Multi-annual Work Programme 2009–2010 (+ 2011)

The European social partners will continue to foster the important role of autonomous social dialogue and its positive impact on European labour markets.

The new work programme (408 kb PDF) will cover a two-year period (2009–2010) so as to be synchronised with the Growth and Jobs strategy. It will build upon the work already jointly carried out, such as the joint analysis of labour market challenges, the economic and social change agenda, reconciliation between private and professional life, capacity building for social dialogue in EU member states and candidate countries and the implementation of social dialogue instruments.

The work programme also contains a number of new initiatives which will be carried out by the European social partners.

These include:

• A joint recommendation aimed at contributing to the definition of the Post – 2010 Lisbon agenda, also in the context of the current economic and financial crisis;
• The development of a joint approach to the social and employment aspects and consequences of climate change policies with a view to maximising opportunities and minimising negative effects and to identify possible joint actions;
• Jointly monitoring the implementation of the common principles of flexicurity, notably in order to evaluate the role and involvement of the social partners in the process and to drawjoint lessons;
• Jointly addressing mobility and economic migration issues and promoting the integration of migrant workers in the labour market and at the workplace in order to identify possible joint actions.

Furthermore, the European social partners will carry on developing a number of actions started under the previous work programme.

These include:

• Negotiation and implementation of an autonomous framework agreement on inclusive labour markets;
• Finalisation of the national studies on economic and social change in the EU-27 in order to effectively manage change and restructuring;
• Negotiation of a framework of actions on employment;
• Continuation of the work on capacity building for social partners in an enlarged EU, in the EEA and in candidate countries including further developing the activities of the social partners’ respective resource centres;
• Monitoring, assessing and evaluating the implementation of EU social dialogue framework agreements and frameworks of actions;
• The European social partners will also further develop their common understanding of the various instruments resulting from their negotiations, determine their impact on the various levels of social dialogue, further co-ordinate the various levels of social dialogue and negotiations, including the development of better synergies between European inter - professional and sectoral social dialogue.

The European social partners will employ a number of tools to realise this work.

ETUC (and the liaison committee EUROCADRES/CEC), CEEP, BUSINESSEUROPE, UEAPME consider that this work programme does not constitute an exhaustive list. The social partners may decide to up-date it in light of developments in the EU. Furthermore, they will continue to monitor the implementation of the European Growth and Jobs Strategy.

In addition to their autonomous work programme, European social partners will continue to take actions both at bipartite and tripartite levels in reaction to European Commission proposals and initiatives.