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Telework: Employment Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou today welcomed the social partners EU-wide agreement on guidelines for telework in the commerce sector. Commerce is the European Union's largest sector, employing 23 million workers or 16% of the total workforce. The agreement sets out concrete guidelines for regulating telework through collective agreements and other arrangements at national and company level. It stipulates that teleworkers should be employed on a similar basis to any other employee, enjoying comparable employment rights, remuneration structures and career opportunities. Welcoming the accord, commissioner Diamantopoulou said: "The social partners in the commerce sector have sent a clear message that action at Community level can help in setting up a framework for new forms of work organisation such as telework." "By concluding this European agreement, the social partners in commerce are demonstrating that the largest European private sector in terms of employment is fully committed to both the challenges of the knowledge society and to improving employment potential and competitiveness in Europe." "I firmly hope that others sectors and the cross-sector social partners find inspiration in this accord." The agreement also establishes guidelines on the notification of the concrete employment conditions and date protection; privacy; health and safety of equipment and telework venue; compensation for the generated costs; participation in trade union work and social contacts with the company and the other workers.
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