In February 2006, ETUC, UNICE, UEAPME and CEEP representatives started negotiations about an agreement to tackle violence at the workplace. Here follows a brief report of the latest rounds of negotiations in September and October.

Employers and trade union representatives met each other this autumn on three occasions; on the 7-8th of September, the 4-5th of October and the 25th-27th of October. In these meetings employers and trade union representatives discussed the content of the future framework agreement on the basis of text proposals. The ETUC and the employers’ organisations agreed that the framework agreement would consist of six chapters.

• Introduction
• Aim
• Description
• Preventing, identifying and managing problems of harassment and violence
• Non-regression and Implementation
• Follow-up Procedures.

Text proposals were exchanged on the first four chapters. Social partners were able to draft a joint text on the introduction, the aim and on preventing eliminating and managing problems of harassment and violence at work. Trade unions and employers, however, did not reach agreement on the content of Chapter 3, which would give a definition of harassment and violence at work and would also include the scope of the agreement. The opinions mainly differed on the issue whether or not to address 3rd Party or external violence in this framework agreement. Trade unions also stated that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

In the plenary session on 27 October, the employers declared that they were determined to stick to their positions and that they do not want to address 3rd party violence in the framework of these negotiations.

The ETUC, on the other hand made very clear at the meeting that the trade unions cannot accept an agreement, which explicitly excludes 3rd party violence. If the employers maintain their position, the ETUC will discuss what the next steps should be, and seriously consider all options at its Executive Committee on the 7th and 8th of December 2006.

As EPSU secretariat, we are of the opinion that 3rd party violence is a serious threat to a safe and healthy working environment for public sector workers and that a cross-sectoral social dialogue agreement on violence at work should include this kind of violence. We therefore will ask the Executive Committee on the 20th and 21st of November 2006 to endorse the ETUC-position regarding the inclusion of 3rd party violence in the future framework agreement.

You can find more detailed information in the attachments, which includes the ETUC debrief notes, and the draft texts as exchanged in the social dialogue drafting group and mini-drafting group.

 ETUC debrief note from the Social Dialogue: Harassment and violence meeting (6), 7 & 8 September 2006 (document english only)

Notes 7-8 Sept

 ETUC debrief note from the Social Dialogue: Harassment and violence meeting (7), 4 & 5 October 2006 (document English only)

Notes 4-5 Oct

 ETUC debrief note from the Social Dialogue: Harassment and violence meeting (8), 25-27 October 2006 (document English only)

Notes 25-27 Oct

 Negotiations on harassment and violence - Joint contribution from the drafting group, 4 October 2006 (document English only)

Joint contribution 4 Oct

 Negotiations on harassment and violence - Joint contribution from the Drafting Group, 26 October 2006 (document English only)

Joint contribution 26 Oct