Representativeness of the European social partner organisations : food and drink sector.
Date: 2022-12-21
Institutions: Eurofound
Subjects: EU Member State, collective bargaining, food industry, research report, social dialogue, social partners, working conditions

RESEARCH REPORT

Industrial relations and social dialogue
Representativeness of the  
European social partner organisations: 
Food and drink sector

Representativeness of the  
European social partner organisations: 
Food and drink sector

European Foundation 
for the Improvement of 
Living and Working 
Conditions

When citing this report, please use the following wording: 
Eurofound (2022), Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector, Sectoral 
social dialogue series, Dublin.  

Authors: Ingel Kadarik (Praxis) and Peter Kerckhofs (Eurofound) 

Research managers: Peter Kerckhofs 

Eurofound project: Representativeness studies 

Provider: Network of Eurofound Correspondents   

PDF: 

ISBN 978-92-897-2299-5

      doi:10.2806/972808

TJ-04-22-199-EN-N 

This report and any associated materials are available online at https://eurofound.link/ef21045 

It is part of Eurofound’s Sectoral social dialogue series. See the full series at https://eurofound.link/efs006 

© European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, 2022  

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. 

For any use or reproduction of photos or other material that is not under the Eurofound copyright, permission must 
be sought directly from the copyright holders. 

Cover image: © Jelena Jojic Tomic/Stocksy/Adobe Stock 

Any queries on copyright must be addressed in writing to: copyright@eurofound.europa.eu 

Research carried out prior to the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020, and published 
subsequently, may include data relating to the 28 EU Member States. Following this date, research only takes into 
account the 27 EU Member States (EU28 minus the UK), unless specified otherwise. 

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) is a tripartite 
European Union Agency established in 1975. Its role is to provide knowledge in the area of social, employment and 
work-related policies according to Regulation (EU) 2019/127. 

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions 

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Economic background and employment trends in the sector 

Contents 
Introduction 
0.1.  Objectives of the study 
0.2.  Background on the food and drink ESSDC 
0.3.  Definitions and methodology 
0.4.  Data collection and quality control measures 
0.5.  Structure of the report 
1. 
1.1.  Employment in the food and drink sector 
1.2.  Companies in the food and drink sector and their economic development 
1.3.  Specificities and challenges in the food and drink sector 
2.  National level of interest representation 
2.1.  Coverage, sector-relatedness and organisational density of trade unions 
2.2.  Involvement of trade unions in collective bargaining 
2.3.  Coverage, sector-relatedness and organisational density of employer organisations 
2.4.  Involvement of employer organisations in collective bargaining 
2.5.  Collective bargaining patterns and social dialogue practices 
2.6.  Participation in public policy and social dialogue 
2.7.  Fragmentation and pluralism 
2.8.  Multisectoralism 
3. 
3.1.  EFFAT membership 
3.2.  National trade unions not represented in the ESSDC 
3.3.  FoodDrinkEurope membership 
3.4.  National employer organisations not represented in the ESSDC 
3.5.  Other European trade union organisations 
3.6.  Other European employer organisations and EU business associations 
3.7.  Summary for Member States with the largest sectoral workforce 
3.8.  European social partner organisations’ capacity to negotiate 
3.9.  Effective participation in the ESSDC 
Conclusions 
References 
Annex 1: National trade unions and employer organisations included in this study 
Annex 2: Trade unions and employer organisations not included in this study 
Annex 3: Network of Eurofound Correspondents 

European level of interest representation 

1 
1 
2 
4 
7 
9 
10 
10 
16 
29 
33 
36 
58 
64 
82 
90 
91 
99 
102 
103 
103 
110 
113 
119 
123 
124 
131 
132 
133 
135 
138 
139 
151 
163 

 
 
 
 
 
 
List of tables 

Table 1: Texts agreed in the ESSDC for the food and drink sector ......................................................... 3 
Table 2: Demarcation of the food and drink sector based on NACE codes ............................................ 5 
Table 3: Membership domain patterns of organisations ....................................................................... 6 
Table 4: Employment in the food and drink sector, 2019 .................................................................... 10 
Table 5: Companies in the food and drink sector, 2018 ....................................................................... 16 
Table 6: Numbers of companies and of people employed, total and by company size class .............. 18 
Table 7: Average number of people employed per company in different parts of the sector, EU27 .. 20 
Table 8: Largest employers in the food and drink sector ..................................................................... 22 
Table 9: Proportion of the sectoral employment in the largest companies in the food and drink sector 
in EU27 Member States ........................................................................................................................ 28 
Table  10:  Number  of  trade  unions/professional  associations  and  employer  organisations/business 
associations in the food and drink sector ............................................................................................. 34 
Table 11: Number of trade unions and employer organisations covering the entire sector, only the 
food subsector or only the drink subsector .......................................................................................... 35 
Table 12: Width of trade unions (number of NACE activities), EU27 ................................................... 36 
Table 13: Trade union coverage per segment (number and %), EU27 ................................................. 38 
Table 14: Sector coverage of trade unions ........................................................................................... 40 
Table 15: Organisational density of trade unions in Member States ................................................... 45 
Table 16: Types of coverage and cross-industry affiliation of trade unions ......................................... 48 
Table 17: Involvement of trade unions in collective bargaining, social dialogue and public policy ..... 58 
Table 18: Width of employer organisations (number of NACE activities), EU27.................................. 65 
Table 19: Employer organisation coverage per segment (number and %), EU27 ................................ 66 
Table 20: Umbrella organisations and affiliated sectoral organisations in the food and drink sector. 68 
Table 21: Sector coverage of employer organisations/business associations ...................................... 68 
Table 22: Organisational density of employer organisations in Member States ................................. 73 
Table 23: Types of coverage and cross-industry affiliation of employer organisations ....................... 76 
Table 24: Involvement of employer organisations in collective bargaining, social dialogue and public 
policy ..................................................................................................................................................... 83 
Table 25: Collective bargaining patterns in the sector (number and % of organisations), EU27 ......... 90 
Table 26: Type of collective bargaining, by Member States ................................................................. 91 
Table 27: Coverage of collective bargaining, by Member States.......................................................... 91 
Table 28: Consultation of employers and trade unions, by Member States ........................................ 92 
Table 29: Tripartite and bipartite social dialogue bodies in which sector-related issues are dealt with 
or in which sector-related social partners are involved ....................................................................... 94 
Table 30: Reasons for fragmentation and pluralism of trade unions ................................................. 100 
Table 31: Reasons for fragmentation and pluralism of employer organisations ............................... 101 
Table 32: Other sectors covered by food and drink trade unions and employer organisations ........ 102 
Table 33: Membership domain of EFFAT ............................................................................................ 105 
Table 34: Representativeness details of EFFAT, with members in the different parts of the sector . 108 
Table 35: European affiliation of the largest and second largest trade unions .................................. 109 
Table 36: Characteristics of trade unions not represented in the ESSDC ........................................... 110 
Table 37: Membership domain of FoodDrinkEurope ......................................................................... 114 
Table 38: European affiliation of the largest and second largest employer organisations ................ 116 

 
 
 
 
Table 39: European associations affiliated to FoodDrinkEurope ........................................................ 117 
Table 40: Characteristics of employer organisations not represented in the ESSDC ......................... 120 
Table  41:  Other  EU  trade  union  associations  with  food  and  drink  sector  national  trade  unions  as 
members ............................................................................................................................................. 123 
Table 42: Other EU associations not affiliated to FoodDrinkEurope with food and drink sector national 
employer organisations/business associations as members .............................................................. 125 
Table  43:  Other  EU  associations  affiliated to  FoodDrinkEurope  with  food  and drink  sector  national 
employer organisations/business associations as members .............................................................. 128 
Table 44: Affiliations in Member States with sectoral employment in excess of 200,000 ................. 131 
Table 45: Affiliations in the Member States where the food and drink sector has the largest share of 
total employment ............................................................................................................................... 132 
Table 46: Effective participation in the ESSDC for the food and drink sector, 2018–2019 ................ 134 
Table 47: Trade unions included in this study .................................................................................... 139 
Table 48: Employer organisations included in this study ................................................................... 142 
Table 49: Other sectors covered by trade unions and employer organisations ................................. 148 
Table 50: Multisectoralism of food and drink trade unions  .............................................................. 149 
Table 51: Trade unions not included in the analysis ........................................................................... 151 
Table 52: Employer organisations not included in the analysis .......................................................... 153 

 
 
 
 
 
 
List of figures 

Figure 1: Four types of sector-relatedness ............................................................................................. 6 
Figure 2: Employment in the food and drink subsectors as proportions of total sector employment in 
each Member State, 2019 ..................................................................................................................... 12 
Figure 3: Numbers and proportions of people employed in different parts of the sector, EU27 ........ 13 
Figure 4: Number of people employed in the food and drink sector, EU27, 2011–2019..................... 14 
Figure 5: Change in the number of people employed in the food and drink sector, by Member States, 
2011–2019 ............................................................................................................................................ 15 
Figure 6: Proportion of companies and employment by company size class, EU27, 2018 .................. 17 
Figure 7: Proportion of companies by size class in each Member State, 2018 .................................... 19 
Figure 8: Number and share of companies in different parts of the sector, EU27............................... 21 
Figure 9: Number of companies in the food and drink sector in the EU27, 2011–2018 ...................... 22 
Figure 10: Change in volume of production in manufacture of food and drink (%) ............................. 31 
Figure 11: Width of trade unions (number of NACE activities) (%), EU27 ............................................ 37 
Figure 12: Share of trade unions covering each part of the sector, EU27 ............................................ 39 
Figure 13: Membership domains of trade unions, EU27 ...................................................................... 46 
Figure 14: Involvement of trade unions in different forms of collective bargaining, EU27 ................. 63 
Figure 15: Proportion of trade unions engaged in collective bargaining covering different parts of the 
sector, EU27 .......................................................................................................................................... 64 
Figure 16: Width of employer organisations (number of NACE activities) (%), EU27 .......................... 65 
Figure 17: Share of employer organisations covering each part of the sector, EU27 .......................... 67 
Figure 18: Membership domains of employer organisations, EU27 .................................................... 75 
Figure 19: Involvement of employer organisations in different forms of collective bargaining .......... 88 
Figure 20: Proportion of employer organisations with collective agreements covering different parts 
of the sector, EU27 ............................................................................................................................... 89 
Figure 21: National social partners’ involvement in government consultations, EU27 ....................... 92 
Figure 22: Social dialogue bodies by type and origin, EU27 ................................................................. 93 
Figure 23: Membership strength of EFFAT for the food and drink subsectors .................................. 104 
Figure 24: Membership strength of FoodDrinkEurope for the food and drink subsectors ................ 113 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Country codes EU27 

AT 

BE 

BG 

CY 

CZ 

DE 

DK 

EE 

EL 

Austria 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Cyprus 

Czechia 

Germany 

Denmark 

Estonia 

Greece 

ES 

FI 

FR 

HR 

HU 

IE 

IT 

LT 

LU 

Spain 

Finland 

France 

Croatia 

Hungary 

Ireland 

Italy 

Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

LV 

MT 

NL 

PL 

PT 

RO 

SE 

SI 

SK 

Latvia 

Malta 

Netherlands 

Poland 

Portugal 

Romania 

Sweden 

Slovenia 

Slovakia 

 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Introduction 

The aim of this representativeness study is to identify the relevant national and supranational social 
partners – that is, the trade unions and employer organisations – in the food and drink sector and to 
show  how  they  relate  to  the  sector’s  European-level  organisations  representing  employees  and 
employers. 

The  report  is  divided  into  three  parts:  an  overview  of  the  economic  specificities  of  and  the 
employment trends in the food and drink sector; an analysis of the social partner organisations in the 
27  EU Member  States;1  and  an  analysis  of  the  relevant  European  organisations,  in  particular  their 
membership composition and capacity to negotiate. 

This  section  presents  the  objectives  of  the  study  along  with  a  brief  introduction  to  the  chosen 
methodology. The context of this study is the European sectoral social dialogue committee (ESSDC) 
for the food and drink sector, which was established in its current form in 2012. 

0.1.  Objectives of the study 
Representativeness studies are conducted for four reasons. 

•  The  European  Commission  aims  to  confirm  the  representativeness  of  the  social  partner 
associations  consulted  under  Article 154 of  the  Treaty on  the  Functioning of the  European 
Union (TFEU). 

•  Representativeness is one eligibility criterion for setting up or participating in an ESSDC. 
•  Representativeness  also  means  having  the  capacity  to  negotiate  agreements  that  can  be 

implemented by Council decision, as provided for by Article 155 of the TFEU. 

•  This study can also offer guidance for future capacity-building initiatives. 

Representativeness  is  defined  by  the  European  Commission  decision  of  20  May  1998  on  the 
establishment  of  sectoral  social  dialogue  committees  promoting  the  dialogue  between  the  social 
partners  at  European  level  (Decision  98/500/EC).  For  an  organisation  to  be  recognised  as  a 
representative EU social partner organisation, it must: 

• 
• 

relate to specific sectors or categories and be organised at European level 
represent  organisations  that  are  themselves  an  integral  and  recognised  part  of  Member 
States’ social partner structures, that have the capacity to negotiate labour agreements and 
that are representative of several Member States 

•  have adequate structures to ensure its effective participation in the work of an ESSDC 

To accomplish its aims, this study first identifies the relevant national social partner organisations in 
the  food  and  drink  sector  before  analysing  the  structure  of  the  sector’s  relevant  European 
organisations, in particular their membership composition. This analysis involves clarifying the unit of 
analysis  at  both  national  and  European  levels.  The  study  includes  only  organisations  whose 
membership domain is classed as ‘sector-related’ (see Section 0.3 for further information). 

1 This research was planned prior to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union on 31 
January 2020 and therefore includes data relating to the 27 current EU Member States and the UK.  However, 
UK data were not included in the assessment of the socipage al partners’ representativeness. 

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Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

0.2.  Background on the food and drink ESSDC 
The food and drink ESSDC was established in 2012; therefore, it is one of the more recently formed 
committees.  The  origins  of  the  food  and  drink  ESSDC  lie  in  the  High  Level  Group  on  the 
Competitiveness  of  the  Agro-Food  Industry,  which  was  established  by  Commission  Decision 
2008/359/EC of 28 April 2008. The report produced by the group in 2009 recommended setting up an 
ESSDC  for  the  food  and  drink  sector  (recommendations  17  and  18),  based  on  the  example  of  the 
existing  ESSDC  for  the  sugar  sector  (High  Level  Group  on  the  Competitiveness  of  the  Agro-Food 
Industry, 2009). 

According to recommendation 17, the group had identified a lack of qualified employees as one of the 
major obstacles to the competitiveness of the sector. A well-functioning social dialogue at all levels 
was put forward as a means to make the sector more attractive. Recommendation 18 states: 

The High Level Group members recommend the European sectoral social dialogue as a 
tool  of  good  governance.  Upon  joint  request  of  the  European  social  partners,  the 
European Commission could examine their representativeness with a view to assess the 
feasibility of creating a Social dialogue committee in the agro-food industry. 

In  2012,  the  European  Federation  of  Food,  Agriculture  and  Tourism  Trade  Unions  (EFFAT), 
representing  the  trade  unions,  and  FoodDrinkEurope,  representing  the  employer  organisations, 
signed a first joint agreement on setting up an ESSDC for the European food and drink industry under 
the auspices of the European Commission. Since its establishment, this ESSDC has worked primarily 
on two key issues: (1) political developments and the regulatory environment affecting the food and 
drink sector in Europe, and (2) sustainable employment challenges, particularly the qualifications and 
training needs of the sector. 

With EFFAT and FoodDrinkEurope having been recognised as European social partner organisations 
for the food and drink sector, they were also both included in the list of organisations to be consulted 
by the European Commission under Article 154 of the TFEU. 

