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Social History of European Integration

Social History of European Integration. The Meaning of “Social Europe”. Employment and Workers’ Rights Health and Safety (Job-Related especially) Free movement of persons Related to Immigration Women’s Issues Equality in the Workplace Environment. Landmarks of EC/EU Social Policy.

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Social History of European Integration

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  1. Social History of European Integration

  2. The Meaning of “Social Europe” • Employment and Workers’ Rights • Health and Safety (Job-Related especially) • Free movement of persons • Related to Immigration • Women’s Issues • Equality in the Workplace • Environment

  3. Landmarks of EC/EU Social Policy • Social Fund (Treaty of Rome 1958) • Assimilated to Structural Fund 1989-93 • Women’s Equal Pay/ Equal Treatment/ Social Security Directives (1975-78) • Schengen Agreement (1985) • The Social Charter (1992) • Employment Policy (Amsterdam 1997)

  4. Hot Topics • Immigration and Schengen • Worker Issues • Wages and Benefits • Trade Unions and Workers’ Participation • Environment

  5. The Story of Immigration • First Phase: 1960-1973 • Migration for temporary employment • Active recruitment (peak 1968-73) • Source of migrant labor: Mediterranean • European Mediterranean (southern Europe): Italy, Spain, Greece, Yugoslavia, Portugal • North Africa and Turkey

  6. The Story of Immigration (cont’d-1) • Second Phase: 1974 – early 1980s • From temporary to permanent immigration • Restrictive measures by European governments • Temporary migrants from southern Europe return • Temporary migrants from North Africa and Turkey settle and become permanent • Family reunion (eg, wives join husbands) • Feminization of immigrant population • Immigrant communities emerge within Europe around mosques, schools, leisure and sports clubs, and political associations

  7. The Story of Immigration (cont’d-2) • Third Phase: mid-1980s – 1990s • Refugees and asylum-seekers • “Illegals” • Criminals of all kinds: drug-traffic, terrorists, common criminals

  8. Schengen • Agreements of 1985 and 1990 • Originally Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Gerrmany • Currently all EU except Britain and Ireland • “Schengenland” • Freedom of movement within borders • Common border policy for externals • Cooperate in fight against crime

  9. Worker Issues in the EC/EU • Unemployment dilemma since 1973 • Underlying challenge of structural change: movement away from manufacturing economy and labor force • Immigrants become a threat • Differing National Policies • Working conditions, especially security of employment • Industrial relations (worker-employer) • Benefits • Worker participation in decision-making (core of “industrial democracy”)

  10. Worker Issues (Cont’d-1) • Britain, Germany, and France compared • Britain • Wages set by collective bargaining (decentralized unions) • More employer freedom to hire and fire • Minimal (no) worker participation • Strong health and safety protection for workers • Germany • Social partnership preferred over adversarial relations between labor and management • Thick layer of government-imposed protections for workers (especially job security) and worker benefits (“coddled”) • Strong participation of workers in decisions: codetermination

  11. Worker Issues (Cont’d-2) • France • Tradition of ideological division among unions and ideological conflict with employers and government • Weak unions, low membership rates • Weak worker participation in decisions • Strong protections, especially for families and women • Differing “common policy” approach • Britain: minimal common standards • France and Germany: raise all to their costly levels • Some broader trends • Challenge to welfare state and benefits from 1980s on, as too expensive and hindering competitiveness • Decline of union power, either by design (Margaret Thatcher) or by declining membership and political appeal • Europe (EC/EU) regarded as a new opportunity for workers: shift from anti-Europe to pro-Europe by many unions

  12. Social Dimension/ Social Charter • Follow-up to SEA • Social aspects or social implications of completing the Internal Market • A level playing field for Internal Market competition, thus part of its implementation? • A protection against the “social costs” of market freedom? • Inconsistent with the Internal Market?

  13. Social Dimension/Charter (cont’d) • Resistance led by Britain • Social Charter of the 11 • Protocol to (rather than in body of) Maastricht Treaty on European Union (signed 1992) • Enables British “opt-out” • Britain joins Social Charter in 1997 as part of body of Amsterdam Treaty

  14. Websites http://img.uoregon.edu/euro410/ Europa Commission DGs Curia

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