Commerce,
Uni-Europa
Commerce

Commerce Corporate Social Responsibility Pages

Commerce - global action against child labour

commerce work with multinational companies

UNI-Europa Commerce and EuroCommerce launch European social dialogue on corporate social responsibility
(25.05.2002)

UNI-Europa Commerce and EuroCommerce signed older workers agreement in Barcelona (16.03.2002)

European Commissioners Diamantopoulou and Liikanen addressed Lisbon social dialogue meeting on 14 April

Speech by European Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou (French)

Speech by European Commissioner Erkki Liikanen (French)

Social dialogue, the main achievements in 1999

Conclusions from social dialogue meetings:

8 March 2000

Links:

Home Page

Europa
Home Page

EuroCommerce

European Union Links:

The eEurope 
web site

EU Commission: Employment and social affairs news page

EU Commission:
Index of employment and social affairs pages

Commerce
Child Labour
Pages

The European Social Dialogue in Commerce

UNI-Europa Commerce, which is the European region of UNI Commerce,  is engaged in an active European social dialogue with its counterpart, EuroCommerce. The dialogue concerns the 22 million commercial workers in the Member States in the European Union and millions more in the candidate countries. It covers a broad range of issues, with employment being the priority. Agreements are concluded, conferences arranged and research projects conducted.

This is a list of the UNI-Europa Commerce social dialogue pages: 

2002

Joint statement by EuroCommerce and UNI-Europa Commerce on the need for presence of the sector in the EU Tripartite Social Summit

The statement was signed in Brussels on 6 November 2002 in the presence of Mr Bernard Jansen, director of the European social dialogue.

Guidelines supporting age diversity in commerce

The agreement was signed in Barcelona, Spain on 11 March 2002. This was during the Spanish presidency, which raised age diversity as one of its main social and employment issues.

2001

European Agreement on Guidelines for Telework in Commerce
This ground-breaking agreement was signed in Brussels on 21 April 2001.

PDF files:

2000

Joint Statement on Combating Racism and Xenophobia, May 2000

This agreement was signed in May 2000. It is a strong statement against racism and xenophobia, condemning any form of discrimination.

Report and joint Statement on Employment, April 2000
Signed by EuroCommerce and Uni-Europa Commerce at their Employment Conference in Lisbon on 14 April, this statement underlines the need for European commerce to build its future on high quality services produced by competent personnel under good employment and working conditions.

PDF files:

1999

Agreement on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
This important agreement was concluded in August 1999, between EuroCommerce and Euro-FIET Commerce. It confirms the respect of the European social partners in commerce for the fundamental rights and principles at work, as defined by the ILO Declaration of 1998. The agreement prohibits child labour, forced labour and discrimination and confirms workers right to organise in trade union and the unions' right to collective bargaining. You will also find the following language versions:

1998

Joint Opinion on Employment, November 1998
Adopted at the large Employment Conference of the commerce social partners, in Brussels on 30 November 1998, this opinion contains a number of concrete initiatives which the social partners have started to follow up. In addition to the English original, you will find the following language versions:

Agreement between EuroCommerce and Euro-FIET
on the Establishment of a Sectoral Dialogue Committee in Commerce

Signed in November 1998 and submitted to the European Commission, this agreement sets the aims and structure for the European social dialogue in commerce. It also confirms the resolve of the social partners to develop further what already is the most active of all social dialogues within the European Union. The agreement also exists in French.