In the first 10 years of the ESSDC’s existence, EFFAT and FoodDrinkEurope agreed on 13 joint texts, 
listed in Table 1. Over the years, the issue of the lack of qualified workers remained one of the main 
obstacles that needed to be overcome to make the sector more competitive on a European and global 
scale. This issue has been or is due to be further investigated through several EU-funded projects. A 
first project addressed sustainable employment and competitiveness in the food and drink sector. The 
second project resulted in a good practice toolbox aiming to help companies to bring in new talent, 
manage  an  ageing  workforce,  identify  bottlenecks  in  recruiting  new  and  skilled  employees,  and 
address potential challenges arising from an ageing workforce. A third project aimed to identify new 
technologies in the food and drink industry, emerging jobs and the new skills and types of qualification 
required,  and  to  undertake  a  forward-looking  reflection  on what criteria  will  underpin  the  socially 
successful adaptation of Food Industry 4.0. Building upon the last two skills-oriented projects, a new 
project is due to be launched in 2022. 

Another activity of political relevance, which also has implications for social dialogue at sector and 
company levels, is the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices. 

 2 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 1: Texts agreed in the ESSDC for the food and drink sector 

Date 

Title 

Type 

Addressee 

European trade 
union 
organisation 
signing the text 

European 
employer 
organisation 
signing the text 

22 March 2022 

15 December 
2020 

12 May 2020 

9 April 2020 

25 March 2020 

17 March 2020 

12 June 2017 

30 June 2016 

27 November 
2015 

Joint statement: 
agri-food 
employers and 
workers on the war 
in Ukraine 

Only healthy 
workers can feed 
Europe (joint 
statement on 
vaccine strategies) 

Urgent support 
needed for 
hospitality-tourism 
sector in COVID-19 
crisis 

Guidelines to 
protect the health 
and safety of 
workers in food 
businesses during 
the COVID-19 
pandemic 

Food and drink 
trade unions and 
industry call for 
worker support 

New professions 
and career paths in 
the food and drinks 
industry  

FoodDrinkEurope–
EFFAT joint 
statement on the 
CAP 

Toolbox: good 
practices and tools 
from the food and 
drink industry in 
Europe 

Social partners call 
for ambitious 
agreement on 
climate change to 
support social 
change 

Joint 
statement 

European 
Commission 

EFFAT 

FoodDrinkEurope, 
Geopa-Copa 

Joint 
statement 

EU Member 
States 

EFFAT 

FoodDrinkEurope, 
Geopa-Copa 

Joint opinion 

EU institutions 

EFFAT 

FoodDrinkEurope, 
Hotrec, 
FoodServiceEurope 

Guidelines 

National 
organisations 

EFFAT 

FoodDrinkEurope 

Joint opinion 

European 
institutions/ 
national 
authorities 

Final report 
from a joint 
project  

Affiliates of 
EFFAT and 
FoodDrinkEurope 

Joint opinion 

European 
institutions/ 
national 
authorities 

EFFAT 

FoodDrinkEurope 

EFFAT 

FoodDrinkEurope 

EFFAT 

FoodDrinkEurope 

Tool 

Companies 

EFFAT 

FoodDrinkEurope 

Joint opinion 

European 
institutions/ 
national 
authorities 

EFFAT 

FoodDrinkEurope 

 3 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Date 

Title 

Type 

Addressee 

European trade 
union 
organisation 
signing the text 

European 
employer 
organisation 
signing the text 

EFFAT 

FoodDrinkEurope 

Joint opinion 

European 
institutions/ 
national 
authorities 

1 February 2015 

1 October 2014 

1 March 2014 

26 July 2013 

Joint position on 
the proposed 
revised directive on 
the activities and 
supervision of 
institutions for 
occupational 
retirement 
provision 

The food and drink 
industry 
apprenticeships 
pledge 

Joint 
FoodDrinkEurope–
EFFAT position on 
industrial policy 

Joint statement on 
the CAP reform 

Declaration 

European social 
partners 

EFFAT 

FoodDrinkEurope 

Joint opinion 

Joint opinion 

European 
institutions/ 
national 
authorities 

European 
institutions/ 
national 
authorities 

EFFAT 

FoodDrinkEurope 

EFFAT 

FoodDrinkEurope 

Source: Compiled by the authors based on the European Commission’s social dialogue texts database, 2021 

0.3.  Definitions and methodology 
The methodology applied is linked to the criteria identified in Commission Decision 98/500/EC: sector-
relatedness, membership and organisational capacity.  These criteria will be defined successively in 
this section. 

Sector-relatedness 
Sector-relatedness refers to the demarcation of the food and drink sector in agreement with the social 
partners and the European Commission. 

When  analysing  the  way  trade  unions  and  employer  organisations  relate  to  the  sector,  this  must 
include  the  extent  to  which  their  membership  domains  cover  all  types  of  workers  in  all  types  of 
companies in all types of activities in the sector. How the sector is defined is crucial for the assessment 
of sector-relatedness. 

In this study, the food and drink sector is understood as covering NACE2 codes 10.1–10.9 and 11.01–
11.07 (Table 2). 

2 NACE refers to the European statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community. NACE 
revision 2 codes are used here. For the demarcation of a specific sector, reference is made to a number of NACE 
codes. 

 4 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 2: Demarcation of the food and drink sector based on NACE codes 

NACE code 

Corresponding economic activity 

10 

10.1 

10.2 

10.3 

10.4 

10.5 

10.6 

10.7 

10.8 

10.9 

11 

11.01 

11.02 

11.03 

11.04 

11.05 

11.06 

11.07 

Manufacture of food products 

Processing and preserving of meat and production of meat products 

Processing and preserving of fish, crustaceans and molluscs 

Processing and preserving of fruit and vegetables 

Manufacture of vegetable and animal oils and fats 

Manufacture of dairy products 

Manufacture of grain mill products, starches and starch products 

Manufacture of bakery and farinaceous products 

Manufacture of other food products 

Manufacture of prepared animal feeds 

Manufacture of beverages 

Distilling, rectifying and blending of spirits 

Manufacture of wine from grape 

Manufacture of cider and other fruit wines 

Manufacture of other non-distilled fermented beverages 

Manufacture of beer 

Manufacture of malt 

Manufacture of soft drinks; production of mineral waters and other bottled waters 

Source: NACE revision 2 

Table 3 and Figure 1 show the membership domain patterns that can exist. The membership domains 
of trade unions and employer organisations can be exactly in line with the demarcation of the sector 
(i.e. covering all activities in NACE codes 10.1–10.9 and 11.01–11.07); this type of sector-relatedness 
is called ‘congruence’. If the membership domain of an organisation goes beyond the food and drink 
sector as defined here, it is categorised as ‘overlapping’. ‘Sectionalism’ is a type of sector-relatedness 
whereby an organisation covers part of the sector and nothing else, whereas organisations that fall 
into  the  category  of  ‘sectional  overlap’  cover  part  of  the  sector  and  also  have  members  in  other 
sectors. 

 5 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 3: Membership domain patterns of organisations 

Domain pattern 

Domain of organisation within the 
sector 

Domain of organisation outside 
the sector 

Does the domain of the trade 
union/employer organisation cover 
potentially all employees/companies 
in the sector? 

Does the trade union/employer 
organisation also potentially 
represent employees/companies 
outside the sector? 

Congruence 

Overlap 

Sectionalism 

Sectional overlap 

Source: Eurofound 

Yes 

No 

Figure 1: Four types of sector-relatedness 

No 

Yes 

No 

Yes 

Source: Eurofound 

The  multisectoralism  of  the  associations  organising  workers  and  employers  in  the  food  and  drink 
sector will also be analysed, in Section 2.8. This analysis will illustrate the proportion of national trade 
unions and employer organisations that are also represented in other sectors with  ESSDCs. If such 
multisectoralism entails shared interests in certain topics, this may suggest that future cooperation 
across different ESSDCs would be of value. 

Membership 
Membership  is  another  important  aspect  of  representativeness.  This  study  looks  at  two  levels  of 
membership: first, the geographical coverage of the EU-level organisations (for instance, how many 
Member  States  an  EU-level  trade  union/employer  organisation  has  affiliates  in)  and,  second,  the 
organisational density (that is, the number of members who are employees as a percentage of the 
total number of employees in a given industry or country) of the national affiliates. Important aspects 
to  be  assessed  are  whether  the  EU-level  players  organise  most,  or  at  least  the  most  significant, 

 6 

 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

national-level  players  (significant  in  relation  to  their  membership  strength  in  the  sector  and  their 
involvement  in  collective  bargaining)  and  whether  there  are  any  major  gaps  in  their  membership 
domains. 

Membership of a social partner organisation requires payment of membership fees. However, some 
organisations  are  reluctant  to  inform  third  parties  about  such  payments.  Considering  the  limits  of 
transparency, this study does not always distinguish between different membership statuses. Where 
possible, indirect membership (i.e. membership through another organisation to which the employer 
organisation or trade union is affiliated) is taken into account in this report. 

Organisational capacity 
The  organisational  capacity  of  the  European  social  partners  is  analysed  in  terms  of  their  ability  to 
commit themselves on behalf of their members and to conclude binding agreements or actions that 
can  be  implemented  or monitored  EU-wide  through  the  support  of  their  affiliates.  To  assess  their 
capacity to negotiate, the actors and their objectives and decision-making structures provided for in 
their statutes are considered, as are the outcomes in terms of texts agreed. The processes through 
which the organisations obtained mandates, support and approval from their member organisations 
in the negotiation process are also considered. 

The  involvement  of  social  partners’  members  in  national-level  collective  bargaining  is  also 
important, as it shows that they are able to obtain a mandate to negotiate on behalf of their members 
(at least at national level, which could then also translate into a mandate to negotiate at EU level). 
Such a mandate, whether implicit or explicit, allows for negotiations to take place at European level 
that  could  potentially  result  in  binding  agreements  or  the  drafting  of  European  autonomous 
agreements (requiring implementation by social partners at national level in line with their respective 
practices and traditions). The capacity to act autonomously in this way among those represented on 
the ESSDC contributes significantly to the committee’s effectiveness. 

The  involvement  in  collective  bargaining  of  national  sector-related  trade  unions  and  employer 
organisations  is  also  a  factor  that  distinguishes  them  from  professional  associations  and  business 
associations, which only defend their members’ interests through unilateral lobbying activities and do 
not involve themselves in negotiations on working conditions through collective bargaining or social 
dialogue. Trade unions and employer organisations that do engage in collective bargaining on behalf 
of their members have a proven capacity to obtain a mandate from their members to negotiate and 
to  reach  compromises  and  agreements  with  organisations  representing  different  interests.  In  its 
analysis, this report aims to distinguish between these different types of organisations. 

Finally,  representativeness  also  depends  upon  the  organisations’  structures  and  resources,  their 
capacity to encourage the active participation of their members and combine the different interests 
of  member  organisations,  and  their  potential  to  act  autonomously  at  European  level.  Effective 
participation in the ESSDC is assessed in terms of presence at the meetings in 2018 and 2019. 

0.4.  Data collection and quality control measures 

Data collection 
Representativeness studies combine top-down and bottom-up approaches. The top-down approach 
includes  all sector-related affiliates of EFFAT and FoodDrinkEurope, while the bottom-up  approach 

 7 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

looks  at  the  organisations  organising  employees  or  employers  and/or  involved  in  sector-related 
collective bargaining and social dialogue in the EU Member States and their membership of European-
level organisations. 

Except where otherwise stated, this study draws on the country-level studies provided by the Network 
of  Eurofound  Correspondents.  So  that  questions  were  not  left  blank,  estimates  were  used  where 
precise  quantitative  data  could  not  be  obtained.  Thus,  quantitative  data  (such  as  those  used  to 
calculate density rates) may stem from any of the following sources: 

•  official statistics and representative survey studies 
•  administrative data, such as membership figures provided by the organisations 
•  estimates, expert opinions and assessments from the Network of Eurofound Correspondents 

or representatives of the organisations 

Other sources used in this report include the European Commission’s social dialogue texts database 
and the articles of association of the EU-level organisations. 

Quality assurance 
To ensure the quality of the information gathered, several verification procedures and feedback loops 
were included in the process of preparing this study. 

First, combining the top-down and bottom-up approaches, information on the affiliates of the relevant 
EU-level social partners and other sector-related associations was collected from the reports prepared 
by  the  Network  of  Eurofound  Correspondents,  between  May  2020  and  September  2020. 
Subsequently,  the  authors  of  this  report  (including  the  Eurofound  research  manager  responsible) 
checked  the  consistency  of  the  national  contributions  and,  where  necessary,  asked  the  national 
correspondents to revise them between December 2020 and February 2021. Based on these collected 
data, an overview report was drafted by the authors between March 2021 and October 2021. As a 
result of other work on representativeness studies for other sectors, some delays in the planned work 
occurred in the second half of 2021. 

A first, informal (pre-evaluation) consultation of EFFAT and FoodDrinkEurope was carried out in March 
2022. Using  the comments  of the Commission, EFFAT and FoodDrinkEurope  as guidance,  the draft 
report was  finalised and prepared for formal evaluation by the  Eurofound Advisory  Committee  on 
Industrial  Relations,  the  European-level  sectoral  social  partners  identified  in  the  report  and  the 
Directorate-General  for  Employment,  Social  Affairs  and  Inclusion.  This  formal  evaluation  was 
conducted through a written evaluation procedure that took place between 10 June and 15 July 2022. 
Following  this  evaluation,  final  corrections  were  made  and  the  report  edited  (language  editing, 
checking  for  consistency  and  formatting),  after  which  the  study  was  published  on  the  Eurofound 
website. 

During  this  process,  all  relevant  actors  and  organisations  mentioned  in  the  report  were  invited  to 
check the consistency of the information included in it, thereby ensuring that the bottom-up approach 
included all the relevant sector-related organisations from each country. As different social partner 
organisations were able to view the information reported by other organisations in the same country 
and, if necessary, comment on the credibility or accuracy of the information on other organisations 
representing  a  similar  membership,  this  process  involved  an  element  of  mutual  control  and 
recognition. 

 8 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

These quality assurance measures and the evaluation and approval of the report by the Eurofound 
Advisory  Committee  on  Industrial  Relations  –  which  consists  of  representatives  of  both  sides  of 
industry, governments and the European Commission – as well as the evaluation and approval of it by 
the  European-level  sectoral  social  partners  identified  in  the  report,  ensure  the  legitimacy  of  the 
findings of this study. 

0.5.  Structure of the report 
As stated earlier in the  introduction, the report consists of three main parts. It  begins  with a brief 
summary of the economic background and employment specificities of the food and drink sector. It 
then analyses the relevant social partner organisations in the 27 EU Member States. The third part 
considers the representative associations at European level. 

Finally, it is important to note the difference between the research and political aspects of this study. 
While providing data on the representativeness of the organisations under consideration, the report 
does not conclude on whether the representativeness of the European social partner organisations 
and their national affiliates is sufficient for participation in the European social dialogue. Rather, the 
information and analyses in this report provide the evidence base for further efforts and decisions of 
the social partners themselves and the European Commission. 

 9 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

1.  Economic background and employment trends 

in the sector 

This  chapter  describes  the  economic  background  of  the  food  and  drink  industry  in  terms  of 
employment and company structures. It outlines the scope of the workforce and the companies in the 
sector that are to be represented by the trade unions and employer organisations discussed in the 
following chapter. 

1.1.  Employment in the food and drink sector 
Data  from  2019  show  that  the  food  and  drink  sector  in  the  EU27  employs  4.7  million  people, 
accounting for around 2.4% of the total EU27 workforce. In 2021, this number was 4.5 million.3 

Table 4 gives an overview of the number of people employed in the food and drink sector per country 
and the percentage of sector employment as a share of the total employment in each country and as 
a  share  of  the  EU  sector  employment.  In  absolute  numbers,  the  Member  States  with  the  largest 
sectoral  workforces  are  Germany  (786,000  people),  France  (632,500),  Poland  (486,100),  Italy 
(459,600) and Spain (456,100). The workforce of each of those five countries accounts for more than 
10% of the EU27 sectoral workforce; together, these workforces account for 65% of the total EU27 
sectoral workforce. 

As  a  share  of  the  country’s  total  employment,  the  food  and  drink  sector  is  most  important  –  in 
comparison with other countries – in Croatia (4% of the total employment), Greece (3.4%), Bulgaria 
(3.3%), Hungary (3.2%) and Poland (3.1%). In other countries, the share of the sectoral workforce is 
below 3%. The EU27 average share of the country’s workforce for this sector is 2.4%; the share is 2.4% 
or higher in 14 countries (shaded green in Table 4). The sector is least important, compared with other 
countries,  in  Sweden  and  Luxembourg,  where  the  shares  of  the  sector  workforce  of  the  total 
workforce are 1.0% and 0.9%. 

