Activities of EU social partners against youth unemployment

Joint working group ETUI-EZA, Brussels 18th February 2014

Norbert SCHÖBEL DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Unit B1 Social Dialogue, Industrial Relation

"It is precisely those European countries […] with the most developed social partnerships that are among the most

successful and competitive economies in the world. "President Barroso, State of the Union 2012 Address

We also have social dialogue, collective bargaining and consultation as part of our DNA."

President Barroso, The Employment Policy Conference, 6 September 2012

Industrial Relations in Europe

• Social market economy as core valueof the EU (Art. 3 TEU)

• Charter of Fundamental Rights:• Freedom of assembly and association (Art. 12)• Information and consultation within the

undertaking (Art. 27)• Collective bargaining and action (Art. 28)

• Social dialogue as a central component of the European social model – at EU level and in the Member States

European social dialogue: a pillar of Europe’s social model

• Social partners contribute to defining European social standards • EU social partners are involved in the European

policy-making process:- Social partner consultations- Increased consultation of sectoral dialogue committees

in the Commission‘s impact assessment process• Outcomes of their autonomous dialogue

• European Social Dialogue complements the national practices of social dialogue and industrial relations which exist in the Member States

EU employment and social policy

European Social dialogue

What is it?

• Discussions, consultations, negotiations and joint actions

• undertaken by the social partner organisations

• representing the two sides of industry (employers, trade unions)

• at European level (limited to EU Member States).

European Social dialogue

Strong institutional recognition

• Article 9 (new horizontal clause)

• Art. 152 TFEU (New): Union recognises and promotes the role of social partners at Union level + Tripartite Social SummitArticle 154 TFEU: promotion of consultation of European social partners by the Commission + balanced support for their dialogueArticle 155 TFEU: agreements concluded by EU social partners

European social dialogue

European social dialogue

Outcomes European Social Dialogue

• To date (November 2013)• 771 jointly agreed texts

• 20 agreements adopted by EU social partners setting minimum standards

Cross-industry (Multi-)sectoral

Autonomous implementation

4 4

Implemented by Council Directive

4 8 (5 +3 requests)

Types of European Social Dialogue outcomes

(*) Including 3 agreements for which implementation by Council decision has been requested

European social dialogue: challenges

• Actively involving all national social partners– is essential to ensure the European social dialogue process:

• is legitimate• achieves effective outcomes and follow-up at national level

– European social partners have made progress, but more remains to be done

• Consultation and administrative capacity– European social partners are involved in the European policy-making

process– Requires capacity to coordinate among their members and to deliver

timely reactions– Capacity depends on that of their national affiliates

European social dialogue: challenges

• Capacity to negotiate agreements at European level– One of the conditions for participation in a sectoral dialogue committee– The potential offered by the institutional framework to sectoral

negotiation is not yet fully exploited– Commission provides technical and financial support to negotiations, as

well as legal advice upon request• Capacity to implement agreements

– Most European sectoral social partner organisations have limited capacity to influence their national affiliates

– Follow-up at national level depends on:• effective involvement of national sectoral social partners in EU

dialogue• interaction between the EU social dialogue mechanisms and national

industrial relations systems• representativeness of social partners

Social Europe

Youth unemployment – Main Commission initiatives

• Youth Employment Package

• Youth Employment Initiative and Youth Guarantee

• European Alliance for Apprenticeship

• Quality framework for Traineeships

Social Europe

The ESF 2014-20 – support to youth:

• The most relevant investment priorities:Sustainable integration of young people in particular those not in

employment, education or training, including young people at risk of social exclusion and young people from marginalised communities, into the labour market, including through the implementation of the Youth Guarantee.

• The Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) will be programmed under this investment priority

• The YEI was decided by the European Council on 7-8 February 2013

• To support measures set out in the Youth Employment Package, and in particular the Youth Guarantee (actions to directly support individuals)

Social Europe

Youth Guarantee

•Ensure that all young people up to 25 •receive a good-quality offer of •employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship •with four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education

•To enhance what the ESF already does, but from a new perspective: starting with the needs of the individual persons

•EUR 6 billion for the period 2014-2020 - open to all NUTS2 regions with levels of youth unemployment (15-24 age group) above 25% in 2012 - EUR 3 billion from the ESF and a further EUR 3 billion from a specific 'youth employment' MFF budget line

Social Europe

How can social partners get involved?

