Industrial relations and Social dialogue in the Commerce sector in Europe

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

2. 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 Recent Eurofound studies on 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 studyof 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 organisationsfulfil 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 Commerce sector Total Economy Figures weighted by number of employees.

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

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 Support Common efforts Hostile

27. HR Work process Working time Support Pay Structural change

28. Recent social dialogue examples

29. Examples of formal bi-and tripartite social dialogue

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