Table 4: Employment in the food and drink sector, 2019 

Member 
State 

People 
employed in 
food subsector 

People 
employed in 
drink subsector 

People employed 
in food and drink 
overall 

Share of 
country’s total 
employment (%) 

Share of EU27 
total sectoral 
employment (%) 

DE 
FR 
ES 
PL 
IT 
RO 
HU 
EL 
NL 
CZ 
PT 
BE 
BG 

786,000 
632,500 
456,100 
486,100 
459,600 
205,700 
124,600 
120,000 
121,600 
108,700 
102,000 
105,300 
90,500 

76,600 
46,600 
64,500 
27,700 
44,500 
16,100 
18,900 
12,600 
8,800 
17,200 
16,400 
11,900 
16,700 

3 FoodDrinkEurope, 2021. 

862,600 
679,100 
520,600 
513,800 
504,100 
221,800 
143,500 
132,600 
130,400 
125,900 
118,400 
117,200 
107,200 

 10 

2.0 
2.5 
2.6 
3.1 
2.2 
2.6 
3.2 
3.4 
1.5 
2.4 
2.4 
2.4 
3.3 

18.3 
14.4 
11.1 
10.9 
10.7 
4.7 
3.1 
2.8 
2.8 
2.7 
2.5 
2.5 
2.3 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Member 
State 

People 
employed in 
food subsector 

People 
employed in 
drink subsector 

People employed 
in food and drink 
overall 

Share of 
country’s total 
employment (%) 

Share of EU27 
total sectoral 
employment (%) 

AT 
HR 
DK 
SK 
IE 
SE 
LT 
FI 
LV 
SI 
EE 
CY 
MT 
LU 
EU27 

72,800 
60,100 
54,200 
50,700 
48,900 
45,400 
38,700 
34,900 
20,100 
19,800 
13,500 
9,600 
3,900 
2,000 
4,273,300 

9,500 
6,800 
3,700 
6,000 
6,800 
4,000 
1,700 
2,900 
2,600 
2,500 
1,500 
700 
1,400 
700 
429,300 

82,300 
66,900 
57,900 
56,700 
55,700 
49,400 
40,400 
37,800 
22,700 
22,300 
15,000 
10,300 
5,300 
2,700 
4,702,600 

1.9 
4.0 
2.0 
2.2 
2.4 
1.0 
2.9 
1.5 
2.5 
2.3 
2.2 
2.5 
2.1 
0.9 
2.4 

1.8 
1.4 
1.2 
1.2 
1.2 
1.1 
0.9 
0.8 
0.5 
0.5 
0.3 
0.2 
0.1 
0.1 
100  

Notes: Ordered from the highest to lowest number of people employed in the food and drink sector. 2018 data 
for Latvia and Sweden for the drink subsector. Green shading denotes the countries for which the proportion of 
employment in the sector is 2.4% (the EU27 average) or more of the entire national employment. These are the 
countries for which the food and drink sector is the most important in terms of employment in the country. 

Source: Eurostat, Labour Force Survey (employment of people aged 15 and over), 2019 

The two subsectors – food (NACE 10) and drink (NACE 11) – differ considerably in size. In the EU27, 
the workforce in the food subsector is around 10 times larger than that in the drink subsector (see 
Table  4).  Figure  2  shows,  for  each  country,  employment  in  the  food  subsector  and  in  the  drink 
subsector  as  proportions  of  employment  in  the  sector.  In  15  countries,  90%  or  more  of  people 
employed in the sector work in the food subsector, while 10% or fewer work in the drink subsector. 
In the remaining countries, the share of food subsector employment varies between 74% and 89%, 
with the smallest shares being in Luxembourg and Malta. 

 11 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Figure 2: Employment in the food and drink subsectors as proportions of total sector employment in 
each Member State, 2019 

LT
PL
DK
NL
CY
FR
RO
FI
SE
IT
DE
EL
EE
BE
HR
SK
SI
LV
AT
IE
ES
HU
CZ
PT
BG
LU
MT

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Share of food employment

Share of drink employment

Note: 2018 data were used for Latvia and Sweden for the drink subsector. 

Source: Eurostat, Labour Force Survey (employment of people aged 15 and over), 2019 

There are also considerable variations in the employment in specific parts of the sector. As shown in 
Figure 3, the most important activity in the whole sector is manufacture of bakery products, employing 
1.2  million  people,  which  accounts  for  34%  of  the  sectoral  workforce  in  the  EU27.  This  segment 
includes both small village bakeries with only two or three employees and much larger ones. This is 
followed by meat processing, which includes both small butchers and larger slaughterhouses and meat 
factories. Manufacture of other food products, manufacture of dairy products and fruit and vegetable 
processing also employ a large share of people in this sector. Together, these five segments account 
for nearly 3 million employed people, or 82% of the total sectoral workforce. The least important parts 
of the sector are manufacture of other beverages, manufacture of malt and manufacture of cider and 
fruit wine, which employ 3,600 people or 0.1% of the sectoral workforce. 

 12 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Figure 3: Numbers and proportions of people employed in different parts of the sector, EU27 

10.7 Bakery

10.1 Meat

10.8 Other food

10.5 Dairy

20%, 713,362

13%, 475,882

9%, 335,892

34%, 1,231,857

10.3 Fruit and vegetables

6%, 211,614

10.9 Animal feeds

10.2 Fish

3%, 100,343

3%, 96,107

10.6 Grain mill products

11.02 Wine from grape

11.07 Soft drinks and water

11.05 Beer

10.4 Oils and fats

2%, 87,729

2%, 85,908

2%, 81,397

2%, 68,767

2%, 54,850

11.01 Spirits

1%, 36,391

11.03 Cider and fruit wine

0.05%, 1,797

11.06 Malt

0.04%, 1,382

11.04 Other beverages

0.01%, 420

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000 1,200,000 1,400,000

Note: Data collected for the current report by the Network of Eurofound Correspondents  during 2020 do not 
cover the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector as the data collection was launched in the first half of 
the year. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Total employment in the food and drink sector in the EU27 has seen an increase of around 300,000 
employees (6.2%) since 2011. While in 2012 and 2013 there was a slight dip in employment compared 
with 2011, the employment level then increased steadily to stay somewhat stable during recent years 
(Figure 4). The number of people employed in the food subsector has also increased by 6.2%. For the 
drink subsector, the increase was 6.3%. 

 13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Figure 4: Number of people employed in the food and drink sector, EU27, 2011–2019 

Food and drink total

4,649,300

4,689,800

4,701,100

4,691,700

4,424,600

4,369,100

4,383,300

4,497,800

4,572,700

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Food

4,108,5004,185,600

4,248,000

4,276,600

4,281,300

4,273,400

3,982,900

4,022,100

3,984,300

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Drink

402,500

399,000

386,200

389,300

401,300

387,100

427,700

408,500

415,100

4,800,000

4,700,000

4,600,000

4,500,000

4,400,000

4,300,000

4,200,000

4,400,000

4,300,000

4,200,000

4,100,000

4,000,000

3,900,000

3,800,000

440,000
430,000
420,000
410,000
400,000
390,000
380,000
370,000
360,000

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Source: Eurostat, Labour Force Survey (employment of people aged 15 and over), 2011–2019 

The change in employment level from 2011 to 2019 varies considerably between the Member States, 
as shown in Figure 5. The biggest changes in absolute numbers are recorded in Italy and Spain, where 
sectoral  employment  has  increased  by  90,000  and  by  66,000,  respectively.  Germany  has  seen  the 
biggest decrease in absolute terms in sectoral employment, by nearly 22,000 people. Nearly no change 
occurred in Sweden (increase of 200 people) and Malta (decrease of 200 people). 

Figure 5 also shows the relative change in the sectoral employment. The results for relative change 
are  different  from  those  for  absolute  change.  Relative  change  was  highest  in  Luxembourg,  as  the 

 14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

sectoral workforce increased by 48%. It is followed by Latvia (decrease of 26%) and Slovenia (increase 
of 26%). In other countries, the relative change varies between a 9% decrease and an 18% increase in 
sectoral employment. 

Figure 5: Change in the number of people employed in the food and drink sector, by Member States, 
2011–2019 

300,000
270,000
240,000
210,000
180,000
150,000
120,000
90,000
60,000
30,000
0
-30,000
-60,000
-90,000
-120,000

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
-10%
-20%
-30%
-40%

T
A

E
B

G
B

Z
C

Y
C

E
D

K
D

E
E

L
E

S
E

I
F

R
F

R
H

U I
E
H

T
I

T
L

U
L

V
L

T
M

L
N

L
P

T
P

O
R

I

E S
S

K
S

7
2
U
E

Absolute change

Relative change (%)

Notes: Data covering the drink subsector for Latvia and Sweden are from 2018 instead of 2019. For Estonia and 
Latvia, data are from 2012 instead of 2011. For Lithuania, data are from 2013 instead of 2011. No drink subsector 
data are available for Luxembourg before 2019. 

Source: Eurostat, Labour Force Survey (employment of people aged 15 and over), 2019 

According to the Network of Eurofound Correspondents, standard forms of employment prevail in the 
food and drink sector across most EU Member States. The network also indicates that the share of 
self-employed workers and temporary agency workers in the sector is minor, at around 3–5% of the 
total sectoral workforce in most Member States. Croatia and Hungary are two examples of Member 
States  where  self-employment  in  the  sector  has  increased  in  recent  years.  Another  aspect 
characterising the sector is the role of the foreign-born workforce.4 For example, in Austria the share 
of foreign-born workers has been increasing in recent years, especially for the seasonal jobs in the 
sector.  Similar  increases  are  revealed  by  the  data  collected  by  the  Network  of  Eurofound 
Correspondents  for  this study  for  Bulgaria,  Cyprus, Estonia, Poland  and Slovenia.  Usually,  seasonal 
jobs  are  performed  by  foreign-born  workers,  relieving  the  labour  shortage  during  peak  food 
processing times. 

4 As defined by Eurostat, the foreign-born population consists of people born outside their country of residence, 
including both people born in other EU Member States and people born outside the EU. 

 15 

 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

1.2.  Companies  in  the  food  and  drink  sector  and  their  economic 

development 

In the EU27, there are nearly 290,000 food and drink companies, which account for 1.3% of the total 
number of companies (2018). The number of companies is highest in France and Italy (with more than 
50,000  companies  in  each  country),  followed  by  Spain  and  Germany  (with  just  under  30,000 
companies in each country) (see also Table 5). Altogether, these countries represent 58% of EU27 food 
and  drink  companies.  In  the  rest of  the  countries,  the  number  of  companies  is  below  20,000.  The 
countries  with  the  smallest  numbers  of  companies  in  the  sector  are  Cyprus,  Estonia,  Malta  and 
Luxembourg, with fewer than 1,000 companies per country. 

Table 5 also shows the number of companies as a share of each country’s total number of companies 
in the entire economy. The EU27 average is 1.2% (the 10 countries with a share equal to or higher 
than 1.2% are shaded in blue in the table). The food and drink sector is more important – relative to 
other countries – in Greece, Croatia and Romania, where the share of the companies in the sector is 
2% or above. In 10 countries, the share is below 1%, with the lowest being in the Netherlands, Sweden 
and Luxembourg. 

Table 5: Companies in the food and drink sector, 2018 

Member 
State 

Number of 
companies in food 
and drink overall 

Number of 
companies in food 
subsector 

Number of 
companies in drink 
subsector 

Share of country’s 
total number of 
companies (%) 

Share of the total 
EU27 sector 
companies (%) 

FR 

IT 

ES 

DE 

PL 

EL 

PT 

CZ 

RO 

NL 

HU 

BG 

BE 

SK 

SE 

AT 

HR 

SI 

IE 

FI 

LT 

DK 

LV 

CY 

EE 

55,043 

54,860 

29,498 

28,800 

19,022 

16,265 

11,426 

10,875 

9,928 

7,039 

6,640 

6,175 

5,840 

4,310 

4,052 

3,900 

3,251 

2,595 

1,966 

1,747 

1,735 

1,644 

1,229 

926 

726 

3,755 

3,281 

5,061 

2,257 

715 

1,101 

1,981 

2,412 

684 

836 

2,161 

863 

452 

885 

572 

430 

530 

234 

123 

152 

86 

179 

150 

92 

100 

51,288 

51,579 

24,437 

26,543 

18,307 

15,164 

9,445 

8,463 

9,244 

6,203 

4,479 

5,312 

5,388 

3,425 

3,480 

3,470 

2,721 

2,361 

1,843 

1,595 

1,649 

1,465 

1,079 

834 

626 

 16 

1.9 

1.5 

1.1 

1.1 

1.0 

2.3 

1.3 

1.0 

2.0 

0.6 

1.1 

1.8 

0.9 

0.9 

0.6 

1.2 

2.1 

1.8 

0.7 

0.8 

0.8 

0.7 

1.1 

1.7 

0.9 

19 

19 

10 

10 

7 

6 

4 

4 

3 

2 

2 

2 

2 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

0 

0 

0 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Member 
State 

Number of 
companies in food 
and drink overall 

Number of 
companies in food 
subsector 

Number of 
companies in drink 
subsector 

Share of country’s 
total number of 
companies (%) 

Share of the total 
EU27 sector 
companies (%) 

MT 

LU 

EU27 

381 

154 

366 

121 

15 

33 

290,027 

260,887 

29,140 

1.2 

0.4 

1.2 

0 

0 

100 

Notes: Ordered by the highest number of companies in the entire food and drink sector. 2017 data for France 
and Ireland for the food and drink subsectors. Authors’ own calculation for Italy for drink subsector. The blue 
shading denotes the countries for which the proportion of companies in the sector in the country is equal to or 
higher  than  1.2%  of  the  total  number  of  companies  in  the  country  (which  is  the  EU  average).  These  are  the 
countries for which the food and drink sector is the most important in terms of enterprises in the country. 

Source: Eurostat, Structural Business Statistics, 2018 

The  majority  of  the  companies  in  the  sector  are  microcompanies  with  up  to  nine  employees  per 
company, accounting for 80% of the total number of companies in the sector (see Figure 6 and Table 
6). Large companies (250+ employees) account for 1% of all companies in the sector. This means that 
food  and  drink  sector  companies  are  generally  somewhat  larger  than  companies  in  the  EU27  on 
average  (80%  are  microcompanies,  16%  are  companies  with  10–49  employees,  under  4%  are 
companies with 50–249 employees and 0.2% are companies with 250+ employees). 

Figure 6 shows that the highest proportion of employees in this sector work in the largest companies 
(42% of the sectoral workforce), followed by medium-sized (50–249 employees) companies (23% of 
the workforce). Microcompanies (up to nine employees) employ 15% of the total sectoral workforce, 
and small-sized companies (10–49 employees) altogether employ 20% of employees. This shows that, 
although small and microcompanies are the most important in terms of absolute numbers, medium-
sized and large companies are important for sector employment. 

Figure 6: Proportion of companies and employment by company size class, EU27, 2018 

Proportion of employment by 
company size class

Proportion of companies by 
company size class

42%

15%

9%

11%

23%

4% 1%

6%

10%

80%

0–9

10–19

20–49

50–249

250+

0–9

10–19

20–49

50–249

250+

Note: 2017 data for number of companies in food subsector in size classes 50–249 and 250+. 

Source: Eurostat, Structural Business Statistics, 2018 

 17 

 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 6: Numbers of companies and of people employed, total and by company size class, EU27, 2018 

Total number of 
companies 

Number of companies by company size class 

0–9 

10–19 

20–49 

50–249 

250+ 

260,257 

29,000 

289,257 

100 

205,750 

24,652 

230,402 

80 

27,581 

15,629 

9,300 

2,140 

1,982 

1,442 

918 

n.d. 

29,563 

17,071 

10,218 

2,140 

10 

6 

4 

1 

Total employment 

Number of people employed by company size class 

0–9 

10–19 

20–49 

50–249 

250+ 

4,100,000 

620,000 

380,000 

488,597 

963,795 

1,673,843 

420,709 

50,000 

27,383 

n.d. 

93,705 

205,441 

4,520,709 

670,000 

407,383 

488,597 

1,057,500 

1,879,284 

100 

15 

9 

11 

23 

42 

Food 

Drink 

Total 

% 

Food 

Drink 

Total 

% 

Note: 2017 data for number of companies in food subsector in size classes 50–249 and 250+. 

