Is social Europe dead?

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this editorial is to examine whether the social dimension of the single European market (SEM) has stalled or come to an end.

Design/methodology/approach

This editorial outlines the existing minimum standards in SEM, the processes whereby they have/are established, and reviews the progress on the revision of the working time and European Works Council (EWC) Directive.

Findings

The absence of proposals from the EU Commission other than on temporary and agency workers since 2002 has the EU wide trade union bodies, especially the ETUC to argue that EU member states' government continue to have a higher priority for the economic Europe (for example, labour market flexibility) than the social Europe (the establishment of workers' rights). This view has been enforced in that the EU Commission has been tardy in its revision of the working time and the EWC Directives. In the summer of 2008, the commission brought forward a series of measures aimed at stressing the social dimension of the SEM. These included a revised EWC Directive but they are unlikely to continue trade unions in Europe that EU member state government give as much priority to the social Europe as well as the economic Europe.

Originality/value

The editorial offers insights into the priority given to the social Europe relative to the economic Europe.

Citation

Gennard, J. (2008), "Is social Europe dead?", Employee Relations, Vol. 30 No. 6, pp. 589-593. https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450810909994