Eurofound report: Employee participation and social dialogue benefits workers and companies, if properly applied

On the one hand, the report on the 3rd European Company Survey positively notes that many establishments do make available a variety of instruments to facilitate direct employee participation and that “social dialogue is functioning well in a large proportion of establishments”.

However, it criticises that the functioning of social dialogue and the uneven geographical spread of social dialogue structures across European countries is “a reason for concern”. On the negative side, it also mentions that about half of all establishments engaged in market activities lack a large number of instruments in place to enable direct participation, a high level of employee involvement as well as positive management attitudes toward employee participation.

Unfortunately, for CESI, the report only covers establishments engaged in ‘market activities’ (thereby excluding the public services: public administration, health, and education). As a trade union umbrella organisation representing several million public sector workers in many European countries, CESI in this context welcomes Eurofound’s stated commitment to prepare a corresponding report which specially focuses on the situation in the public services.