Source: Eurostat, Structural Business Statistics, 2018 

The proportions of the company size classes are somewhat different across Member States, as can be 
seen in Figure 7. Slovenia has the largest share of microcompanies (93%), and altogether 11 countries 
have more than 80% of microcompanies in the sector. The  smallest shares of microcompanies  are 
recorded in Austria (64%), Denmark (62%), Luxembourg (59%) and Germany (51%). At the same time, 
Germany has the largest share of companies with 10–19 employees (27%), while in other countries 
the share in this size class is between 3% (in Slovenia) and 17% (in Austria, Denmark and Luxembourg). 
Austria,  Denmark  and  Germany  have  the  largest  shares  of  companies  with 20–49  employees  (11–
12%), with the lowest being in France (3%), Greece (3%) and Slovenia (2%). In the case of medium-
sized companies with 50–249 employees, the share is highest in Luxembourg (12%), while in other 
countries the share is lower than 9%, with the smallest share being in France (1%). In the case of large 
companies (250+ employees), Luxembourg and Ireland have the largest shares of such companies in 
the EU27 (3% for both), with the smallest shares being in France, Greece, Portugal (0.4% in each) and 
Italy (0.3%). 

 18 

 
 
  
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Figure 7: Proportion of companies by size class (% of the total number of the sector’s companies) in 
each Member State, 2018 

IT
EL
PT
FR
SK
SI
CZ
BG
CY
ES
HU
NL
RO
SE
LV
HR
BE
FI
EE
PL
AT
LT
DK
DE
IE
LU
MT

0%

10%

20%

0–9

30%

10–19

40%

20–49

50%

50–249
60%

250+
70%

80%

90%

100%

Notes: 2017 data were used for France and for the food subsector for Ireland. No drink subsector data for Ireland 
were available. Authors’ own calculation for drink subsector data for Italy. Missing data for Malta for size classes 
20–49, 50–249 and 250+. 

Source: Eurostat, Structural Business Statistics, 2018 

In the EU27, the average number of people employed per one food and drink company is 14, which is 
considerably higher than the EU27 average for the total economy (5.6 in 2017 according to Eurostat 
data).  Food  subsector  companies  employ  on  average  14  employees  per  company,  while  drink 
subsector companies are somewhat smaller, employing on average 13 employees per company. 

Table 7 shows the average number of people employed per company in the sector in each Member 
State. Luxembourg (38), Denmark (36) and Germany (34) have the highest average employment level 
per company, having thus more larger companies in the sector than other countries. Three countries 
have fewer than 10 employees per company on average (Greece – 8, Italy – 8, Slovenia – 7), indicating 
the higher share of small companies in those countries. The rest of the countries have an average of 
10–27 employees per company. In the food subsector, Denmark (35), Luxembourg (35) and Hungary 
(31) have the largest companies on average, and Malta (6) and Slovenia (6) have the smallest. In the 
drink subsector, however, the largest companies on average are in Lithuania (36) and Germany (32), 
and the smallest are in Portugal (8), Slovakia (5) and Czechia (3). 

 19 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 7: Average number of people employed per company in different parts of the sector, EU27 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1

29 

70 

19 

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1

18 

35 

43 

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1

23 

45 

30 

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1

14 

77 

40 

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1

36 

16 

26 

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

28 

30 

17 

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1

38 

21 

13 

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1

18 

8 

8 

D
O
O
F
0
1

22 

16 

15 

7 

18 

5 

23 

28 

14 

7 

11 

15 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

6 

11  n.d.  n.d. 

36  n.d. 

43 

2  n.d.  n.d.  n.d. 

27 

44  108 

6 

6 

0 

15 

0  n.d. 

94  n.d. 

26 

4 

no 
co. 

no 
co. 

97 

no 
co. 

8 

10 

15  n.d.  n.d. 

26 

9 

22 

3 

52 

34 

36 

41 

33 

26 

47 

66 

11 

21 

39  n.d.  n.d.  127  n.d. 

6 

25 

20 

11 

53 

8 

8 

25 

27  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d. 

32 

12  n.d. 

35  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d. 

11  n.d. 

83  193  n.d.  n.d.  n.d. 

17  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d. 

17 

17 

9 

17 

5 

8 

11 

18 

14 

18 

8  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d. 

15 

11 

6  n.d. 

23  n.d. 

50 

21 

72 

35 

20 

26 

2 

8 

9 

6 

12 

79 

15 

11 

22 

11 

19 

29 

41 

31 

36 

11 

21 

7 

42 

42 

34 

12 

6 

15 

26 

34 

32 

13 

11 

20 

23 

12 

4 

12 

2 

1 

6 

1 

25 

36 

6 

19 

11 

22 

25 

41 

74 

38 

26 

13 

8 

no 
co. 

28 

7 

I

K
N
R
D
1
1

21 

29 

15 

12 

12 

l

a
t
o
t
k
n
i
r
d
d
n
a
d
o
o
F

22 

17 

15 

14 

6 

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1

20 

24 

36 

24 

5 

20 

28 
n.d.  100 
41 

n.d. 

8 

15 

19 

12 

19 

23 

30 

46 

25 

34 

70  n.d. 

33 

69  174 

29 

19 

18 

54 

31 

25 
n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d. 
12 
15 

16 

19 

14 

19 

13 

12 

11 

47 

1 

4 

7 

8 

4 

9 

5 

9 

9 

13  n.d. 

29  n.d. 

17 

11 

4 

8 

no 
co. 
no 
co. 

30 

33 

90 

30 

11 

26 

30 

19 

8 

3 

7  255 

38 

15 

24 

70 

25  163 

no 
co. 

24 

40 

27 

16 

36 

25 

8 

no 
co. 

9 

1 

38 

35 

30 

2 

0 

35 

0 

33 

45 

6 

24 

14 

14 

5 

15 

11 

11 

20 

31 

3 

6 

3 

1 

8 

0 

3 

1 

14 

1 

18 

no 
co. 

18 

13 

82  n.d. 

1 

12 

40 

12 

26 

50 

17 

29 

no 
co. 
no 
co. 

14 

48 

50 

64  925 

26 
n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d. 
8 
31 

17  n.d. 

10 

15 

11 

12 

17 

19 

24 

49 

13 

53 

7 

2 

8 

4 

39 

27 

57  n.d.  n.d.  n.d. 

11  n.d. 

57 

12 

22 

32 

18 

10 

48 

49 

8 

27 

24 

18 

12 

14 

11 

16 

17 

11 

17 
n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d.  n.d. 
13 
21 

8  n.d.  n.d. 

10  n.d. 

13 

11 

16 

25 

6 

2 

1 

6 

2 

6 

6 

6 

66 

12 

38 

29 

2 

7 

19 

98 

5 

11 

23 

9 

7 

14 

23 

37 

22 

7 

31 

18 

9 

9 

4 

2 

8 

19 

20 

14 

6 

3 

6  n.d. 

9 

5 

2 

2 

22 

26 

2 

5 

19 

20 

32 

13 

e
t
a
t
S
r
e
b
m
e
M

AT 

BE 

BG 

CY 

CZ 

DE 

DK 

EE 

EL 

ES 

FI 

FR 

HR 

HU 

IE 

IT 

LT 

LU 

LV 

MT 

NL 

PL 

PT 

RO 

SE 

SI 

SK 

EU
27 

Note: n.d., no data; no co., no companies in the sector. 

Sources: Eurostat, Structural Business Statistics, 2018; Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to 
this study, 2020 

 20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

The  companies  in  the  sector  are  engaged  in  a  variety  of  fields  of  activities.  According  to  the 
information received from the Network of Eurofound Correspondents, which is visualised in Figure 8, 
more than half of companies are active in the manufacture of bakery products (NACE 10.7), accounting 
for 52% or some 137,000 companies. It is followed by meat processing (NACE 10.1), which corresponds 
to  12%  of  companies  (some  31,000),  and manufacture  of other  food  products  (NACE  10.8),  which 
corresponds to 9.5% of all companies (some 25,000). Fewer than 5% of companies are engaged in 
each of the rest of the activities, with a total of 26.2% of all companies being engaged in any of these 
activities. Manufacture of cider and fruit wine (NACE 11.03), manufacture of other beverages (NACE 
11.04)  and  manufacture  of  malt  (NACE  11.06)  are  the  least  important  in  the  sector,  each 
corresponding  to  0.1%  or  less.  Companies  are  represented  in  at  least  18  countries  in  the  case  of 
manufacture of cider and fruit wine (Spain being the most prominent, with 130 companies, followed 
by Bulgaria, with 55 companies), in at least 15 countries in the case of manufacture of other beverages 
(Italy and Greece being the most prominent, with 56 and 40 companies, respectively) and in at least 
12 countries in the case of manufacture of malt (Czechia and France being the most important, with 
22 and 13 companies, respectively). 

Figure 8: Number and share of companies in different parts of the sector, EU27 

10.7 Bakery
10.1 Meat
10.8 Other food
11.01 Spirits
10.5 Dairy
11.02 Wine – grapes
10.3 Fruit and veg
10.4 Oils and fats
10.9 Animal food
10.6 Grain mill
11.05 Beer
10.2 Fish
11.07 Soft drinks, water
11.03 Cider, fruit wine
11.04 Other beverages
11.06 Malt

12.0%, 31,699

9.5%, 24,968

52.1%, 137,401

4.4%, 11,691
4.1%, 10,903
3.8%, 9,958
3.6%, 9,470
3.1%, 8,290

1.9%, 4,965
1.8%, 4,790
1.3%, 3,536
1.0%, 2,588
1.0%, 2,575
0.1%, 394
0.1%, 190
0.0%, 69

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

The number of companies in the sector fluctuated between 2011 and 2018, as shown in Figure 9. The 
number of companies decreased considerably in 2013 and 2017. It was rather stable between those 
decreases, but an upwards shift by 3% is noticeable in 2018. In total, during 2011–2018, the number 
of  companies  rose  by  2.5%  in  the  EU27.  The  fluctuations  have  been  mainly  visible  in  the  food 
subsector, although the total change in the number of companies over the period has been very small 
in that sector (increase of some 600 companies or 0.2%). At the same time, in the drink sector the 
number of companies has increased steadily year by year from 22,699 to 29,000 (upwards shift of 
27.7%). 

 21 

 
 
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Figure 9: Number of companies in the food and drink sector in the EU27, 2011–2018 

290,000

285,000

280,000

275,000

265,000

260,000

255,000

250,000

245,000

35,000

25,000

15,000

Food and drink total

289,257

282,320

281,651

286,292

285,015

285,600

280,617

280,655

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

259,621

258,701

257,417

Food

261,177

258,351

257,600

260,257

251,655

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Drink

26,664

25,115

28,000

29,000

29,000

22,699

22,950

23,200

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Note: Authors’ own calculation of drink subsector data for 2015. 

Source: Eurostat, Structural Business Statistics, 2018 

Table 8 provides details of the largest employers in the food and drink sector in the EU27. 

Table 8: Largest employers in the food and drink sector 

Estimated 
number of 
(sector-
related) 
employees 

Name of trade 
union(s) organising 
the employees in 
the company 

Name of employer 
organisation(s) to 
which this employer is 
affiliated 

MS  Subsector 

AT 

Food 

Food 

Drink 

Drink 

Names of the largest 
employers in the 
sector  

Agrana Group 

Marcher Group 

2,5195  PROGE, GPA 

1,800  PROGE, GPA 

Brau Union Österreich 

2,700  PROGE, GPA 

Rauch Fruchtsäfte 

Over 2,000  PROGE, GPA 

FIAA 

FIAA 

FIAA 

FIAA 

Collective 
bargaining 
type 
applicable 
for this 
employer 
(SEB/MEB) 

MEB 

MEB 

MEB 

MEB 

5 Agrana Group had 2,519 employees in Austria and 8,920 employees in total (worldwide). 

 22 

 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS  Subsector 

Names of the largest 
employers in the 
sector  

Estimated 
number of 
(sector-
related) 
employees 

Name of trade 
union(s) organising 
the employees in 
the company 

Name of employer 
organisation(s) to 
which this employer is 
affiliated 

Food 

Food 

Puratos 

Arvesta 

1,300  No information 

FEVIA/FGBB 

785  No information 

Unknown 

Collective 
bargaining 
type 
applicable 
for this 
employer 
(SEB/MEB) 

Both 

Both 

Drink 

AB InBev 

3,000 

Drink 

FrieslandCampina 
Belgium 

1,159 

ABVV-FGTB BBTK 
SETCa, ABVV-FGTB 
Horval, ACV-CSC 
Puls, ACV-CSC, 
Voeding en 
Diensten, ACV-CSC 
CNE 
ABVV-FGTB BBTK 
SETCa, ABVV-FGTB 
Horval, ACV-CSC 
Puls, ACV-CSC 
Voeding en Diensten 

FEVIA 

FEVIA 

Both 

Food 

Bella Bulgaria AD 

2,682  n.d. 

АМB 

Food 

Bonny Holding AD 

1,394 

Local trade union 
organisation for 
Bonny Holding AD 
(meat factory in 
Ruse), affiliated to 
TUBFB 

АМB 

None 

BE 

BG 

Drink 

Drink 

Food 

Food 

Coca-Cola Hellenic 
Bottling Company 
Bulgaria AD 

Kamenitza AD 

Charalambides Christis 
Ltd 
Mitsides Public 
Company 

CY 

Drink 

KEO plc 

1,043 

ITUFCCTS at CITUB; 
FFBI at Podkrepa CL 

BSDA, Spirits Bulgaria, 
CEIBG 

659  TUBFB 

UBB 

700 

160 

400 

SEBETTYK-PEO, 
OMEPEGE-SEK 
SEBETTYK-PEO, 
OMEPEGE-SEK 
SEBETTYK-PEO, 
OMEPEGE-SEK 

OEB, CCCI 

OEB, CCCI 

OEB, CCCI 

270 

Segdamelin-PEO, 
OBIEK-SEK 

OEB, CCCI 

Drink 

Food 

Food 

Drink 

Drink 

CZ 

Coca-Cola HBC Cyprus 
(until June 2020, the 
name of the company 
was Lanitis Bros Ltd) 

Penam, a.s. 

Madeta, a.s. 

1,841  NOS PPP 

1,406  NOS PPP 

PK ČR 

PK ČR 

PK ČR 

Plzeňský Prazdroj, a.s. 

1,977  NOS PPP 

Budějovický Budvar, n. 
p., Budweiser Budvar, 
National Corporation, 
Budweiser Budvar, 
Entreprise Nationale 

697  NOS PPP 

PK ČR 

 23 

Both 

None 

SEB  

Both 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS  Subsector 

Names of the largest 
employers in the 
sector  

Estimated 
number of 
(sector-
related) 
employees 

Name of trade 
union(s) organising 
the employees in 
the company 

Drink 

Food 

Food 

Food 

Food 

Food 

Drink 

DE 

DK 

Coca-Cola 

Aryzta 

7,000  NGG 

About 2,300  NGG 

Ferrero 

Tönnies 

Westfleisch 

Danish Crown 

Carlsberg 

Around 

5,000  NGG 

17,500  NGG 

7,000  NGG 

26,000  NNF, 3F, HK Handel 

2,000  3F, HK Handel 

Food 

HKScan Estonia 

1,073 

EE 

Food 

Orkla Eesti (includes 
also beverages) 

498 

IMPTAL, HKScan 
trade union 
(company-level 
trade union) 
AS Kalev trade union 
(company level, 
represents 
employees of one 
subsidiary of Orkla) 

Drink 

Drink 

Food 

A. Le Coq 

359  No information 

Saku Õlletehas 

315  No information  

Delta Foods S.A. 

1,504  POEUGTP 

Food 

Soya Hellas S.A. 

n.d.  POEUGTP 

EL 

Drink 

Coca-Cola 3E Hellenic 
Bottling Company 

1,506 

POEUGTP through 
the company unions 
of Coca-Cola Athens, 
Aigio and Hrakleio 

Nestlé Hellas S.A. 

1,000  POEUGTP 

Name of employer 
organisation(s) to 
which this employer is 
affiliated 
Wirtschaftsvereinigung 
Alkoholfreie Getränke 
(wafg) 

Bundesverband der 
Deutschen 
Süßwarenindustrie 

n.d. 

n.d. 

