Social Dialogue in the Utilities - Electricity

(Brussels, 12 March 2008) The social partners discussed the use of the equality toolkit. It is important to distribute it widely, and the expectation is that unions and employers discuss how it can be used to improve the situation for women and ensure a situation of equality is achieved. The social partners will consider the implementation and evaluation of agreements in a more general manner.
Other issues discussed concerned:
a progress report on the two projects demographic change and (...)

(1 February 2008) The electricity social dialogue committee agreed two projects on restructuring and on demographic change. The steering committees of both groups met to discuss the projects with the experts. They will prepare a toolkit, or best practice guide.
The experts for the Restructuring project are from the London Metropolitan University and its Work Life Research Institure. Jane Pillinger will do the work on the demographic change project (She was also responsible for the (...)

Describing developments in the European electricity sector
Drivers for change: Corporate Social Responsibility - a report to the sectoral social partners
September 2007
ECOTEC
(in English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Italian, Bulgarian, Serbo-Croate, Czech, Polish and Romanian)
This report was commissioned by EPSU and received financial support from the European Commission. The views contained within are (...)

Eurelectric and the trade unions adopted four joint statements at their plenary meeting.
The social aspects of the European energy community (South East Europe) and the implementation of the memorandum of understanding. The joint statement supports the Memorandum of Understanding (http://www.epsu.org/r/239). It also draws attention to the importance of the social action plans and the involvement of the social partners. The joint statement addresses the Social Forum that will be (...)

A Commission representative introduced the new package of measures to liberalise Europe’s energy markets as published 19 September 2007. Important issues in this package are: ownership unbundling, cooperation of transmission system operators, limitations to ownership of strategic assets by non-Eu state owned investment funds, agency for energy regulators. Trade unions pointed out their concern over ownership unbundling, its social implications and that it will no deliver. The union group (...)

(19 June 2007) Employers and trade unions in the European electricity sector agree that if Europe wants to attract the massive investment needed for new capacity and for keeping the networks safe and secure a stable framework is needed and not a changing of the rules every so many years. Trade unions were outspoken in their criticism of ownership unbundling but also employers are sceptical. Both sides agree to the importance of impact assessments including the social dimension. EPSU Deputy (...)

(19 February 2007) The work group of the sectoral social dialogue committee electricity met 16 February 2007. It discussed:the results of the employment study. It is now in its final stage. EPSU warned against attempts of the Commission to "massage" away conclusions that are critical of the internal market for electricity and gas, or to drown the impact of liberalisation in a confuscating web of all kinds of other reasons for the job losses. The employers and the unions agreed to draw (...)

The European electricity social dialogue partners, Eurelectric and the trade unions signed the revised Health and Safety and Training Statement, 13 December 2006. It has been revised to take account of the EU enlargement and new member states as well as new directives. It underlines furthermore an important responsibility for the companies vis-à-vis subcontractors and outsourced services regarding control of health and safety. The social partners are also conscious of the different impacts of (...)

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND DIVERSITY TOOLKIT / BEST PRACTICES GUIDE, December 2006
The results of the Joint EURELECTRIC/EPSU/EMCEF Workshop "Equal Opportunities & Diversity - Toolkit/Best Practices Guide" which took place in Brussels on 14 December 2006, can be found at the following link: http://public.eurelectric.org/Content/Default.asp?PageID=101

The European Commission DG Employment was invited to present the state of affairs regarding the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Development of a Social Dimension in the South East European Energy Community. The social partners have underlined their willingness to include representatives of the employers and trade unions of the countries concerned to be part of the sectoral social dialogue committee.
Francois Ziegler of the Commission gave an overview of the text and state of (...)

Employers, Trade Unions and stakeholders discussing Corporate Social Responsibility in the European Electricity Sector
12 December 2006
International Trade Union House (ITUH) - Room Auditorium 5 Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 1210 Brussels
EPSU, EMCEF and Eurelectric organised a Conference “Corporate Social Responsibility, does it make a difference? Employers, Trade Unions and stakeholders discussing Corporate Social Responsibility in the European Electricity Sector”.
Speakers (...)

The European electricity employers (Eurelectric) and the trade unions met 17 October 2006, Brussels. On the agenda:
Statement on health and safety and training. An earlier 1996 statement is slightly revised to take account of new Member States and new directives. It also mainstreams gender equality, includes new risks and recognises a role for trade unions and employers regarding out-sourced and subcontracted activities especially in the case of dangerous situations. The statement also (...)

Marriott Hotel, 1000 Brussels

For more information: http://www.eurelectric.org/

The European social partners in the electricity sector considered:
The progress with the European Commission study on employment. A presentation was given by the researchers ECOTEC; Employers and trade unions are requested to contribute to the study;
Health and Safety and training. A joint statement from 1996 was updated. A small number of modifications was suggested, principally dealing with gender specific risks to be taken into account. The social partners will consider what visibility (...)

