The Seminar

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This Web Page is Some conclusions

What did we achieve?

We exchanged information about the state of play in the utilities sector in all the represented countries.

With Slovenia as an exception, energy production and distribution is taken over by a few big European players in most of the new EU countries.

At the same time as some of them express their ambition to be good employers, a number of activities are outsourced to smaller companies.

Outsourcing constitutes a serious threat to collective bargaining systems and to working conditions.

The working groups developed a number of propositions:

Hands of security of supply: do not outsource

Research (impact analysis) regarding outsourcing

• Different aspects to be explored

– Legal, example transfer of undertakings directive

– Information – consultation: companies to inform works councils (EWCs) regarding economic and social policies

– Health and safety (standards, issue of responsibility…)

– Quality of service, maintenance, safety standards (especially in areas of security of supply, nuclear industry) Link with public interests and citizens; Does the price of the service delivered really go down ?

– Pay and Conditions of workers in outsourced activity

– Are there issues of discrimination (areas outsourced employ women while core work force employs men e.g.)

– Explore other sectors – rail, health, local government services

– Consider concentration on specific area: maintenance; metering; call-centres – case studies to be undertaken. (Negative experiences; positive based on union influence)

– Focus on the relationship between the company and outsourced unit (responsibility) Are there chains of production/ services that can be established ?

– Monitoring and measuring performance of the outsourced unit

– Compare conditions in collective agreements under which outsourcing takes place – leading to model clause/ agreement on outsourcing ?)

• Define an EPSU Common position (prevent outsourcing; influence conditions under which outsourcing takes places;

• Gather examples of best practices

• Explore if companies can be excluded from getting contracts from main company; consider targeting public contracts (subcontractors)

• Continue to explore if Eurelectric/ Eurogas are an appropriate target for a global agreement (This can be done in the social dialogue: discuss problem, exchange information, agreement/ joint declaration/ code – which contains social requirements

• Explore network of relations of target (Eurelectric e.g) and how these relations can be influenced.

• Use of EPSU as centre of coordination and cooperation

• Explore who can be partners: large European works councils (negotiate with the MNCs); but also municipalities as outsourcing can lead to loss of local quality jobs, loss of quality or disappearance of local service (when offices/work shops close)

• Coordination at local, national, European level (example of Hungarian union that brings workers in out-sourced units together)

• Outsourcing to be raised in negotiations on collective agreements local/sectoral level – Make ORGANISING a Theme

Notes on the graph:

• The picture is nothing more then a visual illustration of a target (Eurelectric) and its core strategic relationships that we seek to influence to realise our aims in case it does not agree with our demands. It is not complete.

• The target for our action can be a local company/ a multinational company, an employers’ organisation/ Eurelectric or even a public authority

• The Method is to research the key relations of the target with its stakeholders. And who can we use to influence these relationship. These usually are:

– Members (of an organisation)

– workers/ workers’ representation bodies - EWC;

– clients {different groups: local, national, international;

– public authorities {European, state, municipal, regulators, health & safety/ labour inspectorate…}

– shareholders {pension funds…}

– media

– civil society {building alliances}

– others: research is fundamental. WHERE DOES it HURT

Direct steps following the seminar.

• Who does research ?

– Literature, health and safety (EPSU to explore)

– Survey to be developed (EPSU)

– Cases (National unions to write up and study)

• Develop a common position for EPSU

• Raise issues in context of security of supply discussions (qualifications for example with Eurelectric)

• Discuss with EPSU coordinatiors in EWCs if the issue can be raised in EWCs

Cases: Hungarian waste water company (PSIRU); Coordination example in Hungarian electricity industry – outsourcing ; ABB Germany – in-sourcing / Essent-Bremen; Unios – case on failed outsourcing gas sector;

CGT – maintenance de nuclear parcs

• Report to Standing Committee Utilities 30 September