DI 

DI 

ETL 

ETL 

ETL 

ETL 

SEVT, which is a 
member of SEV 
No information 
available 

SEVT, which is a 
member of SEV 

SEVT, which is a 
member of SEV 

Nueva Pescanova 

10,512  CCOO, UGT, CIG 

Conxemar 

Bimbo 

Cobega 

8,523  CCOO, UGT 

6,324  CCOO, UGT 

Produlce 

Anfabra 

Collective 
bargaining 
type 
applicable 
for this 
employer 
(SEB/MEB) 

SEB6  

SEB 

MEB 
n.d. 

n.d. 

Both 

Both 

SEB 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

MEB 

n.d. 

MEB 

MEB 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Mahou San Miguel 

3,150  CCOO 

Cerveceros de España 

Both 

Valio 

3,300  MVL, SEL 

Food 

HKScan 

2,900  No information 

Drink 

Sinebrychoff  

700  No information 

Drink 

Hartwall 

700  No information 

No information 
available  
No information 
available  
No information 
available 
No information 
available 

SEB 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Drink 

Food 

Food 

Drink 

Drink 

Food 

ES 

FI 

6 There are also acknowledgments on old MEB contracts 

 24 

 
 
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Collective 
bargaining 
type 
applicable 
for this 
employer 
(SEB/MEB) 

Both 

Both 

Name of employer 
organisation(s) to 
which this employer is 
affiliated 

ANIA 

ANIA 

ANIA 

Both 

ANIA 

Both 

ANIA 

CEA – Food Industry 
and Agriculture 
Association 
CEA – Food Industry 
and Agriculture 
Association 
CEA – Food Industry 
and Agriculture 
Association 
CEA – Food Industry 
and Agriculture 
Association 

Both 

SEB  

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

 SEB 

SEB 

Name of trade 
union(s) organising 
the employees in 
the company 
FGA-CFDT, FGTA-FO, 
CFE-CGC Agro (SNI2A 
CFE-CGC), CFTC-CSFV 
FGA-CFDT, FGTA-FO, 
CFE-CGC Agro (SNI2A 
CFE-CGC), CFTC-CSFV 
FGA-CFDT, FNAF-
CGT, FGTA-FO, CFE-
CGC Agro (SNI2A 
CFE-CGC), UNSA, 
CFTC-CSFV 
FGA-CFDT, FNAF-
CGT, FGTA-FO, CFE-
CGC Agro (SNI2A 
CFE-CGC) 
FGA-CFDT, FNAF-
CGT, FGTA-FO, CFE-
CGC Agro (SNI2A 
CFE-CGC) 

MS  Subsector 

Names of the largest 
employers in the 
sector  

Estimated 
number of 
(sector-
related) 
employees 

Food 

Bigard Group 

15,000 

Food 

Lactalis 

15,000 

Food 

Nestlé 

3,000 

FR 

HR 

Drink 

Danone 

9,000 

Drink 

Coca-Cola 

2,600 

Food 

Podravka  

4,000  PPDIV  

Food 

Belje  

1,500  PPDIV  

Drink 

Jamnica  

800  PPDIV  

Drink 

Coca-Cola 

500  PPDIV  

Food 

Pick Szeged 
Szalámigyár és 
Húsüzem (part of the 
Bonafarm Group) 

HU 

Food 

Kométa 99 

Drink 

Drink 

Food 

Dreher Sörgyárak Zrt. 

Szentkirályi 
Magyarország Kft. 

Kerrygold  

Food 

Glanbia 

IE 

Drink 

Drink 

Diageo 

C&C  

2,000  HDSZ, EMFSZ 

777  HDSZ 

608  ÉDSZ 

591  ÉDSZ 

3,300  SIPTU 

1,700 

SIPTU, Dairy 
Executives 
Association 

920  GSU, SIPTU 

320  SIPTU 

IBEC 

IBEC 

IBEC 

IBEC 

 25 

 
 
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Collective 
bargaining 
type 
applicable 
for this 
employer 
(SEB/MEB) 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

None 

None 

SEB 

SEB 

None 

None 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

None 

SEB 

n.d. 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

MEB 

MEB 

MS  Subsector 

Names of the largest 
employers in the 
sector  

Food 

Barilla 

Food 

Luigi Lavazza 

IT 

Drink 

Coca-Cola Italia 

Drink 

Food 

Davide Campari-Milano 

Žemaitijos Pienas, AB 

Food 

Mantinga, UAB 

Estimated 
number of 
(sector-
related) 
employees 

4,158 

n.d. 

2,000 

839 

1,200 

1,100 

Name of trade 
union(s) organising 
the employees in 
the company 
FAI CISL, FLAI CGIL, 
UILA UIL, Cobas 
Lavoro Privato 
FAI CISL, FLAI CGIL, 
UILA UIL 
FAI CISL, FLAI CGIL, 
UILA UIL, Adl Cobas 
FAI CISL, FLAI CGIL, 
UILA UIL 

Name of employer 
organisation(s) to 
which this employer is 
affiliated 

Unione Italiana Food 
(Federalimentare) 

Unione Italiana Food 
(Federalimentare) 
Unione Italiana Food 
(Federalimentare) 
Federvini 
(Federalimentare) 

Confederation of 
Lithuanian 
Industrialists 

Drink 

Drink 

Food 

Food 

Drink 

Drink 

Food 

Food 

Drink 

Drink 

Food 

Food 

Drink 

MV Group Production, 
AB 
Kalnapilio – Tauro 
Grupė, UAB 

Presta Meat SA 

Groupe Oberweis SA 

Les domains de 
Vinsmoselle 
Brasserie Nationale 
Bofferding 

Orkla Latvija 

Putnu Fabrika Ķekava, 
AS 

Latvijas Balzams 

Cido Grupa 

Foster Clark 

Consolidated Biscuit 
Co. 
Simonds Farsons Cisk 
plc 

500  LTUFP 

300  LTUFP 

500 

420 

110  LCGB 

50  LCGB, OGB-L 

855  LIA 

740  LLPNA 

604 

323 

180  GWU 

190  UĦM 

FIAL 

LPUF 

LPUF 

LPUF 

LPUF 

No information 
available 
No information 
available 

470  GWU and UĦM 

MEA 

Drink 

Benna Dairy Products 

120  GWU 

Food 

FrieslandCampina 

Food 

Vion 

770 

4,544 

Drink 

Heineken Group 

4,000 

Drink 

Douwe Egberts 

2,100 

FNV, CNV 
Vakmensen, De Unie 
CNV Vakmensen, 
FNV 
FNV, CNV 
Vakmensen, De 
Unie, MHP Heineken 
(an independent 
network of 
professionals within 
Heineken who have 
organised 
themselves for social 
dialogue) 
FNV, CNV, 
Vakmensen, De Unie 

 26 

No information 
available 

NZO 

COV 

None: Heineken has its 
own collective labour 
agreement (CAO)  

SEB 

None: Douwe Egberts 
has its own collective 

SEB 

LT 

LU 

LV 

MT 

NL 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Collective 
bargaining 
type 
applicable 
for this 
employer 
(SEB/MEB) 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

SEB 

MEB 

MEB 

MEB 

None 

None 

None 

None 

MEB 

MEB 

MEB  

MEB 

MS  Subsector 

Names of the largest 
employers in the 
sector  

Estimated 
number of 
(sector-
related) 
employees 

Name of trade 
union(s) organising 
the employees in 
the company 

Name of employer 
organisation(s) to 
which this employer is 
affiliated 
labour agreement 
(CAO)  
Association ‘Polskie 
Mieso’ (member of 
PFPZ) 

Food 

Animex 

Food 

PL 

Drink 

Drink 

Nestlé 

Maspex 

Grupa Żywiec 

9,600 

NSZZ Solidarność, 
OPZZ 

5,300 

NSZZ Solidarność, 
OPZZ 

PFPZ 

7,500  NSZZ Solidarność  

PFPZ 

2,300 

NSZZ Solidarność, 
OPZZ, FZZ 

ZPPP-BP 

Food 

Nestlé Portugal 

2,066 

Food 

Lactogal 

PT 

1,489 

Drink 

Sumol+Compal 

1,597 

FESAHT, SETAAB, 
probably also some 
others 

FESAHT, SETAAB, 
probably also some 
others some others 

FESAHT, SETAAB, 
probably also some 
others 

Nestlé is a member of 
FIPA and is also 
affiliated to several 
other associations, for 
instance AICC, ANIL 
and APIAM 

ANIL 

Sumol+Compal is a 
member of FIPA and is 
also affiliated to 
APIAM 

Drink 

Super Bock Group 

Food 

Food 

Unicarm SRL 

Vel Pitar SA 

Drink 

Romaqua Group SA 

790 

FESAHT, SETAAB, 
probably also some 
others 

2,900  Sindalimenta 

Cervejeiros de Portugal 
(business association) 

SEB 

ARC (member of 
Romalimenta) 

2,269 

2,143 

Apemin Trade 
Union, member of 
CNSLR Fratia 

ANBR (member of 
Romalimenta) 

RO 

SE 

Drink 

Ursus Breweries SA 

1,504  Sindalimenta 

Romalimenta 

Food 

AAK AB 

Food 

Arla Foods AB 

Drink 

AAK AB 

3,609 

2,908 

3,609 

Drink 

Scandi Standard AB 

3,005 

Livs, Ledarna, 
Unionen, Sveriges 
Ingenjörer 
Livs, Ledarna, 
Unionen, Sveriges 
Ingenjörer 
Livs, Ledarna, 
Unionen, Sveriges 
Ingenjörer 
Livs, Ledarna, 
Unionen, Sveriges 
Ingenjörer 

Li 

Li  

Li 

Li  

 27 

 
 
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS  Subsector 

Names of the largest 
employers in the 
sector  

Estimated 
number of 
(sector-
related) 
employees 

Food 

Perutnina Ptuj, d.o.o. 

3,600 

Food 

Žito, d.o.o. 

SI 

Drink 

Pivovarna Laško Union, 
d.o.o. 

Drink 

Radenska, d.o.o. 

Food 

Mecom Group s.r.o. 

Food 

I.D.C. Holding, a.s. 

SK 

Drink 

Drink 

Plzeňský Prazdroj 
Slovensko, a.s. 
Heineken Slovensko, 
a.s. 

Collective 
bargaining 
type 
applicable 
for this 
employer 
(SEB/MEB) 

Name of employer 
organisation(s) to 
which this employer is 
affiliated 

Name of trade 
union(s) organising 
the employees in 
the company 
Trade union of 
Perutnina Ptuj – S 
KŽI 
Trade union of Žito – 
S KŽI 
Trade union of 
Pivovarna Laško 
Union – S KŽI 
Trade union of 
Radenska – S KŽI 

700 

600 

267 

1,135 

1,247 

GZS 

GZS 

GZS 

GZS 

No information 
available 
No information 
available 

553  OZP SR 

PKS 

668  OZP SR 

No information 
available 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

None 

None 

Both 

Both 

Notes: MEB, multi-employer bargaining; n.d., no data available; SEB, single-employer bargaining. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Table 9 shows the proportions of the workforce covered by the largest companies in the sector in each 
Member  State.  In  Cyprus,  the  largest  companies  are  most  important,  in  comparison  with  other 
countries, as these companies employ 57.5% of the sectoral workforce. The four largest companies 
also play an important role in the sector in Denmark (48.4% of sectoral workforce covered) and in 
Luxembourg (40%). Denmark and Luxembourg have relatively small shares of small companies, and 
the  average  number  of  employees  per  company  is  relatively  high.  The  significance  of  the  largest 
companies in terms of employment is smallest in Greece (3%), Hungary (2.8%), Italy (1.4%) and Czechia 
(1.2%). These countries have relatively high shares of small companies, and the average number of 
employees per company is relatively low. 

Table 9: Proportion of the sectoral employment in the largest companies in the food and drink sector 
in EU27 Member States 

Number of 
people 
employed in 
the entire 
sector  

% of the 
sectoral 
workforce in 
the largest 
company in 
food 

% of the 
sectoral 
workforce in 
the second 
largest 
company in 
food 

% of the 
sectoral 
workforce in 
the largest 
company in 
drink 

% of the 
sectoral 
workforce in 
the second 
largest 
company in 
drink 

% of the 
sectoral 
workforce in 
the four largest 
companies in 
the sector in 
total 

82,300 

117,200 

107,200 

125,900 

10,300 

862,600 

n.d. 

1.1 

2.5 

0.6 

17.9 

n.d. 

n.d. 

0.7 

1.3 

0.1 

13.7 

n.d. 

 28 

n.d. 

2.6 

1.0 

0.3 

19.2 

n.d. 

n.d. 

1.0 

0.6 

0.2 

6.8 

0.0 

n.d. 

5.3 

5.4 

1.2 

57.5 

n.d. 

MS 

AT 

BE 

BG 

CZ 

CY 

DE 

 
 
  
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Number of 
people 
employed in 
the entire 
sector  

% of the 
sectoral 
workforce in 
the largest 
company in 
food 

% of the 
sectoral 
workforce in 
the second 
largest 
company in 
food 

% of the 
sectoral 
workforce in 
the largest 
company in 
drink 

% of the 
sectoral 
workforce in 
the second 
largest 
company in 
drink 

% of the 
sectoral 
workforce in 
the four largest 
companies in 
the sector in 
total 

57,900 

15,000 

132,600 

520,600 

37,800 

679,100 

66,900 

143,500 

55,700 

504,100 

40,400 

2,700 

22,700 

5,300 

130,400 

513,800 

118,400 

221,800 

49,400 

22,300 

56,700 

44.9 

7.2 

1.1 

2.0 

8.7 

2.2 

6.0 

1.4 

5.9 

0.8 

3.0 

18.5 

3.8 

3.4 

0.6 

1.9 

1.7 

1.3 

7.3 

16.1 

2.0 

n.d. 

3.3 

n.d. 

1.6 

7.7 

0.4 

2.2 

0.5 

3.1 

n.d. 

2.7 

15.6 

3.3 

3.6 

3.5 

1.0 

1.3 

1.0 

5.9 

3.1 

2.2 

3.5 

2.4 

1.1 

1.2 

1.9 

1.3 

1.2 

0.4 

1.7 

0.4 

1.2 

4.1 

2.7 

8.9 

3.1 

1.5 

1.3 

1.0 

7.3 

2.7 

1.0 

0.0 

2.1 

0.8 

0.1 

1.9 

0.4 

0.7 

0.4 

0.6 

0.2 

0.7 

1.9 

1.4 

2.3 

1.6 

0.4 

0.7 

0.7 

6.1 

1.2 

1.2 

48.4 

15.0 

3.0 

4.9 

20.1 

4.4 

10.2 

2.8 

11.2 

1.4 

7.7 

40.0 

11.1 

18.1 

8.8 

4.8 

5.0 

4.0 

26.6 

23.2 

6.4 

MS 

DK 

EE 

EL 

ES 

FI 

FR 

HR 

HU 

IE 

IT 

LT 

LU 

LV 

MT 

NL 

PL 

PT 

RO 

SE 

SI 

SK 

Note: n.d., no data available. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

According  to  the  Network  of  Eurofound  Correspondents,  in  the  food  and  drink  sector  all  sizes  of 
companies  are  present,  although  small  companies  and  microcompanies  are  prevailing.  Large 
companies employ at least half of the sectoral workforce. In the drink subsector, companies tend to 
be  smaller.  In  terms  of  company  type,  private  companies  prevail  in  most  countries.  The  share  of 
cooperatives  is  very  small,  although  visible,  in  several  countries  (Austria,  Cyprus,  Estonia,  Finland, 
Germany,  Greece,  Ireland,  Malta).  Cooperatives  are  mostly  active  in  the  manufacture  of  dairy 
products, fruit and vegetable processing and wine production. 

1.3.  Specificities and challenges in the food and drink sector 
As an important part of the European manufacturing industry, the food and drink industry is to be 
considered in the  EU policy context of the Farm to Fork  Strategy  of the Green Deal. The  agri-food 
ecosystem  is  part  of  the  wider  industrial  strategy  of  the  Directorate-General  for  Internal  Market, 
Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, but it is not specifically part of the European social dialogue. 
The Pact for Skills, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine are 

 29 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

also  part  of  the  wider  context  and  challenges  of  the  European  food  and  drink  industry  (European 
Commission, undated). 

