Industrial Relations in Europe 2012 - European Commission - Europa

In the construction sector, the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW) and
the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC), working in the framework of the new
Community strategy on health and safety at work (2007-2012), edited a guide on health and safety
which has been published in 12 languages. Furthermore, the social partners are currently running
activities regarding the safe removal of asbestos.
The employers' organisation in the agricultural sector, Gopa-Cogeca, is running a project on the
implementation of policies on musculoskeletal disorders and the impact of the sector’s European
2005 agreement on reducing risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Moreover the social partners in this
sector (EFFAT and Gopa-Cogeca), agreed on a resolution on Protecting workers' health against
plant protection products in September 2010.
EFFAT and FERCO (European Federation of Contract Catering Organisations) in the contract
catering sector have created an on-line food and hygiene tool. This instrument aims to promote
stringent food hygiene standards and provides free of charge in-house training, mostly for SMEs, in
the hospitality sector.
The social partners in the leather industry adopted in May 2012 a joint statement on the ban of Cr
VI in leather and leather products. They welcomed the initiative of Denmark to propose within the
framework of REACH the extension at EU level of the restrictions for Hexavalent chromium
(chromium VI). They also requested from the EU authorities to effectively protect European
customers from imported leather products which could contain Cr VI.
In the furniture sector, the social partners adopted in 2011 a joint position on the New Community
Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health. The European Federation of Building and
Woodworkers (EFBWW), European Furniture Industries Confederation (EFIC) and European
Furniture Manufacturers Federation (UEA) in their common statement suggest a conversion of the
EU recommendation concerning occupational diseases (2003/670/EU) into a Directive containing
minimum requirement. The social partners state that they do not want a total harmonisation in the
field, but indicate the need for the adoption of minimum requirements. They also note that the
health hazards in the sector become more complex as a result of the increasing use of numerous
different hazardous substances or growing stress levels. In 2010 the social partners also conducted a
common project on the reduction of accidents in the sector. In December 2012, the social partners
finalised the project Nano in furniture – State-of-the-art 2011. This project intends principally to
present an inventory of available nano-products, measurement results, risk assessment proposals,
prevention techniques and nano-reference values.
The social partners in the woodworking industry (the European Confederation of Woodworking
Industries (CEI-Bois), EFBWW and European Panel Federation, EPF), adopted in 2010 a joint
declaration on workers’ exposure to formaldehyde. They also launched a project which aims to
provide additional translations and further dissemination of the Less Dust brochure, especially in
new Member States and candidate countries, which aims to prevent the negative impact of wood
dust on workers’ health.
On 12 October 2011, the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the paper industry
adopted its Work Programme 2012, based on four main issues: health and safety (healthy workplace
campaign); skills and qualifications, demographic change; resources and raw materials policies; and
social sustainability reporting. Further, the social partners in this sector recently finished their work
on a report on good health and safety practices in the European paper industry.
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