European HRM and EU Social Policy

1
European HRM and EU Social Policy
2

European Model of HRM

• Culture
• Legislation
• Patterns of Ownership
• Consultation and Participation

3

• Flatter, more flexible Europe-wide organization
  structures.
• Structures that were more customer focused
• A more strategic and international policy-making
  role for the HRM function.
• Greater sensitivity to national cultural
  differences and agreement to reach goals by a
  number of different routes.
• Convergence of HRM policies.
• The emergence of a cadre of Euro-managers to act
  as the glue between subsidiaries and
  headquarters. (Sparrow, 1994)

4
The New World of Work in Europe

• Working time
• Part-time work
• Annual hours and overtime
• Shift working Weekend working Term Working
• Contractual flexibility
• Short Term
• Non-employment

5

• The European Union (EU) is the result of a
  process of cooperation and integration which
  began in 1951 between six countries (Belgium,
  Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the
  Netherlands). After nearly fifty years, with
  four waves of accessions (1973 Denmark, Ireland
  and the United Kingdom 1981 Greece 1986 Spain
  and Portugal 1995 Austria, Finland and Sweden),
  the EU today has fifteen Member States and is
  preparing for its fifth enlargement, this time
  towards Eastern and Southern Europe.

6
In March 1998 the EU formally launched the
process that will make enlargement possible. It
embraces the following thirteen applicant
countries Bulgaria, South Cyprus, the Czech
Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Malta, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic,
Slovenia and Turkey.
7

• As stated in Copenhagen, membership requires that
  the candidate country
• has achieved
• stability of institutions guaranteeing
  democracy, the rule of law, human rights and
  respect for and protection of minorities
• the existence of a functioning market economy as
  well as the capacity to cope with competitive
  pressure and market forces within the Union
• the ability to take on the obligations of
  membership including adherence to the aims of
  political, economic and monetary union.
• has created
• the conditions for its integration through the
  adjustment of its administrative structures, so
  that European Community legislation transposed
  into national legislationis implemented
  effectively through appropriate administrative
  and judicial structures.

8

• There are five institutions involved in running
  the European Union
• the European Parliament (elected by the peoples
  of the Member States),
• the Council (representing the governments of the
  Member States),
• the Commission (the executive and the body having
  the right to initiate legislation),
• the Court of Justice (ensuring compliance with
  the law),
• the Court of Auditors (responsible for auditing
  the accounts).

9

• These institutions are supported by other bodies
  
• the Economic and Social Committee and the
  Committee of the Regions (advisory bodies which
  help to ensure that the positions of the EU's
  various economic and social categories and
  regions respectively are taken into account),
• the European Ombudsman (dealing with complaints
  from citizens concerning maladministration at
  European level),
• the European Investment Bank (EU financial
  institution) and
• the European Central Bank (responsible for
  monetary policy in the euro-area).

10
Social Social Charter

• 1.    Freedom of movement throughout the
  Community, including equal treatment in terms of
  access to employment, working conditions and
  social benefits
• 2.    Freedom to work in an occupation which
  shall be 'fairly remunerated'
• 3.    Improvement of living and working
  conditions, especially for part-time and
  temporary workers, to include the right to weekly
  rest periods and annual paid leave
• 4.    The right to adequate social protection
• 5.    The right to freedom of association and
  free collective bargaining
• 6.    The right of access to vocational training
  

11

• 7.    The right of equal treatment for men and
  women in terms of access to employment, pay,
  working conditions, education and training, and
  career development
• 8.    The right to information, consultation and
  participation, particularly in relation to
  technological change, restructuring,
  redundancies, and for workers in multinational
  enterprises
• 9.    The right to workplace health protection
  and safety, including training, information and
  consultation and participation for employees
• 10.Rights for children and adolescents, including
  the right to a minimum working wage
• 11.The right of the elderly and retired workers
  to a decent standard of living
• 12.The right of people with disabilities to have
  access to assistance programs.

12
THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL MODEL
The UK joins the Social Protocol and the social
chapter becomes part of the Treaty
Reconciling job flexibility and Security
Social policy remains limited

• parental leave for men and women
• equal rights for part time workers
• dialogue between management and workersworks
  councils

13
PUTTING EMPLOYMENT POLICY AT THE HEART OF THE
UNION
Amsterdam Treaty

• a new chapter on employment
• promoting a skilled and adaptable workforce
• coordinating employment policies across Europe
• encouraging dialogue between employers and workers