According to the most recent Key figures on the European food chain report (Eurostat, 2021a), in 2018 
in  the  EU27  there  were  almost  300,000  enterprises  active  in  the  manufacture  of  food  and  drink 
activities, which  constitutes  over  14%  of the entire manufacturing  sector  in the  EU. This  finding  is 
confirmed by the  data  collected by  the Network of  Eurofound  Correspondents.  In some countries, 
such as Cyprus, the food and drink sector is considered the backbone of the manufacturing industry. 
On the other hand, the sector is declining in Hungary. Meat processing, manufacture of dairy products, 
manufacture  of  bakery  products,  fruit  and  vegetable  processing  and  manufacture  of  other  food 
products are the most important activities in the food subsector in most of the EU Member States. 
For the drink subsector, beer, non-alcoholic drinks and, in some regions, wine and spirits are the most 
important products. The food subsector is larger in terms of both companies and employees. Fish and 
malt are the least important products in terms of the workforce employed in their production. 

Food and drink is a sector that plays an important role in the exports of several countries: food and 
drink account for around one-third of exported goods in Estonia and Germany. It is also important in 
Austria, Ireland, Lithuania and Poland. In addition, in countries such as Croatia and Germany, the share 
of exports of the sector is expected to grow. Increased investments in sustainability, new formulas, 
improved packaging, distribution channels, markets, new products (which are mostly motivated by 
changing  consumer  preferences)  and  in  healthier  choices  are  all  trends  impacting  the  current  and 
future  development  of  the  sector.  The  EU  has  also  played  an  important  role  in  the  sector’s 
development, since, for example, development was boosted when Poland joined the EU. On the other 
hand, Brexit is seen as a challenge, as the UK has been the main export destination for some countries 
(e.g. Poland). 

In  terms  of  unionisation  of  the  sector,  the  Network  of  Eurofound  Correspondents  collected 
information on recruitment difficulties and obstacles to the organisation of the workers in the sector 
in some countries. First, it is more difficult for trade unions to organise workers of microcompanies 
and small companies, which prevail in the sector, than it is for them to organise workers of the larger 
companies.  For  larger  companies,  there  are  often  statutory  obligations  to  form  works  councils  or 
representative bodies, as is the case in Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Malta and Poland. 
For  smaller  companies,  in  the  absence  of  such obligations,  it  is  for trade  unions  to organise those 
workers in workplaces with smaller numbers of employees. The second barrier to unionisation in the 
sector is represented by the increasing share of foreign-born workers and/or seasonal workers, as was 
reported  by  trade  unions  from  Poland  and  Slovenia.  This  can  be  linked  to  language  issues,  the 
prevalence  of  fixed-term  contracts,  outsourcing  or  lack  of  familiarity  with  established  industrial 
relations  in  the  country  of  employment.  In  Malta,  however,  collective  agreements  also  cover  the 
outsourced workforce. The third obstacle is linked to the decreasing membership of trade unions in 
general,  which  is  not  specific  to  the  food  and  drink  sector.  This  was  mentioned  especially  by 
representatives  from  Estonia and Hungary,  where collective agreements  cover  both unionised  and 
non-unionised employees. Finally, the low interest in being organised manifested by the white-collar 
workforce and the older workforce is an obstacle for this sector, as recorded in Finland for example. 
Overall,  the meat  processing  subsector  is  the most  difficult  to organise  by trade  unions  (except  in 
Denmark), while manufacture of drinks, manufacture of dairy products and manufacture of bakery 
products are the most organised parts of the sector, as shown by data collected by the Network of 
Eurofound Correspondents. The reasons for this were not in the scope of this study. 

 30 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

The global COVID-19 pandemic impacted the food and drink sector. According to Eurostat (2021b), 
accommodation  and  food  services  were  among  the  parts  of  the  economy  most  affected  by  the 
pandemic in 2020. The same source indicates that the food and drink sector was particularly disrupted 
in 2020, during which, at EU level, a decrease of almost 10% was registered in the manufacture of 
drinks, compared with the same period in 2019. The food subsector was less impacted, registering a 
decrease of 1.7% for the same period. However, the decline in production was temporary, as in the 
same period of 2021 the manufacture of drinks recorded an increase of almost 15% at EU level, while 
food subsector production increased by 5.8%, compared with the same period in 2020 (Figure 10). 

Figure 10: Change in volume of production in manufacture of food and drink (%), EU27, June 2021 
compared with June 2020 

20.0

15.0

10.0

5.0

0.0

-5.0

-10.0

-15.0

Manufacture of food

Manufacture of drinks

June 2020

June 2021

Source: Eurostat, Manufacture of food products, Volume index of production data set 

EFFAT also signalled in the first half of 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, that food processing plants 
were extremely affected by the spread of the disease due to the physical space and working conditions 
in the plants:  how  production lines  are  organised, line  speed,  proximity  and ventilation.  The trade 
union  organisation  emphasised  the  need  to  enhance  precautionary  measures  to  protect  the  food 
workers’ health and to decrease the threat to the performance of the sector (EFFAT, 2020). The data 
collected  by  the  Network  of  Eurofound  Correspondents  provide  an  overview  of  the  impact  of  the 
COVID-19  pandemic  on  the  food  and  drink  sector  at  national  level.  In  Croatia,  Denmark,  Estonia, 
Greece, Hungary and Lithuania, the impact was not severe compared with the impact on other sectors. 
However,  in  Belgium,  Bulgaria,  Malta  and  Poland,  the  pandemic  affected  the  sector  significantly. 
Overall, the COVID-19 impact has been less severe for larger companies, as recorded in Denmark and 
Estonia, while small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been impacted to a larger extent, as 
was the case in Estonia. 

Food and drink production saw a decline due  to, on the one hand, disruptions such as restaurants 
being closed and, on the other hand, a decrease in impulse purchases and other such adaptations to 
the  new  reality.  Still,  all  sales  of  food  and  drink  for  private  consumers  generally  increased.  More 
difficulties  are  recorded  for  those  companies  that  had  direct  contracts  with  hotel,  restaurant  and 
catering sector (Horeca) companies. Another source of difficulty has been export, which has seen a 

 31 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

decline  in  general,  but  also  an  increase  in  export  costs,  as  recorded  in  Ireland  and  Lithuania. 
Simultaneously, import was also affected, putting a strain on the entire sector in terms of receiving 
raw materials and packaging supplies. This resulted in an increase in prices or even in questions about 
food  self-sufficiency,  as  reported  in  Czechia.  In  Germany  and  Ireland,7  the  media  reported  several 
COVID-19 outbreaks as a result of insufficient health and safety measures in meat processing plants. 
The reduction in the foreign-born workforce, due to borders being closed, also had an impact on the 
sector, for example in Estonia and Poland. 

Some specific measures to relieve the difficulties in the sector include a decrease in the value-added 
tax rate in Greece and temporarily reassigning employees in Slovakia. In Malta, value-added tax on 
coffee and non-alcoholic beverages was temporarily reduced from 24% to 13%. In Slovakia, following 
an agreement between the Food Chamber of Slovakia and the Association of Hotels and Restaurants, 
some workers were temporarily reassigned from hotels to food companies. 

In 2020, EFFAT and FoodDrinkEurope issued four joint opinions on the challenges of the COVID-19 
crisis for the food and drink sector (see Table 1). This underscores the importance of the role of the 
food and drink ESSDC in voicing concerns in the sector during the COVID-19 crisis. 

7 Euractiv, 2020. 

 32 

 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

2.  National level of interest representation 

This  chapter  presents  an  overview  of  the  national-level  trade  unions  and  employer  organisations 
active in the food and drink sector. 

This study has identified a total of 92 sector-related trade unions and 174 sector-related employer 
organisations  in  the  EU27.  The methodology applied for inclusion of national-level organisations  is 
described in Section 0.3 and is standard for all representativeness studies in this series. Overall, there 
is at least one sector-related organisation for employees and at least one sector-related organisation 
representing  employers’  interests  in  each  country.  Most  of  the  countries  have  at  least  two  trade 
unions in the sector. Table 10 illustrates that there is only one sectoral trade union per country for 
Czechia, Estonia, Germany and Slovenia. Portugal has the most trade unions in the sector (8), followed 
by Belgium (6) and Sweden (6). 

The  highest  number  of  employer  organisations  was  identified  in  France  (23),  followed  by  the 
Netherlands and Poland (which both have 19 organisations). Nine countries have only one employer 
organisation. 

Table 10 shows how many organisations each country has in detail. The grey cells (and corresponding 
numbers  in  brackets)  indicate  the  organisations  that  are  sector-related,  meaning  that  these 
organisations have members in the sector but are neither trade unions nor employer organisations. 
However, these organisations are not analysed in detail because of their minor relevance to this study 
(they are not represented by the European-level social partners relevant to this study and they are 
not involved in collective bargaining). There are two trade unions and 62 employer organisations in 
this category. These organisations are not covered in the following chapters, but information about 
them is presented in Annex 2. This leaves a total of 90 trade unions and 112 employer organisations 
in the food and drink sector to be further analysed in this study. Some employer organisations are 
classified  as  business  associations  in  the  tables.  Their  inclusion  stems  from  their  membership  of  a 
European-level  social  partner  organisation  relevant  to  this  study  or  from  their  involvement  in 
collective bargaining (see also Section 0.4). The Network of Eurofound Correspondents specified this 
classification  for  each organisation  based on  the  information  received  from  the  organisations.  The 
average number of sectoral trade unions per Member State is 3.3, which is in line with the averages 
recorded for other sectors (Eurofound, 2019). For the employer organisations, the average is 4 per 
Member  State  if  we  consider  the  employer  organisations  only.  If  we  also  count  the  business 
associations, as explained above, the average is 6.4 organisations per Member State, indicating a much 
higher degree of fragmentation in terms of employer organisations than in most other sectors. 

Cyprus, Latvia and Lithuania are considered countries without an employer organisation in this study. 
However,  in  each  of  these  countries,  employers’  interests  are  represented  by  at  least  one 
organisation,  although  these  organisations  are  considered  business  associations,  and  have  no 
involvement  in  collective  bargaining  and  social  dialogue.  In  this  study,  16  such  organisations  were 
identified  in  Cyprus  and  5  such  organisations  were  identified  in  Lithuania,  each  representing  a 
different NACE code (e.g. meat processing or beer manufacturing) in the sector. One such organisation 
was identified in Latvia; it covers most of the sector (excluding NACE codes 10.4, 11.04 and 11.06). 

An additional 25 trade unions and 65 employer organisations were identified as sector-related but, 
owing to their small involvement in the sector, have been classified as having a very minor role in 

 33 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

terms  of  membership  and  in  the  sectoral  social  dialogue  landscape  by  the  Network  of  Eurofound 
Correspondents. Thus, these organisations are not analysed or mentioned in the following sections 
(nor in Table 10). The organisations with a very limited role in the sector include 18 trade unions in 
Italy, 4 in Portugal and 1 in the Netherlands, and 18 employer organisations in Italy and 3 in Greece. 
Detailed information about these organisations is available in Annex 2. 

Table  10:  Number  of  trade  unions/professional  associations  and  employer  organisations/business 
associations in the food and drink sector 

Number of trade unions or 
professional associations in 
the country 

                                 2 
                                 6 
                                 5 
                                 4 
                                 1 
                                 1 
                                 4 
                                 1 
                                 4 
                                 5 
                                 3 (1) 
                                 5 (1) 
                                 3 
                                 5 
                                 4 
                                 4 
                                 2 
                                 2 
                                 2 
                                 2 
                                 2 
                                 4 
                                 8 
                                 2 
                                 6 
                                 1 
                                 2 
90 
(2) 

MS 

AT 
BE 
BG 
CY 
CZ 
DE 
DK 
EE 
EL 
ES 
FI 
FR 
HR 
HU 
IE 
IT 
LT 
LU 
LV 
MT 
NL 
PL 
PT 
RO 
SE 
SI 
SK 
EU27 

Number of employer organisations or business associations 
in the country 

2    
2    
6 (6)    
0 (16)    
1    
7    
1 (1)    
1 (10)    
3 (2)    
12 (6)    
1    
15 (8)    
1    
1 (5)    
1    
8    
0 (5)    
1    
0 (1)    
1    
19 (2)    
1 (2)    
19    
1    
1    
3    
4 (1)    
112 
(65) 

Notes: Each cell with green or blue shading represents one sector-related organisation in the respective country. 
Cells with grey shading represent organisations that have members in the sector but remain out of the scope of 
this  study  (i.e.  not  involved  in  collective  bargaining  and  not  affiliated  to  EFFAT/FoodDrinkEurope)  –  these 
organisations are not included in figures and tables in the rest of the report but are listed in Annex 2. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

 34 

 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 11 gives a more detailed view of the number of trade unions and employer organisations in the 
sector. It shows that all EU27 Member States have trade unions that cover both the food subsector 
and the drink subsector. Croatia and Ireland also have trade unions that cover only the drink subsector, 
while 11 countries have trade unions with members in only the food subsector. Of all trade unions, 
74% have members in both the food subsector and the drink subsector, 20% have members in only 
the food subsector and 2% have members in only the drink subsector. 

Regarding  employer organisations,  in each  country  where  a  relevant  employer  organisation  exists, 
there  is  at  least  one  organisation  that  covers  both  the  food  subsector  and  the  drink  subsector, 
excluding  Croatia,  which  has  only  one  employer  organisation  covering  only  the  food  subsector. 
Overall, 33% of all employer organisations cover both the food subsector and the drink subsector. Five 
countries have an employer organisation with members in only the drink subsector, corresponding to 
12%  of  all  employer  organisations.  Only  the  food  subsector  is  covered  by  53%  of  employer 
organisations existing in 10 countries. 

The higher degree of fragmentation in terms of employer organisations finds an explanation in the 
higher proportion (53%) of organisations organising only food-producing companies. Among the trade 
unions, 74% organise workers in both food and drink production. 

Table 11: Number of trade unions and employer organisations covering the entire sector, only  the 
food subsector or only the drink subsector 

MS 

AT 

BE 

BG 

CY  

CZ 

DE 

DK 

EE 

EL 

ES 

FI 

FR 

HR 

HU 

IE 

IT 

LT 

LU 

LV 

MT 

NL 

PL 

PT 

Trade unions that represent workers in 
food only, in drink only or in both food and 
drink 

Food 
only 

Drink 
only 

Both  

No 
information 

Total 
number 
of TUs 

Employer organisations that represent 
companies in food only, in drink only or in 
both food and drink 
Drink 
only 

No 
information 

Food 
only 

Both  

2 

6 
4 

3 

1 

1 

2 

1 

1 

5 

2 

5 

2 

2 

2 

4 

1 
2 

2 

2 

2 

1 

6 

1 

1 

3 

1 

3 

1 

1 

3 

2 

1 

1 

2 
1 

1 

1 

2 

1 

1 

2 

1 

1 
1 

1 

1 

8 

1 

1 

2 

1 

2 

4 

4 

3 

2 

2 

1 
5 

5 

1 

7 

9 
1 

14 

15 

2 

6 

5 

4 

1 

1 

4 

1 

4 

5 

3 

5 

3 

5 

4 

4 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

4 

8 

 35 

1 

Total 
number 
of EOs 

2 

2 

6 

0 

1 

7 

1 

1 

3 

12 

1 

15 

1 

1 

1 

8 

0 

1 

0 

1 

19 

1 

19 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

RO 

SE 

SI  

SK 

EU27 

1 

1 

18 

2 

4 

1 

1 

2 

67 

20% 

2% 

74% 

3% 

1 

3 

2 

6 

1 

2 

90 

1 

1 

3 

1 

37 

2 

60 

1 

14 

53% 

13% 

33% 

1% 

1 

1 

3 

4 

1 

112 

Notes: EO, employer organisation; TU, trade union. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

2.1.  Coverage, sector-relatedness and organisational density of trade 

unions 

In this section, the sector-relatedness and bargaining strength of trade unions in each Member State 
and in the EU27 in total are assessed. One relevant factor here is whether a trade union’s membership 
includes affiliates in every part of the food and drink sector. Also relevant is whether it has members 
in other sectors. Taking this into account, a trade union is categorised as being congruent with the 
sector or as having an overlapping, a sectional or a sectional overlapping membership domain (see 
Table 3 and Figure 1 for definitions). The overlapping domains indicate links with other sectors, while 
sectionalism might contribute to fragmentation (if different trade unions cover different parts of the 
sector)  or  pluralism  (if  different  trade  unions  have  similar  memberships).  Other  factors  include 
organisational  density,  whether  all  categories  of  employees  (white-  and  blue-collar  workers)  are 
covered, whether employees from all sizes of organisations are covered and whether employees in all 
parts of the country can be part of the trade union. 

