commerce sector specificities as regards  Working time arrangements  Industrial relations

14. Working time arrangements

15. Working time arrangements I Work load is rather seasonally dominated, but better ‘foreseeable’ (62% agree) than in other sectors (54% agree). Incidence of Sunday work highly variable across countries (10-50%) due to differences in regulation. Part-time incidence much higher in “West” or EU-15 cluster than in “East/South” or NMS cluster. Incidence of overtime higher in the “East/South” or NMS Cluster.

16. Big variations of Sunday work across Europe Figures weighted by number of employees. Commerce sectorTotal Economy

17. Incidence of part time work in the Commerce sector within countries Figures weighted by number of employees.

18. Supervisory staff working part time

19. Working time arrangements – II Forms of organising part time work … within countries, Commerce is similar to the ‘average’ economy.  highest prevalence of working ‘some fixed hours per day’;  Other fixed cycles (i.e.: full time some days, other days off) and fixed according to establishment needs -> correlated across countries.  practices with regard to working time accounts, …but large differences between countries approx. 20 % of establishments with part time arrangements report that also higher qualified or supervisory staff work part time.  above 30%: LV, UK, AT, NL  below 10%: MK, GR, SK, CY, IT, PT, SI, RO  but… generally rather ‘exceptional’ than ‘a common phenomenon’

20. Forms of organising part-time

21. Working time arrangements - III Adapting WT acc. to individual needs within certain limits 53% MK, HR, BG, TR, EL UK, PL, AT, SE, CZ, LT, DK, FI <40% >60% Possibility of accumulating working hours 63% GR, MT, LT, CY, RO, LV, UK, ES EE, BE, SK, SE, FI, CZ, GE, AT Possibility of taking full days off when WH can be accumulated 75% IT, CY, SI, SK FI, MK, DK, EE, AT Accumulating WH over periods longer than 1 year: Long-term time accounts 19% EL, SK, EE, MT, BG, PL, HU, CZ, LT, LV MK, TR, NL, AT, DK, CY, SE <50% >80% <60% >80% <10% >30% Adapting WT acc. to individual needs within certain limits 53% Possibility of taking full days off when WH can be accumulated 75% FI, MK, DK, EE, AT

22. Industrial relations

23. Industrial relations in the Commerce sector CB Coverage generally ‘lower’ than average economy, but:  In “low coverage” countries often substantially lower  In “high coverage” countries less deviation. Same pattern across countries for having an employee representation Climate of IR in Commerce: generally the same as on average, but:  “Interest of employees in outcomes of negotiations or consultations” seems to be a bit smaller  ER agree to a higher extent than average that “MM and ER make sincere efforts to solve common problems”. “The relationship between MM and ER can be best defined as hostile”

24. Employee representation Figures weighted by number of employees.

25. Collective Bargaining Coverage in the Commerce sector – structure within countries Figures weighted by number of employees.

26. Climate of industrial relations, assessed by employee representatives Interest Hostile Common efforts Support

27. HR Support Working time Pay Work process Structural change

28. Recent social dialogue examples

29. Examples of formal bi-and tripartite social dialogue CharacteristicsTask Occupational Risk Prevention (Spain) Tripartite foundation Promotion of risk-prevention measures Tripartite Foundation for Training in Employment (Spain) Tripartite foundation Promotion of vocational training Bipartite joint committees (Denmark) Bipartite joint consultation committees in large companies Counselling and strengthening of cooperation Labour market activation (Denmark) Tripartite cooperation Support of the active labour market system 23 initiatives against unemployment (Denmark) Bipartite cooperation Proposal of measures against unemployment Stichting Fonds Kollektieve Belangen voor de Groothandel in Levensmiddelen (food wholesale, Netherlands) Bipartite social fund Financing/subsidising ‘good industrial relations’ in the food wholesale subsector Labour Foundation Social Pact (Netherlands) Tripartite social pact Umbrella for many initiatives taken in the Netherlands since 2009 Innovative wage structure (Germany) Bipartite working groups New wage structure for the retail and the wholesale sector Low Pay Commission LPC (UK) Tripartite committee Recommendations for increases in the national minimum wage Social Dialogue on retail crime and violence at the workplace (UK) Tripartite dialogue Cooperation on fighting crime in retail sector Sector Skills Councils (UK) Bipartite bodies Improvement of skills and training at sector level

30. Social dialogue during the crisis -> Stronger focus on job preserving measures Non-renewal of collective agreements / slowing down of collective bargaining (Spain) Stalling of decentralisation process (Spain) Moderation in pay Longer duration of collective bargaining (Germany) Anti-crisis measures in the umbrella social pact (Netherlands)

31. Innovative collective agreements I Better institutionalised compliance (Netherlands)  CA 2010 – Retail  independent institution to monitor how employers and employees are applying the CA  “Collective agreement police” New tools for individual empowerment; (Denmark)  CA 2010 - Retail  one formal individual negotiation on wage and working hours on top of collectively agreed minimum level results.  empower individuals to use the CLA and social dialogue in their own interest by negotiating a better deal for themselves

32. Innovative bi- and tripartite social dialogue Innovative wage structure (Germany)  Employer led project, with involvement of ver.di  reform the bargaining structures and wage levels in the retail sector  Classification of employees into wage structures only by occupation (not based on individual characteristics). Retail crime and violence at the workplace (UK)  Usdaw campaign: “Freedom from Fear”, supported by employers  Lobbying of government, law enforcement, consultation