1997

Joint Opinion on Employment, February 1997
This was the first of the joint opinions and statements on employment in European commerce, addressed to the European Council of Ministers. In addition to the English original, you will find the following language versions:

1996

Joint Statement on Combating Child Labour
Negotiated and signed in 1996, the joint statement of EuroCommerce and Euro-FIET Commerce on combating child labour was the first of its kind between European social partners. It opened up an active co-operation in looking for ways for European retail and wholesale trade to contribute to the global campaign on child labour. The statement has been followed up through a research project and through concluding the agreement on fundamental rights and principles at work. Here you will find also the other language versions of the statement:

1995

Joint Statement on Combating Violence in Commerce
The joint statement on combating violence in commerce was signed in 1995. It deals with pre-empting violent attacks against people working in stores and other commerce workplaces. It also gives recommendations about how to deal with situations where such attacks have already taken place. Here you will find also the other language versions of the statement:

1988

Memorandum on training in the retail trade

The memorandum on training in the retail trade is worth a visit, although it dates from as far back as 1988. Many joint vocational training projects have built on this agreement. It exists also in  the following languages:

National statements:

Social partners in commerce in Greece- Joint statement on the promotion of employment in the Greek commerce sector

This statement was adopted at an international meeting in Athens in June 2000, arranged as part of the European social dialogue in commerce. 

Conclusions from social dialogue sessions:

Brussels 30 October 2001:

Brussels 30 March 2001 English

Brussels, 21 June, 2000:

Articles:

Future social dialogue at stake - UNI-Europa Commerce and EuroCommerce will intervene with Danish EU-Presidency (31.10.2002)

At social dialogue round table, unions saw Sunday opening in border towns as possible threat to EU enlargement (24.10.2002)

European Commission wants to give a higher profile to the social dialogue (03.07.2002)

The European social dialogue for commerce - supporting employment and employability - speech by Jan Furstenborg Paris June 2002 (03.07.2002)

Round Table in Riga - Trade union rights and weak social dialogue are still problems in Latvian commerce (02.07.2002)

UNI-Europa Commerce and EuroCommerce launch European social dialogue on corporate social responsibility
(25.05.2002)

UNI-Europa Commerce and EuroCommerce signed older workers agreement in Barcelona
(16.03.2002)

European telework agreement gives on-line rights
(29.04.2001)

The telework agreement for European commerce was signed on 26 April in Brussels, by Uni-Europa Commerce and EuroCommerce.

Telework agreement- European Commission press release, English language
(29.04.2001)

Telework agreement- European Commission press release, French language
(29.04.2001)

Social dialogue session confirms European telework agreement for commerce
(03.04.2001)

Uni-Europa Commerce and EuroCommerce reach agreement on telework guidelines
(25.05.2001)

European social dialogue: Focus on sales representatives and disadvantaged workers 
Working group session in Brussels on 22 February focused on new issues.
(03.03.2001)

Commercial sales representatives will focus on social dialogue
The commercial sales representatives in Uni-Europa Commerce will focus on their European social dialogue. Among the main themes are e-commerce and globalisation.
(08.02.2001)

EuroCommerce refuses to sign key agreements - Uni-Europa Commerce asks questions about future dialogue
At the social dialogue plenary session on 14 November 2000, Uni-Europa Commerce representatives asked whether EuroCommerce has not endangered the whole social dialogue by the refusal to sign two already negotiated framework agreements. 

Round tables in Bratislava and Vilnius prepare social partners for EU enlargement
Two round tables were held in October 2000, in Slovakia and Lithuania, as part of a programme which is to cover all candidate countries.

Full speed forward in the European social dialogue in commerce
A review of the social dialogue situation in January 2000. A large employment conference is being prepared for Lisbon in April, the e-commerce project is progressing and several European agreements are in the pipeline. Three new Round Tables will be held in Central and Eastern Europe. 11 January 2000.

The social dialogue in commerce - a trade union view
This is the text of a presentation by Jan Furstenborg of the European social dialogue in commerce, for a UGT trade union conference in Asturias, Spain on 2 to 3 March 2000. The document is available also in Spanish.

Uni-Europa Commerce and EuroCommerce launch project for sales representatives and wholesale trade workers
A research project was launched by the social partners for commerce to study the employment conditions of commercial sales representatives and wholesale trade workers. The study will be completed in September 2000 and creates a basis for the social dialogue concerning these groups.

e-mail addresses:
Geneva:
jan.furstenborg@union-network.org
frieda.gazzini@union-network.org
Bonn/Sarajevo Project Offices:
alexruedig@aol.com