1. Introduction

The representative of DGEMPL/D.1 recalled that the purpose of today's meeting was to continue the work on a number of outstanding issues related to employment in the European commerce sector and to link these issues with the preparation of the 14 April 2000 Lisbon Conference on Commerce and Employment, organised jointly by EuroCommerce and UNI-Europa Commerce.

2. Discussion

UNI-Europa Commerce started by thanking the Portuguese social partners for the preparation of the Conference as well as the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union for taking up important new developments and challenges for employment in Europe at a special summit to be held in Lisbon on 23 and 24 March 2000.

Concerning the commerce conference of 14 April, it is important for UNI-Europa and EuroCommerce to sign a joint declaration demonstrating their willingness to make the sector evolve and respond to new challenges, building upon the "acquis" of the social dialogue in commerce accumulated over the years. UNI-Europa commerce proposed therefore to conduct a joint research, starting from the experience which will demonstrated and discussed at the Lisbon conference by a high number of experts and taking into account the on-going and future challenges for the commerce sector. The main theme of such a research should be the question as to where the commerce sector is going in terms of employment and of working conditions. A joint interest already exists to reach common agreed minimum levels as a guarantee against unfair competition, social dumping, etc. This long term objective should also constitute the backbone of the Lisbon conference and all debates at that Conference must be placed in such a open and stimulating vision.

A joint declaration to be signed by EuroCommerce and UNI-Europa Commerce in Lisbon must equally reflect this idea of change and development.

In this overall context, UNI-Europa Commerce considered it equally important to address at the Conference the issues related to the diversity of commerce and the need for all kinds of commerce to develop, raised by the Portuguese social partners.

EuroCommerce agreed with this long-term objective and equally stressed the need to undertake, after the Conference and building upon the results of it, an in-depth analysis of on-going and future changes in commerce and in different parts of commerce. In such a perspective it considered the draft programme of the conference to be very promising and insisted on the need for speakers at the conference to equally address these changes and to take into account a long-term vision.

3. Decision

• UNI-Europa Commerce and EuroCommerce will collect as soon as possible input from their members. EuroCommerce will do a first draft joint declaration. A discussion and finalisation of a text will be done by the two secretariats next week.
• After the Lisbon Conference, a research project will be developed in line with today's discussion.

4. Other issues related to the Conference

• Kim Pedersen, consultant in charge of the ESF-project "training for e-commerce", will do a technical presentation of the project at the Conference, followed by political declarations by EuroCommerce and UNI-Europa Commerce.

• The Portuguese social partners will prepare two press releases, one before the Conference and a second one on 15 April.

5. On-going negotiations and tele-work

UNI-Europa Commerce regretted that EuroCommerce had not yet been able to deliver a constructive counter-proposal to its initial text but stated that id did not want to put EuroCommerce under pressure. What was needed now was a realistic and, above all, serious approach of this important issue.

EuroCommerce declared that I would prepare such a counter-proposal as soon as possible.

*****

1. Introduction

The representative of DGEMPL/D.1 recalled the final report made by ECOTEC on initiatives to combat child labour in European commerce and the joint decision taken by EuroCommerce and UNI-Europa Commerce to do a follow-up project to this report. She also reminded the broader context of the work done by the social partners in this field and referred more specifically to the 1999 Joint Agreement on Fundamental Rights and Principles at Work.

2. Discussion

UNI-Europa Commerce stated that although the ECOTEC report contained some unfounded criticism regarding the co-operation with some of the social partners' members during its elaboration, it nevertheless had some value which should be followed up. Moreover, there is a need to continue action on this issue as the social dialogue in commerce pretends to represent those workers and employers who seriously want to avoid child labour or any other violation of basic labour rights, within or outside the European Union.

UNI-Europa Commerce proposed the following way of future approach and action:

• Within the framework of the long-term objective to the eradication of child labour, which can only be beneficial to European commerce, a creative and efficient follow-up is needed, starting from the support of voluntary and joint initiatives, involving both companies/employers and workers.
• Restrictions and limits should be put upon companies not willing to move forward towards this objective.
• The 1996 joint declaration to combat child labour could be a good starting point of a more serious and sophisticated new approach. As already decided before, a practical manual (or a training package) could be elaborated for persons dealing with purchasing within companies.
• At the same time, a more broader approach aimed at developing codes of conduct must be adopted. Very often such a willingness exists but is hampered by the lack of specialised skills to follow-up codes of conduct. What is needed are very concrete and practical guidelines. The social partners could together develop such guidelines for interested commerce companies.
• It is equally important for social partners representing European commerce to send a clear message to the consumers, the governments and other stakeholders expressing the seriousness of their approach and their willingness to take concrete action and responsibility.
• A small, ad hoc, high level committee of experts, representing both sides of the industry, could guide all work in this field and give it the necessary input. It could also speak out in a more official and principle way.
• After some concrete progress obtained, a thematic conference could be organised to draw large attention to the issue and the joint action by EuroCommerce and UNI-Europa Commerce.

EuroCommerce believed that since so many codes of conduct already exist, the establishment of a new one would not be the best way to address the issue. Developing practical guidelines for the implementation of codes of conduct would be a better approach. In this context, it stressed the importance of training as well as the need to look for integrated ways of tackling child labour, including, a.o., the opening of possibilities for children in producing countries to go to school and solutions to the problems of financing school fees. In all this, it is important to start from voluntary initiatives, aimed at a step-by-step approach and taking into consideration all aspects related to child labour. In this context, it is important to define a strategy towards sub-contractors who beach interdiction of child labour, to look for ways of preventing child labour and to co-operate with international organisations and NGOs.

M. Barner, representing IKEA, P. Léglise, representing GIB-GN, and S. Uetz, representing the "Association européens des détaillants du textile", made some very interesting and highly appreciated interventions on the experiences in this field made by their companies and organisations. They will transmit to the secretariats any documents illustrating their interventions.

3. Decision

It was decided that the secretariats would elaborate a project proposal, based upon a first draft by UNI-Europa, for the development of a training manual and of practical guidelines to support the implementation of voluntary codes of conduct. Meanwhile, both organisations will reflect internally on the issue. The discussion on the more fundamental and political approach to be adopted, based upon the methodology and elements presented by UNI-Europa Commerce today, will be continued in the second semester of this year.

4. Other related issues

UNI-Europa Commerce informed the participants on the on-going work in the ILO and more specifically on the tripartite declaration (commerce sector) of October last year concerning the establishment of a permanent social dialogue platform for commerce at global level. It stressed the importance for EuroCommerce to be active in this platform, together with the OIE, the ILO and other representative organisations.

The next social dialogue meeting is foreseen for 19 April 2000. Secretariats will decide whether it is useful to maintain this date (given the Conference on 14 April).

****

UNI-Europa: V. Ancora, A. Cauda-Tortay, F. Dias da Silva, A. Franceschini, J. Furstenborg, H. Grape, J. Høppe, N. Jansson, A. Rodriguez Bonillo, M. Simonsen, P.E. Tobiasen.

European Commission (DGEMPL/D.1): H. De Clerck.