ETUC project “ Restructuring / Work groups / Expertise”

1. ETUC project “Restructuring / Work groups /Expertise” Project presentation Restructuring Workshop - ETUC– 7th March 2013 - Brussels

2. Whatis the project issue ? Whichis the impact of restructuring on the role of the workgroups, considered as a stakeholderwith regards to the re-building of professional expertise ? • Whathappens to individual and collective expertise afterrestructuring? • Doesrestructuringimply a modification of the way in whichworkerstransferprofessional expertise inside the work group ? • Is thereanydifferencebetweenthoseremaining and thoseleaving the organisation with regards to effects and mechanisms? • WHY and HOW ? Are thererestructuring management models « better » thanothers ? How to linkemployment and workduring a restructuringcontext?

3. BEFORE / DURING/ AFTER Know-How Transfering Work groups Restructuring « Survivors » (thosestaying) « Victims » (thoseleaving) Collectif Individuel Nature Managment

4. A context of permanent restructuring → Restructuring is progressively became central in the companies life, and so in the employees’ one. Some blind points which are persisting concerning the restructuring impacts → The whole of restructuring effects is not currently identified, in particular concerning deep change on the individual / collective relation with employment and work → Work groups and professional know-how are the main missing from the restructuring (surveys, discussions / collective bargaining) European recommendations aim to implement “responsible restructuring”, in particular on skills issue → The “Green book on restructuring” of European Commission ( January 2012) → Resolution of the European Parliament (January 2013) concerning European Commission recommendations about the workers’ information / consultation process, anticipation and restructuring management Why to achievethisproject ?

5. Illustrations Livre Vert sur les restructurations de la Commission Européenne (janvier 2012) Résolution du Parlement européen du 15 janvier 2013 concernant des recommandations à la Commission sur l'information et la consultation des travailleurs, l'anticipation et la gestion des restructurations • « Pour que l’adaptation au changement se fasse de manière optimale, des compétences et des investissements appropriés dans le capital humain sont clairement nécessaires ». • « Dans le même temps, il est nécessaire de remédier aux problèmes sociaux et sanitaires engendrés par l’insécurité de l'emploi, l’adaptation, les licenciements et le chômage de longue durée par des approches efficaces permettant aux travailleurs de s'adapter aux changements sur le lieu de travail, de revenir rapidement à l’emploi et d’atténuer les effets des transitions sur la santé ». § E. « Considérant que, lors d'une restructuration, ce sont les incidences directes et aisément perceptibles sur l'emploi qui retiennent le plus l'attention, tandis que les effets négatifs sur les conditions de travail et sur la santé des travailleurs ne sont pas dûment pris en compte ni traités; (…) les entreprises établissent, en coopération avec les représentants des travailleurs et les autres parties prenantes concernées des mécanismes visant à définir, sur le long terme, la stratégie à l'égard des besoins quantitatifs et qualitatifs d'emplois et de compétences qui sont liés aux stratégies d'innovation et de développement et prennent en compte l'évolution prévisible, positive ou négative, de l'économie, des emplois, des compétences et des conditions de travail, ainsi que des mécanismes visant à déterminer le niveau de compétence actuel de chaque travailleur;

6. Focus on the work group roles • It prevents possible individual deviation regarding working methods → It is the source transferring, adapting and guaranteeing the respect of the profession (“what can be done and what cannot be done”) • It makes the trade progress → It defines the way in which the work must be done (“the professional way”) and confirms its individual ways of performance (“the style”) by exchanging about practices and points of view • It transfers efficient practices → It “pours” the ropes of the trade and the know-how of the group when facing the work • It is a real trainer → It provides on the job training to newcomers • It protects → It transfers the specific know-how regarding the professional risks (“caution know-how”) → It sets barriers: what is acceptable or not regarding the works’ organisation and its demands • It provides recognition → It recognises competencies, skills and the quality of work of its members • It supports and prevents from isolation → It regulates the collective activity by reallocating the work and the mutual help

7. The work group has specific ROLES, which are difficult to replace The work group has NEEDS to be efficient • Trust between members, cooperation loyal behaviour, … • Framework and time for professional exchanges, possibility of manoeuvres inside of the work organisation, … The work group can not be “commended to exist”, it BUILDS ITSELF The work group can be BROKEN too …

8. By changing its way of functioning, restructuring alter the pedagogical role of the work group → Restructuring involve specific process and psychosocial impacts and by doing it the relation between those staying and those leaving to the company is modified (individual strategies inside the collective are re-designed) → The changes of the relation towards the work group modifies also the relations to expertise (what is at stake is not the same) The importance and the nature of these effects depend on the type of restructuring and its management model Synthesis of the workinghypothesis

9. The scope of the research : 6 companies cases in Europe Sweden (telecom) UK (En cours) Germany (airport system) Poland Energie France (sidérurgie) Italy (Bank)

10. Methodology and steps Scientific literature review Experiences review State of the art Study cases Report Dissemination Interviews • Direction (RH) • Representatives • Relevant Institutions Employees interviews • « Survivors » • « Victims » Transversal analysis of cases Recommendations Seminar (June 2013) A Practical Guide (For the social partners) • January • June

11. Project players Consortium An international and multidisciplinary team (psychologists, sociologists, economists) SteeringCommittee S - Partners WMP CES SYNDEX Europe IRES Project Leader Uppsala University Syndex - UK

12. What to expectfrom the project ? • Improving the knowledge on restructuring impacts • Identifying the determining factors and the (possible) best practices • Making social partners aware of the need to preserve role of work groups during restructuring process • Providing some recommendations and usable tools for the restructuring players, in order to improve the social dialog concerning this specific issue → Analysis grids of situations, typologies → Reference Contents for collective bargaining