Out of the 90 trade unions active in the sector, 35 (39%) organise workers in the whole sector, that is 
in all 16 activities categorised by NACE codes (see also Table 12 and Figure 11). Nearly one-third of 
trade  unions  (28  (31%))  have  narrow  width  –  that  is,  they  have  members  active  in  1–5  of  these 
segments. Thirteen trade unions (14%) have medium width, with members active in 6–10 segments. 
Eleven trade unions (12%) have wider width, covering 11–15 segments in the sector. Trade unions 
that cover only the food subsector or only the drink subsector typically have narrow width (19 out of 
20 trade unions), and in most cases cover only one subsector. Trade unions covering both the food 
subsector and the drink subsector typically cover all parts of the sector (i.e. full sector coverage). 

Table 12: Width of trade unions (number of NACE activities), EU27 

Number of NACE activities 

1–5 

6–10 

11–15 

16 (full sector 
coverage) 

No information 

TUs covering only food or 
only drink 
TUs covering both food 
and drink 
TUs covering the 
subsectors in total 

Note: TU, trade union. 

19 

9 

28 

1 

12 

13 

0 

11 

11 

0 

35 

35 

0 

3 

3 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

 36 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Figure 11: Width of trade unions (number of NACE activities) (%), EU27 

3%

31%

39%

14%

12%

1–5

6–10

11–15

16 (full sector coverage)

No information

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Table 13 shows the number and share of trade unions with members engaged in each of the activities 
(NACE codes) in the food and drink sector. It shows that 85 out of 90 trade unions (94%) have members 
at least in the food subsector and 69 trade unions (77%) have members at least in the drink subsector, 
thus  making  the  food  subsector  comparatively  more  important  in  terms  of  trade  union  coverage. 
However, all Member States have coverage in both the food subsector and the drink subsector. While 
each food and drink activity is covered by trade unions in the majority of the countries, the only activity 
covered  in  all  countries  is  beer  manufacturing  (NACE  11.05).  Other  well-covered  segments  are 
manufacture of dairy products (NACE 10.5) and manufacture of other food products (NACE 10.8) (both 
in 26 countries). Malt manufacturing (NACE 11.06), while being a low-importance activity in the sector 
in terms of the share of employment (second least important activity) and companies (least important 
activity), is covered by trade unions in 18 countries. 

In around half of the countries (14), the trade unions in combination do not cover the entire sector. 
Out  of  16  segments,  13  are  not  covered  by  the  Estonian  trade  union,  while  11  segments  are  not 
covered by Luxembourg’s trade unions. In Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia, six segments in each are 
not covered; the number is four in Malta, three in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Hungary, Ireland and Poland, and 
one in Czechia, Denmark and Greece. 

 37 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 13: Trade union coverage per segment (number and %), EU27 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
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4
.
0
1

y
r
i
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D
5
.
0
1

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a
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M
1
.
0
1

h
s
i
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2
.
0
1

d
o
o
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r
e
h
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8
.
0
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r
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k
a
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7
.
0
1

s
d
e
e
f

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i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1

D
O
O
F
0
1

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

l

e
b
a

l
i

a
v
a
a
t
a
d
o
N

I

K
N
R
D
1
1

60 

55 

58 

51 

63 

55 

56 

64 

55 

85 

55 

54 

46 

45 

63 

43 

59 

69 

3 

67 

61 

64 

57 

70 

61 

62 

71 

61 

94 

61 

60 

51 

50 

70 

48 

66 

77 

3 

24 

22 

23 

21 

26 

24 

25 

26 

21 

27 

25 

22 

20 

19 

27 

18 

25 

27 

2 

Number 
of TUs in 
segment 
% of TUs 
in 
segment 
Number 
of MSs 
with 
segment 
covered 
by at 
least one 
TU 

Note: No information about sector coverage for three trade unions (two in Denmark and one in Sweden). TU, 
trade union. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Considering  all  the  trade  unions  in  the  EU27,  the  parts  of  the  sector  most  covered  by  unions  are 
manufacture of other food products (64 trade unions, 71%), manufacture of dairy products (63 trade 
unions,  70%)  and  manufacture  of  beer  (63  trade  unions,  70%).  This  does  not  exactly  follow  the 
employment pattern in the sector. For example, manufacture of bakery products employs the largest 
share of employees, while  employees working in beer production form a rather  small share. Most 
parts of the sector are covered by 60–69% of trade unions. Manufacture of oils and fats, manufacture 
of cider and fruit wine, manufacture of other beverages and manufacture of malt are covered by fewer 
than  60%  of  trade  unions,  which  follows  the  employment  trend,  as  those  four  activities  have  the 
smallest share of employment in the sector. Figure 12 provides an overview of the coverage of each 
part of the sector by trade unions. 

 38 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Figure 12: Share of trade unions covering each part of the sector, EU27 

11.06 Malt
11.04 Other beverages
11.03 Cider and fruit wine
10.4 Oils and fats
11.02 Wine from grape
10.2 Fish
10.6 Grain mill products
10.9 Animal feeds
11.01 Spirits
10.7 Bakery
10.3 Fruit and vegetables
11.07 Soft drinks and water
10.1 Meat
10.5 Dairy
11.05 Beer
10.8 Other food

48%

50%
51%

57%

60%
61%
61%
61%
61%
62%

64%
66%
67%

70%
70%
71%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

 39 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 14 gives a detailed overview of the sector coverage of the trade unions in each Member State, 
indicating which parts of the food and drink sector their members are engaged in, while also showing 
their affiliation to EFFAT and involvement in collective bargaining. This provides a more detailed view 
of the information given above. 

Table 14: Sector coverage of trade unions 

MS 

Trade union 

AT  PRO-GE 

GPA-DJP 

BE  ACLVB-CGSLB 

ACV Voeding 
en Diensten 
ABVV-FGTB 
Horval 
ABVV-FGTB 
BBTK SETCa 
ACV-CSC Puls 

ACV-CSC CNE 

BG  FNSZ/ФНСЗ 

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1
x 

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

FSOHP/ФСОХП 

FHPP/ФХПП 

SBHN/СБХН 

x 

NSFTKTU/НСФ
ТКТУ 

CY  SEBETTYK-PEO 

x 

x 

OBIEK-SEK 

x 

x 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

Segdamelin-
PEO 
OMEPEGE-SEK 

x 

x 

CZ  NOS PPP 

DE  NGG 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

Parts of the sector organised 

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1
x 

i

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1
x 

D
O
O
F
0
1
1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1
X 

i

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1
x 

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

x 

x 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

x 

x 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

 40 

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

T
A
F
F
E
o
t
n
o
i
t
a

I

K
N
R
D
1
1
1 

0 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

i
l
i
f
f
A
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
1  no  ye
s 
1  no  ye
s 
1  no  ye
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
1  no  ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 

ye
s 
1  N
o 
ye
s 

1 

1 

1 

1 

0 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Parts of the sector organised 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1
x 

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1
x 

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1
x 

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1
x 

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1
x 

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1

D
O
O
F
0
1
1 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1
x 

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

MS 

Trade union 

DK  NNF 

3F 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1  X 

x 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

HK Handel 

Covers most sectors because it organises white-collar workers in administrative roles 

CO-industri8 

No data available (covers at least meat (poultry) and fish) 

EE  ETTAF 

EL  POEUGTP 

x 

x 

POEK 

x 

POEET 

ΟΕΧΒΕ 

ES  FI-CCOO 

UGT-FICA 

ELA 

CIG – FGAMT 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

FI-USO 

x 

x 

FI 

SEL 

x 

x 

MVL 

PRO 

FR  FGA-CFDT 

FGTA-FO 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

CFTC-CSFV 

x 

x 

FNAF-CGT 

CFE-CGC AGRO 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

x 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

T
A
F
F
E
o
t
n
o
i
t
a

I

K
N
R
D
1
1
1 

1 

1 

0 

1 

i
l
i
f
f
A
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
1  no  ye
s 
1  no  ye
s 
0  no  ye
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
0  no  ye
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
1  no  ye
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
0  no  ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 

ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

8 EFFAT reports that CO-industri is not to be considered a sectoral trade union. It is a cartel of trade unions in 
the industrial domain. It supports trade unions to reach collective agreements and assists in international and 
European work. It is affiliated to EFFAT through 3F (industry group). 

 41 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Parts of the sector organised 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1
x 

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1
x 

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1
x 

i

x 

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1
x 

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

T
A
F
F
E
o
t
n
o
i
t
a

I

K
N
R
D
1
1
1 

I

1 

1 

0 

i
l
i
f
f
A
ye
ye
s 
s 
1  no  ye
s 
1  no  ye
s 
0  no  ye
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
1  no  ye
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
0  no  ye
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
1  no  ye
s 
1  no  ye
s 
0  no  ye
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
1  no  ye
s 
ye
s 
no 

ye
s 
ye
s 
1  no  ye
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
1  no  ye
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
1  no  ye
s 

1 

1 

1 

1 

0 

1 

1 

1 

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1
x 

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

MS 

Trade union 

HR  PPDIV 

NSR PHP 

NSZP 

HU  EMFSZ 

HDSZ 

ÉDSZ 

MEDOSZ 

GMDSZ 

IE  SIPTU 

x 

x 

x 

GSU 

Connect TU 

x 

x 

x 

DEA 

IT  FAI-CISL 

FLAI-CGIL 

UILA-UIL 

UGL 
Agroalimentare 

LT  LMP 

LZUDPSF 

LU  LCGB 

OGB-L 

LV  LIA 

LLPNA 

MT  GWU 

UHM 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1
x 

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1
x 

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1
x 

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1
x 

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1
x 

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1
x 

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1
x 

D
O
O
F
0
1
1 

1 

0 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

0 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

 42 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1
x 

x 

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

MS 

Trade union 

NL  FNV  

CNV 
Vakmensen 

PL  SPS NSZZ 

FZZPM 

FZZPC 

FZZPPS 

PT  SETAAB 

FESAHT 

CESP 

Sindepescas 

Sitese 

Sinticaba 

Union of 
Professionals in 
Dairy, Food, 
Agriculture, 
Offices, Trade, 
Services, Road 
Transport, 
Metalworking, 
Construction 
and 
Woodworking  
Union of 
Workers in 
Manufacturing 
and Commerce 
of Meat of the 
South 
RO  CERES 

Sindalimenta 

x 

x 

x 

Parts of the sector organised 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1
x 

i

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1
x 

i

x 

x 

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1
x 

x 

x 

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1
x 

x 

x 

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1
x 

x 

x 

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1
x 

x 

x 

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1
x 

x 

x 

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

D
O
O
F
0
1
1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

x 

1 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

T
A
F
F
E
o
t
n
o
i
t
a

I

K
N
R
D
1
1
1 

1 

1 

i
l
i
f
f
A
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
0  no  ye
s 
0  no  ye
s 
0  no  ye
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
1  no  ye
s 
1  no  ye
s 
0  no  ye
s 
1  no  ye
s 
1  no  ye
s 
1  no  ye
s 

1 

0  no  ye
s 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

ye
s 
ye
s 

ye
s 
ye
s 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

 43 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Parts of the sector organised 

MS 

Trade union 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

t
a
e
M
O
1
4
.
.
0
0
1
1
No data available 

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

T
A
F
F
E
o
t
n
o
i
t
a

I

K
N
R
D
1
1

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1

D
O
O
F
0
1

SE  HRF 

I

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

Livs 

Handels 

Unionen 

i
l
i
f
f
A
ye
ye
s 
s 
0  no  ye
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
ye
ye
s 
s 
1  no  ye
s 
1  no  ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
Number of TUs  61  55  58  51  63  55  56  64  55  85  55  54  46  45  63  43  59  69  54  89 

Sveriges 
Ingenjörer 
Ledarna 

ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 

OZPP SR 

S KŽI 

1 

1 

1 

0 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

% of TUs 

7
6

1
6

4
6

7
5

0
7

1
6

2
6

1
7

1
6

4
9

1
6

0
6

1
5

0
5

0
7

8
4

6
6

7
7

0
6

9
9

Number of MSs  25  22  23  21  26  24  25  26  21  27  25  22  20  19  27  18  25  27  25  27 

SK  OZP SR 

SI 

EU
27 

Notes: Coloured shading denotes a positive response. Dark green shading indicates that the trade union covers 
at least one segment of the food or drink subsector. TU, trade union. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

The  assessment  of  organisational  density  considered  the  employment  level  in  the  sector  and  the 
number of sectoral trade union members. The latter as a percentage of the former is the share of 
trade union members among the total workforce in the sector (i.e. the membership density), as shown 
in  Table  15  for  each  Member  State.  These  are  rough  estimations,  because  Eurostat  data  on 
employment were combined with available data from the Network of Eurofound Correspondents on 
trade union membership, neither of which are comprehensive. Nevertheless, there are 20 Member 
States for which all trade unions provided membership data. The seven Member States for which no 
data  or  only  incomplete  data  were  provided  are  Belgium,  Denmark,  France,  Italy,  Lithuania,  the 
Netherlands and Sweden. 

 44 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 15: Organisational density of trade unions in Member States 

Member State 

Employment in sector 

Number of TUs 
covered by 
membership data 

Number of TU 
members in sector 

Membership density (%) 

AT 

BE 

BG 

CY 

CZ9 

DE 

DK 

EE 

EL 

ES 

FI 

FR 

HR 

HU 

IE 

IT 

LT 

LU 

LV 

MT 

NL 

PL 

PT 

RO 

SE 

SI 

SK 

82,300 

All 

117,200 

3 out of 6 (50%) 

107,200 

125,900 

10,300 

862,600 

57,900 

15,000 

132,600 

520,600 

37,800 

All 

All 

All 

All 

2 out of 4 (50%) 

All 

All 

All 

All 

679,100 

1 out of 5 (20%) 

66,900 

143,500 

55,700 

504,100 

All 

All 

All 

None 

40,400 

1 out of 2 (50%) 

2,700 

22,700 

5,300 

All 

All 

All 

130,400 

1 out of 2 (50%) 

513,800 

118,400 

221,800 

49,400 

22,300 

56,700 

All 

All 

All 

5 out of 6 (83%) 

All 

All 

12,100 

52,185 

3,799 

2,554 

7,173 

200,000 

>30,500 

18 

<36,350 

236,374 

34,300 

>10,000 

12,900 

7,126 

16,100 

0 

80 

1,884 

977 

4,720 

18,944 

15,539 

13,005 

32,380 

34,827 

>2,500 

2,645 

14.7 

44.5 

3.5 

2.0 

69.6 

23.2 

>52.0 

0.1 

<27.0 

45.4 

90.7 

>1.5 

19.3 

5.0 

28.9 

0.0 

0.2 

69.8 

4.3 

89.1 

14.5 

3.0 

11.0 

14.6 

70.5 

>11.0 

4.7 

Notes: Trade union density is a rough estimation owing to incomplete data about trade union membership. The 
grey rows are those for which no or not all trade unions provided information on their membership strength in 
the sector. The unshaded rows are those for which all trade unions provided density data. TU, trade union. 

Sources: Employment – Eurostat, Labour Force Survey, 2019 (data for the drink subsector from 2018 were used 
for Latvia and Sweden); trade union membership data – Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to 
this study, 2020 

Table 16 presents details of trade unions’ membership domains, the types of workers they have as 
members, whether they have the most important (largest) companies’ employees as members and 
whether they are affiliated to cross-sector unions. 

Figure 13 shows two aspects of the EU27 trade unions’ membership domains. The left-hand part of 
the figure shows the subsectors covered by trade unions within the food and drink sector. It shows 

9 EFFAT believes the numbers could be higher for Czechia. However, the stated numbers are those reported by 
the trade unions to the Network of Eurofound Correspondents. 