• ESF/YEIProgramming stage: Design of Partnership

Agreements and ESF/YEI Operational programmes

Implementation stage: Partnerships at national and local levels, esp. with PES and education intuitions

Monitoring Committee: Selection criteria approval; approval of Annual Implementation reports, performance framework, etc.

• Youth Guarantee

National level: Get involved in the design, monitoring, evaluation and review of Youth Guarantee schemes

EU Level: Turn Framework of Actions on Youth Employment and other EU activities into concrete action!

Social Europe

European Alliance for Apprenticeships

• Initial Vocational Education and Training (IVET) + alternation between in-company training and school education

• 3 activity pillars:• Improvement of apprenticeships• Change of mind-sets• Smart use of EU programmes

(Erasmus+; ESF, EaSI, EIB)• Joint declaration by EU Social Partners,

Commission and Council Presidency

Social Europe

Quality Framework for Traineeships

• Can enhance education to work transitions• Becomes increasingly the norm (46% in EU), but

often problematic (lack of learning content: 18%; bad working conditions: 23%; pay/compensation: only 40%; lack of contract: 35%; no certificate= 34%)

• Overall 30% of traineeship is of low quality• Council Recommendation: Traineeship

agreement covering learning objectives, working conditions, duration (6 months), certificate

Social Europe

EU Social partners' contribution

Framework of Actions on Youth Employment•First priority of the EU social Dialogue Work Programme for 2012-2014 at cross-industry level

•EU Social partners reject the inevitability of a lost generation and agreed to focus on the link between education, young people's expectation and labour market needs – invest in more and better jobs!

•4 priorities: 1) learning; 2) transition; 3) employment; 4) entrepreneurship

•Short-term and long term Social Partners' Actions and Recommendations addressed to EU institutions and Member States + Annual reporting + overall evaluation during the 4th year

Social Europe

Social partners' contribution

Examples of other initiatives/projects

•ETUC Youth Committee: 2012 project with focus on quality transition between education and employment; 2013 focus on youth guarantee and apprenticeships/traineeships

•Solidarnosz: Implementation measures at national level (PL + 4 other countries) in relation to the EU framework of actions

•Sectoral projects: e.g. commerce, construction

•Projects related to demographic challenges: e.g. leather, agriculture, woodworking, chemical and insurance sector

Social Europe

Links - Youth employment

Youth Employmenthttp://ec.europa.eu/social/youthemployment

ESF Technical Assistance apprenticeship/traineeships  http://ec.europa.eu/social/youthtraining

ESF web sitewww.ec.europa.eu/esf

European Alliance for Apprenticeships:http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/vocational-policy/alliance_en.htm

Quality Framework for Traineeships:http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&newsId=2011&furtherNews=yes

Financial support: Budget lines to support EU social dialogue

• Budget heading 04 03 01 08 – Industrial relations and Social dialogue– Call for proposals VP/2014/01 (Social Dialogue)– Call for proposals VP/2014/04 (Industrial Relations)

• Budget heading 04 03 01 05 – Information and training measures for workers' organisations– Call for proposals VP/2014/02

• Budget heading 04 03 01 06 – Information, consultation and participation of representatives of undertakings

- Call for proposals VP/2014/03

Financial support: ESF and IPA

• European Social FundSupports initiatives aimed at strengthening the administrative capacity of social partner organisations in Member States (national actions)

• Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA)Helps potential candidate and candidate countries in their quest to

join the EU - Relevant components:• Transition Assistance and Institution Building• Human Resources Development

Links – EU Social Dialogue

• DG EMPL – Sectoral Social Dialogue:• http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?

catId=480&langId=en)• Social Dialogue Text Database:• http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?

catId=521&langId=en • NEW: Industrial Relations in Europe 2012:• http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?

catId=738&langId=en&pubId=7498• EU Social Dialogue Newsletter – to subscribe contact: • EMPL-SD-NEWSLETTER@ec.europa.eu

Thank you for your attention!

Norbert Schöbelnorbert.schoebel@ec.europa.eu