European Trade Union Institute Bd du Roi Albert II, 5 1210 Brussels Belgium +32 (0)2 224 04 70 [email protected] www.etui.org “Compared to other works on the European Social Dialogue, this book stands out because it is an insider’s story, told by someone who was for many years the linchpin, on the trade unions’ side, of this major accomplishment of social Europe.” The European social dialogue — Emilio Gabaglio, ETUC General Secretary (1991-2003) “The author, an ardent supporter of the European Social Dialogue, has put his heart and soul into this The history of a social meticulous work, which is enriched by his commitment as a trade unionist, his capacity for indignation, and his very French spirit. His book will become an essential reference work.” — Wilfried Beirnaert, innovation (1985-2003) Managing Director and Director General at the Federation of Belgian Enterprises (FEB) (1981-1998) — “This exhaustive appraisal, written by a central actor in the process, reminds us that constructing social Europe means constructing Europe itself and aiming for the creation of a European society; Jean Lapeyre something to reflect upon today in the face of extreme tendencies which are threatening the edifice.” — Claude Didry, Sociologist and Director of Research at the National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS) Foreword by Jacques Delors (Maurice Halbwachs Centre, École Normale Supérieure) Afterword by Luca Visentini This book provides a history of the construction of the European Social Dialogue between 1985 and 2003, based on documents and interviews with trade union figures, employers and dialogue social European The The history of a social innovation (1985-2003) Jean Lapeyre European officials, as well as on the author’s own personal account as a central actor in this story. The Social Dialogue was a key component in the construction of a European social area, which remains inadequate today. This is not a story without conflicts or failures. However, it shows that a strong European conscience and a profound understanding of the general interest can produce concrete results for citizens. The European construction, this “human adventure” as Jacques Delors called it, now needs to be relaunched on the basis of its fundamental values: social progress and solidarity, cohesion and democracy, and sustainable development. The European Social Dialogue is one of the best tools for achieving these goals. D/2018/10.574/12 ISBN 978-2-87452-478-3 The European social dialogue The history of a social innovation (1985-2003) — Jean Lapeyre Foreword by Jacques Delors Afterword by Luca Visentini “Montag looked at the river. We’ll go on the river. He looked at the old railroad tracks. Or we’ll go that way. Or we’ll walk on the highways now, and we’ll have time to put things into ourselves. And someday, after it sets in us a long time, it’ll come out our hands and our mouths. And a lot of it will be wrong, but just enough of it will be right. We’ll just start walking around today and see the world and the way the world really looks.” Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury Acknowledgments I would like to thank Emilio Gabaglio, Michel Rousselot, Wilfried Beirnaert, Jackie Morin, Elise Coignet, Christophe Degryse et Philippe Pochet for carefully reading the text and for their valuable input. I would also like to thank everyone from the European Commission, the unions, the employers, the International Institute of Social History (IISH), the archives of the Jacques Delors Institute (Sciences PO, Paris) for giving me access to documents of vital importance to me in writing this “history” and who I was able to interview to take account of the various perceptions of this history. © European Trade Union Institute, Brussels, 2018 All rights reserved ISBN 978-2-87452-478-3 Table of contents Foreword ..................................................................... 09 Jacques Delors Introduction .................................................................. 11 Chapter 1 The state of play before Year 1 ....................................... 15 1.1 The birth of the ETUC, rooted in the ECSC and the European Economic Community. Social policy in the 1970s and 1980s ...................16 1.2 Social consultation bodies from 1974 to 1984 ...............................19 1.2.1 The Standing Committee on Employment (SCE): the first deadlock...............21 1.2.2 The Tripartite Meetings: further deadlock ....................................22 1.3 Reasons for applying the brakes that would go on for several years – until 1984 ....23 1.3.1 Working time ...........................................................23 1.3.2 Information and consultation in transnational companies . 24 1.4 Stalemate and a few attempts to get out of it… ..............................27 1.5 1984: searching for ways out of the deadlock ................................29 Chapter 2 The dynamics of imbalance .......................................... 33 2.1 Despite leaving its lethargy behind it, Europe seems stuck in a deadlock in all social matters ......................................................34 2.2 Val Duchesse I: the launching ramp.........................................35 2.3 Val Duchesse II: social dialogue at work .....................................39 2.3.1 The Macro group, consensus over the Commission’s draft proposals..............41 2.3.2 The Micro working group: fraught with tensions and difficulties .................43 2.4 Egmont I, the 7 May 1987 Social Dialogue Summit: a first stock-taking ..........47 2.4.1 Conflict in the Micro working group ........................................48 2.4.2 The Macro group and Objective 1992.......................................49 2.5 The first major revision of the Treaty: the Single European Act . 50 Chapter 3 The art of steering.................................................. 53 3.1 Jacques Delors’ commitments made to the ETUC Stockholm Congress in May 1988............................................................54 3.2 The decisive evolution of certain national organisations: the particular case of the TUC .............................................55 3.3 1988-1990: An important period for the development of the social dialogue and Community social policy..............................60 3.3.1 The continuing work of the Working Groups . .60 3.4 Palais d’Egmont II: a new breath of life for the social dialogue ..................62 3.5 A tense start for the Steering Committee ....................................66 3.6 The Steering Committee and the working groups: between concrete results and deadlock......................................68 3.7 The Community Charter of Fundamental Social Rights of Workers: a promise is a promise! ...................................................70 6 3.7.1 The European Economic and Social Committee ...............................74 3.7.2 The Council of Europe ....................................................76 3.8 The Steering Committee meeting on 26 January 1990: bad vibes! . 77 3.9 The consequences of the 26 January 1990 meeting...........................80 3.10 Steering Committee meeting of 10 July 1990: the employers keep their foot on the brake!..................................82 3.11 The Steering Committee meeting of 6 November 1990: a funny atmosphere… ....84 3.12 The ETUC’s Luxembourg Congress and the arrival of a new ETUC Secretary General..85 3.12.1 A new EUTC Secretary General, but who?....................................85 3.13 Implementation of the Social Action Programme..............................87 Chapter 4 From lobbyists to active players ...................................... 91 4.1 The CEEP, an ideal partner? ...............................................92 4.2 The Steering Committee meeting on 25 January 1991: creation of an ad hoc Working Group on the revision of the Treaty ..............97 4.3 The ad hoc Working Group: difficulties and successes..........................99 4.4 The Maastricht Treaty and the Social Protocol ...............................106 4.5 Egmont III, 3 July 1992: the future of the European social dialogue and the creation of the Social Dialogue Committee . 110 4.6 A new Commission to relaunch the European Union?.........................114 4.7 Palais d’Egmont IV: Jacques Delors’ White Paper as the main course ............118 4.8 The common interpretation of the Maastricht Social Protocol . 118 4.9 The difficult yet indispensable interaction and complementarity between the cross-industry and sectoral dimensions..................................121 Chapter 5 Moving forward ................................................... 131 5.1 Their backs to the wall: the revival of the “Vredeling” initiative .................132 5.2 The Hoover shock.......................................................132 5.3 The new context created by the Maastricht Social Protocol . 134 5.4 Negotiations impossible, but success with the Directive on European works councils .................................................137 5.5 A new Commission, a new President .......................................140 5.6 A first success: the negotiation of parental leave.............................142 5.7 What bargaining mandate?...............................................152 Chapter 6 Knock, knock — New players knocking at the door of the European social dialogue ....................................... 157 6.1 The sectoral or specific employer organisations ..............................158 6.2 The other union organisations. The representation of engineers and managers as an important examples