SOCIAL PARTNERS : SOCIAL PARTNERS TO ENDORSE NEW WORK PROGRAMME FOR 2006-2008.

Social partners at European level endorsed a new work programme for 2006-2008 at the tripartite summit on 23 March, just before the spring European Council. It was approved by top representatives of private employers (UNICE/UEAPME), public-sector employers (CEEP), and trade unions (ETUC and the liaison committee Eurocadres/CEC)

As part of a wider contribution to enhancing Europe's employment and growth potential and the impact of the European social dialogue, the social partners intend to carry out a joint analysis on the key challenges facing Europe's labour markets, looking at issues such as:

- macro-economic and labour market policies;

- demographic change, active ageing, youth integration, mobility and migration;

- lifelong learning, competitiveness, innovation and the integration of disadvantaged groups into the labour market;

- balance between flexibility and security;

- undeclared work.

On this basis, they will decide appropriate joint recommendations to be made to European unions and national institutions, set priorities to be included in a framework of action on employment to be carried out by the social partners, and negotiate an autonomous framework agreement on either the integration of disadvantaged groups into the labour market or lifelong learning.

OBJECTIVES

The European social partners have set themselves five key objectives:

1. to negotiate a voluntary framework agreement on harassment and violence in 2006;

2. to complete the national studies on economic and social change in the EU10, enlarge them to cover the EU15 and on that basis promote and assess the orientations for reference on managing change and its social consequences and the...