EU Business and Trade Union Organizations

EU Business Organizations

Characteristics:

• Weak links of interest, whether it is bringing together national organizations, territorial associations, or sectorial ones.
• Created as a pressure group with the intent to influence political decision-making processes.
• Groups 33 associations from various countries.
• Dominated by large companies.

Types:

1. Organizations with the sole function of interest representation exclusively related to the labor market and labor relations.
2. Associations with commercial interests (Chambers of Commerce).
3. Associations with dual functions (1 and 2). This is the case of the Spanish CEOE.

Objectives:

• Promote the interests of the represented associations.
• Report and press on legislative decision-making processes.
• Represent associate members in the European Social Dialogue.

This organization is represented in the European Social Dialogue alongside UNICE.

European Trade Union Structure

Characteristics:

• Divided by very different ideological and organizational traditions.
• Membership continues to grow.
• In the Tenth Congress (2003), there were 77 unions.
• The latest additions are from Eastern European countries.

Organizational Structure:

• A 7-member Secretariat for daily management.
• 3 Committees: Industrial Relations, Employment, and Social Policy.
• A sovereign body between congresses (every four years): the Executive Committee, consisting of 120 members representing national trade union confederations, the Federation of Industry, the Women's Committee, and specific groups (youth, seniors, and Euro-cadres in banking and civil aviation, for example).

Objectives and Lines of Action:

• Influence policy decision-making processes and legislation promoted by European authorities.
• Ensure the participation of trade unions on issues relating to employment, social policies, and macroeconomic policy.
• Contribute to the construction of a European industrial relations system through Social Dialogue with UNICE and CEEP. European Framework Agreements, such as those related to parental leave (1995), part-time work (1997), and, more recently, stress (2004), are examples of this.
• Promote the modernization of European trade unions, devoting more effort to articulating ideological diversity.