The social partners met to consider the follow up to the project to develop a toolkit on equality and diversity policies in electricity companies. This project is the result of a joint study with the University of Cardiff, a joint statement on equality and a joint position on the issues to be covered in such a toolkit.
The Steering Committee selected Jane Pillinger as the expert to provide the electricity social dialogue partners with the toolkit. They further discussed the time plan for (...)

The employers and the trade unions in the electricity sector has set up two working groups. One deals with Corporate Social Responsibility and the other one with Health and Safety. Both working groups met 18 January in the EPSU office.
Representatives of Eurelectric and the trade unions considered different issues and prepared a project and programme for a conference in December. The working group on health and safety looked at the 1996 Health and Safety and training agreement and (...)

The Employers (Eurelectric) and trade unions met to consider a broad range of issues on 14 and 15 December.
The European Commission presented its Communication on restructuring (and the revision of the European Works Council Directive). The social partners will consider how to continue work on this;
A project is started with the European Commission to update the earlier 2001 employment study. The social partners (and including Eurogas) are members of the Steering Committee. Focus will (...)

The European electricity employers (Eurelectric) and the trade unions met to discuss the follow up to the work programme, 24 October 2005. It prepared the issues for the plenary meeting of the electricity social dialogue committee foreseen for 15 December 2005. The plenary meeting involves the full delegation in both the employers and trade union side and adopts joint texts, statements and agreements. On the agenda:
Health and Safety: the mandate of the working group was approved and will (...)

The European electricity social dialogue committee considered a number of issues during its half-year plenary meeting, 22 June 2005.
Employment: The European Commission has issued a call for tender for a study on employment developments in the European electricity industry. It is the result of a joint demand by the social partners in December 2003. The study is to consider also the impact on employment of different European directives such as promotion of renewables, co-generation and (...)

Delegations of employers and trade unions met to consider the work in progress, 14 March 2005, Brussels.
The work programme 2005 was finalised.
Other issues considered:
Follow up to the Equality and Diversity Study and Conference: the Steering Committee of the project will be requested to consider the recommendations and prepare a project on an equality toolkit which should include targets, equality audit etc.
Telework: evaluation of the implementation of the (...)

The employers (Eurelectric) and the trade unions met on 15 December to consider a full agenda. Statements were adopted on:
Corporate Social Responsibility
The statement sets out the criteria for further work on the issue focusing mainly on the social pillar.
Read the statement
Stress
The social partners endorsed the intersectoral agreement on stress and committed to implement the statement for the electricity sector.
Read the statement
South East Europe
The Commission is currently (...)

The employers and trade union representatives were committed in addressing equality and diversity issues during the joint seminar 14 December 2004. The report prepared for the social partners was presented by Prof. Fairbrother of the University of Cardiff as were several cases from ESB (Ireland), Iberdrola (Spain) and Eon Hungary. David Foden of the Dublin Foundation presented a recent study on equality plans and the representatives of UNICE (employers, Therese de Liederkerke) and ETUC (...)

A working group of the social dialogue committee met on 15 October. The trade unions and employers (Eurelectric) considered:
Corporate social responsibility for the sector
Study on Employment
Equality and Diversity
Stress
South East European Energy Community
Security of Supply Statements on Stress, on enlarged social dialogue taking account of SEE and the criteria for the work on CSR will be proposed to the plenary meeting of the social dialogue committee on 15 December. For a full (...)

One of the subjects of the working programme of the social partners in the electricity sector is security of supply. A first meeting took place to consider if there is sufficient basis for continuation of the discussion. While there are differences of opinion regarding the operation of the internal market (can we believe it will deliver or not) and its results, the following points were identified as providing a basis for further discussion:
Concerns regarding the investments in the sector (...)

Representatives of the trade unions and employers met with Prof. Peter Fairbrother, University of Cardiff. They discussed progress with the equality and diversity project agreed in the sectoral social dialogue committee electricity. Selected companies and the trade unions in these companies will be approached to participate in interviews and work place panels (similar as for the skill needs project).
Companies involved are:
EDF (fr), ENEL (it), Iberdrola (sp), Electrabel (be), PPC (gr), (...)

EPSU affiliated unions in the Bulgarian electricity sector from Podkrepa and CITUB organised the Round Table, 29 January 2004, Sofia. It aims was to ask questions regarding the privatisation process of 7 electricity distribution companies for which major European companies are now bidding. The unions also sought to formulate a common platform with consumer groups and others. It was addressed by the EPSU Deputy General Secretary pointing out the many draw backs of privatisaton for users, (...)

European electricity employers and trade unions adopt workprogramme for 2004. The electricity trade unions and the employers (Eurelectric) adopted the workprogramme for 2004 during the last plenary meeting of the sectoral social dialogue committee 19 December 2003. Issues are equality, security of supply, corporate social responsibility amongst others. The meeting also included representatives of new member states from Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Slovakia and (...)

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