 45 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

that  the  majority  of  the  trade  unions  in  the  sector  cover  both  the  food  subsector  and  the  drink 
subsector. One-fifth of trade unions cover only food subsector employees, while a very small share of 
trade unions represent only drink subsector employees. The right-hand part of the figure shows the 
overall domain types, including beyond the food and drink sector, of the trade unions. 

Typically, the trade unions cover only parts of the food and drink sector and also have members in 
other sectors, thus having a ‘sectional overlapping’ domain (41%). Another typical case is when trade 
unions cover the whole food and drink sector and also have members in other sectors, thus being 
‘overlapping’ in their domain (38%). The domains of 17% of trade unions are ‘sectional’ – they have 
no members in other sectors and do not cover the food and drink sector fully. Only one trade union is 
fully concentrated on the food and drink sector and does not cover any other sectors, thus having a 
‘congruent’ domain (Livs in Sweden). Combining the ‘congruent’ and ‘overlapping’ domains gives the 
total number of trade unions covering the whole sector in question. In the food and drink sector, there 
are 35 (39%) such trade unions. Combining trade unions with ‘overlapping’ and ‘sectional overlapping’ 
domains gives the number of trade unions that also cover sectors beyond the sector in question. In 
food and drink, most of the trade unions (71 unions; 79% of the total) have members in other sectors. 
Many  trade  unions  cover  both  agriculture  and  the  food  subsector.  Looking  at  trade  unions  with 
members in only the food and drink sector (i.e. those with congruent or sectional domains), it can be 
seen that only 16 (18%) trade unions are exclusively food and drink sector trade unions, indicating 
that the food and drink sector is closely related to other sectors (see further information about other 
sectors in Section 2.7). 

Figure 13: Membership domains of trade unions, EU27 

3
(3%)

3
(3%)

1
(1%)

18
(20%)

2
(2%)

67
(74%)

37
(41%)

34
(38%)

15
(17%)

Only food

Only drink

Both

No data

Congruent

Sectional

No data

Overlapping

Sectional overlapping

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

As can be seen in Table 16, most of the trade unions (77%) cover both blue- and white-collar workers. 
Thus, around one-quarter of trade unions are specific to either manual workers (blue-collar workers) 
or specialists and management (white-collar workers). This is the case for at least some trade unions 
in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece and Sweden. The vast majority of trade unions welcome 
members from all regions of the country (88%). Still, in a number of countries – Belgium, Bulgaria, 
Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal and Spain – some trade unions concentrate on specific areas (e.g. 

 46 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

the southern region of Portugal and the Galicia region and Basque Country in Spain). Slightly more 
than half (61%) of the trade unions have members in the largest companies in the sector. The majority 
of trade unions (88%) are members of a higher-level cross-industry trade union in the country. Out of 
the 55 trade unions covering large companies’ workers, 48 also have cross-industry affiliation. 

 47 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 16: Types of coverage and cross-industry affiliation of trade unions 

S
M

T
A

E
B

Trade union 

PRO-GE 

GPA-DJP 

ACLVB-CGSLB 

ACV Voeding en Diensten 

ABVV-FGTB Horval 

ABVV-FGTB BBTK SETCa 

ACV-CSC Puls 

ACV-CSC CNE 

FNSZ/ФНСЗ 

FSOHP/ФСОХП 

G
B

FHPP/ФХПП 

SBHN/СБХН 

NSFTKTU/НСФТКТУ 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, only 
drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Covers blue- or 
white-collar 
workers 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry 
affiliation 

16 

16 

16 

16 

16 

16 

16 

16 

3 

7 

5 

5 

3 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional 

Sectional overlapping 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

48 

Blue 

White 

Both 

Blue 

Blue 

White 

White 

White (French 
speaking) 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Austrian Trade 
Union Federation 
(ÖGB) 

ÖGB 

ACV-CSC 

ABVV-FGTB 

ABVV-FGTB 

ACV-CSC 

ACV-CSC 

Confederation of 
Independent Trade 
Unions of Bulgaria 
(CITUB) 

CITUB 

(Confederation of 
Labour Podkrepa 
(Podkrepa CL) 

CITUB 

CITUB 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, only 
drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Covers blue- or 
white-collar 
workers 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry 
affiliation 

13 

13 

7 

8 

15 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

Both 

Sectional overlapping 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Pancyprian 
Federation of 
Labour (PEO) 
Cyprus Workers 
Confederation 
(SEK) 

PEO 

SEK 

Czech-Moravian 
Confederation of 
Trade Unions 
(ČMKOS) 

16 

Both 

Overlapping 

Both 

Yes 

n.d. 

DGB 

S
M

Trade union 

SEBETTYK-PEO 

OBIEK-SEK 

Y
C

Segdamelin-PEO 

OMEPEGE-SEK 

NOS PPP 

Z
C

OSPZV – ASO ČR10 

E
D

NGG 

10 EFFAT questioned whether OSPZV – ASO ČR could also be considered a sectoral trade union in Czechia. According to EFFAT, this trade union mainly organises agricultural 
workers but may also organise workers in primary production of food. However, the information provided by the trade union indicates that it organises only agricultural 
workers and not food and drink sector employees. 

49 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

S
M

Trade union 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, only 
drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Covers blue- or 
white-collar 
workers 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry 
affiliation 

NNF 

3F 

K
D

HK Handel11 

CO-industri12 

E
E

ETTAF 

POEUGTP 

POEK 

L
E

POEET 

ΟΕΧΒΕ 

6 

12 

0 

0 

3 

9 

1 

3 

3 

Both 

Both 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Sectional 

Sectional overlapping 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Blue 

Blue 

White 

Both 

Both 

Sectional overlapping 

Both 

Both 

Sectional overlapping 

Only food 

Sectional 

Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

Both 

Blue 

Both 

Blue 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

Danish Trade 
Union 
Confederation (FH) 

FH 

FH 

Estonian Trade 
Union 
Confederation 

Greek General 
Confederation of 
Labour (GSEE) 

GSEE 

GSEE 

GSEE 

11 HK Handel covers the clerical, commercial and information technology workers in the food and drink sector. Thus, its domain cannot be categorised according to the 
activities defined by NACE codes. 

12 EFFAT reports that CO-industri is not to be considered a sectoral trade union. See footnote 8. 

50 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

S
M

Trade union 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, only 
drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Covers blue- or 
white-collar 
workers 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry 
affiliation 

FI-CCOO 

UGT-FICA 

ELA 

S
E

CIG – FGAMT 

FI-USO 

SEL 

I
F

MVL 

PRO 

9 

8 

16 

16 

Both 

Both 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Both 

Both 

14 

Both 

Sectional overlapping 

Both 

Yes 

Yes 

No (only 
Basque 
Country) 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

Confederacion 
Sindical (CCOO) 
Union General de 
Trabajadores 
(UGT) 

No 

Both 

Sectional overlapping 

Both 

No (only Galicia 
region) 

Yes 

No 

Both 

Sectional overlapping 

Both 

Yes 

Yes 

16 

Both 

Overlapping 

Blue 

Yes 

n.d. 

1 

Only food 

Sectional 

16 

Both 

Overlapping 

White 

White 

Yes 

Yes 

n.d. 

n.d. 

51 

Union Sindical 
Obrera (USO) 

Central 
Organisation of 
Finnish Trade 
Unions (SAK) 
Finnish 
Confederation of 
Professionals 
(STTK) 

STTK 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

S
M

Trade union 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, only 
drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Covers blue- or 
white-collar 
workers 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry 
affiliation 

FGA-CFDT 

FGTA-FO 

R
F

CFTC-CSFV 

FNAF-CGT 

CFE-CGC AGRO 

PPDIV 

R
H

NSR PHP 

NSZP 

16 

16 

16 

16 

16 

16 

2 

1 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Only drink 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both (but mainly 
white) 

Both 

Both 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes (but 
currently only 
one company) 

Both 

No one region 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

CDFT 

Force Ouvrière 
(FO) 

CFTC 

CGT 

CGE-CGC 

Independent Trade 
Unions of Croatia 
(NHS) 

NHS 

52 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

S
M

Trade union 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, only 
drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Covers blue- or 
white-collar 
workers 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry 
affiliation 

EMFSZ 

HDSZ 

U
H

ÉDSZ 

MEDOSZ 

GMDSZ 

SIPTU 

GSU 

E
I

Connect TU 

DEA 

FAI-CISL 

FLAI-CGIL 

T
I

UILA-UIL 

UGL Agroalimentare 

LMP 

T
L

LZUDPSF 

1 

3 

7 

8 

3 

13 

1 

13 

1 

16 

16 

16 

16 

9 

1 

Only food 

Sectional 

Both 

Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

Both (excluding 
management) 

Both 

Both 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Only food 

Sectional 

Both 

Sectional overlapping 

Only drink 

Both 

Only food 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

53 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

No 

Yes 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

Yes 

No 

LIGA 

MASZSZ 

MASZSZ 

LIGA 

MASZSZ 

Irish Congress of 
Trade Unions 
Irish Congress of 
Trade Unions 
Irish Congress of 
Trade Unions 
Irish Congress of 
Trade Unions 
Confederazione 
Italiana Sindacati 
Lavoratori (CISL) 
Confederazione 
Generale Italiana 
del Lavoro (CGIL) 
Unione Italiana del 
Lavoro (UIL) 
General Labour 
Union (UGL) 
Lithuanian Trade 
Union 
Confederation 
Lithuanian Trade 
Union 
Confederation 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
S
M

U
L

V
L

LCGB 

OGB-L 

LIA 

LLPNA 

  GWU 
T
M

UHM 

FNV  

L
N

CNV Vakmensen 

SPS NSZZ 

L
P

FZZPM 

FZZPC 

FZZPPS 

Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Trade union 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, only 
drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Covers blue- or 
white-collar 
workers 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry 
affiliation 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both (but mainly 
blue) 
Both (but mainly 
blue) 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

Free Trade Union 
Confederation of 
Latvia 
Free Trade Union 
Confederation of 
Latvia 

Is cross-sector 
itself 
Is cross-sector 
itself 

NSZZ Solidarność 

OPZZ 

OPZZ 

OPZZ 

5 

5 

16 

9 

12 

4 

16 

16 

13 

1 

2 

1 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Only food 

Only food 

Only food 

54 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

S
M

Trade union 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, only 
drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Covers blue- or 
white-collar 
workers 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry 
affiliation 

SETAAB 

FESAHT 

CESP 

Sindepescas 

Sitese 

T
P

Sinticaba 

Union of Professionals in 
Dairy, Food, Agriculture, 
Offices, Trade, Services, Road 
Transport, Metalworking, 
Construction and 
Woodworking  
Union of Workers in 
Manufacturing and 
Commerce of Meat of the 
South 

CERES 

O
R

15 

16 

16 

2 

16 

16 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Sectional overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

Both 

Both 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

16 

Both 

Overlapping 

Both 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

UGT 

CGTP 

CGTP 

UGT 

UGT 

No 

No 

1 

5 

Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

Both 

No (only 
southern 
Portugal) 

No 

CGTP 

Both 

Sectional overlapping 

Both (lower 
management and 
below) 

Yes 

No 

Cartel alfa 

Sindalimenta 

10 

Both 

Sectional 

Both 

Yes 

Yes 

55 

Confederația 
Generală a Muncii 
– Uniunea 
Generală a 
Sindicatelor din 
România (CGM – 
UGSR) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

S
M

Trade union 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, only 
drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Covers blue- or 
white-collar 
workers 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry 
affiliation 

HRF 

Handels 

Livs 

E
S

Unionen 

Sveriges Ingenjörer 

Ledarna 

I
S

S KŽI 

K
S

OZP SR 

OZPP SR 

0 

1 

16 

14 

16 

16 

16 

10 

1 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

Congruent 

Blue 

Blue 

Blue 

Sectional overlapping 

White (private 
sector) 

Overlapping 

White 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

White (managers 
only) 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Sectional overlapping 

Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

56 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

Swedish Trade 
Union 
Confederation (LO) 

LO 

LO 

Swedish 
Confederation of 
Professional 
Employees (TCO) 
Swedish 
Confederation of 
Professional 
Associations (Saco) 

Association of Free 
Trade Unions of 
Slovenia (ZSSS) 

KOZ SR 

KOZ SR 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

S
M

Trade union 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, only 
drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Covers blue- or 
white-collar 
workers 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry 
affiliation 

EU27 

)

%
0
2
(
8
1
:
d
o
o
f
y
l
n
O

)

%
2
(
2
:
k
n
i
r
d
y
l
n
O

)

%
4
7
(
7
6
:
h
t
o
B

)

%
3
(
3
:
.
d
n

.

)

%
1
(
1
:
t
n
e
u
r
g
n
o
C

)

%
7
1
(
5
1
:
l
a
n
o
i
t
c
e
S

)

%
8
3
(
4
3
:
g
n
p
p
a
l
r
e
v
O

i

)

%
1
4
(
7
3
:
g
n
p
p
a
l
r
e
v
o

i

l

a
n
o
i
t
c
e
S

Note: n.d., no data available. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

)

%
3
(
3
:
.
d
n

.

)

%
2
1
(
1
1
:
e
u
B

l

)

%
1
1
(
0
1
:
e
t
i
h
W

)

%
7
7
(
9
6
:
h
t
o
B

)

%
8
8
(
9
7
:
s
e
Y

)

%
2
1
(
1
1
:
o
N

)

%
1
6
(
5
5
:
s
e
Y

)

%
2
3
(
9
2
:
o
N

)

%
7
(
6
:
.
d
n

.

)

%
8
8
(
9
7
:
s
e
Y

)

%
2
1
(
1
1
:
o
N

57 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

2.2.  Involvement of trade unions in collective bargaining 
The previous section considered the sector-relatedness and membership of the trade unions in the 
food  and  drink  sector.  This  section  will  assess  their  involvement  in  collective  bargaining.  Table  17 
shows whether the trade unions are involved in single-employer (company-level) or multi-employer 
(sector-level) collective bargaining, which parts of the sector are covered by collective bargaining and 
the share of the sectoral workforce covered by collective agreements. 

In all Member States, at least one trade union is involved in collective bargaining in the sector. Only 
one trade union – out of the 90 looked at in this study – is not involved in collective bargaining (Trade 
Union Federation of Lithuanian Agricultural Workers (LZUDPSF)). 

Table 17: Involvement of trade unions in collective bargaining, social dialogue and public policy 

y
n
a
p
m
o
c

i

i

:
g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
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t
c
e

l
l

h
t
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b
r
o

l

e
v
e

l

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o
t
c
e
s

,
l
e
v
e

l

o
C
Both 

i

n
o
n
u
e
d
a
r
T

PRO-GE 

GPA-DJP 

Both 

Both 

Both 

ACLVB-
CGSLB 
ACV  Voeding 
en Diensten 
ABVV-FGTB 
Horval 
ABVV-FGTB 
BBTK SETCa 
ACV-CSC Puls  Both 

Both 

Both 

ACV-CSC CNE  Both 

FNSZ/ФНСЗ 

Comp. 

Comp. 

FSOHP/ 
ФСОХП 
FHPP/ФХПП  Both 

S
M

T
A

E
B

G
B

l

s
e
b
a
t
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e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1
x 

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

X 

SBHN/СБХН 

Both 

x 

x 

NSFTKTU/ 
НСФТКТУ 

Comp. 

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
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n
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r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

x  x

I

K
N
R
D
1
1

1

x  x

1

:
e
u
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o
a
d

i

l

l

a
i
c
o
s
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

e
g
a
r
e
v
o
c

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c

l

a
t
o
T

  Both 
%
0
0
1

Both 

h
t
o
b
r
o
e
t
i
t
r
a
p
i
r
t

,
e
t
i
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r
a
p
b

i

l

d
e
t
a
t
n
e
e
r
-
m
r
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n
t
r
c
e
e
v
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g
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s
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n
t
o
y
i
b
t
a
s
t
r
l
u
e
t
s
t
n
a
o
m
C
Regular 

Regular 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x

1

x

1

x

1

%
0
0
1

x

1

x  x

1

x  x

1

x

1

x  x

1

x   

  1

x

1

E
C
A
N
n

i

%
0
0
1
(

%
0
1

.

)
6
0
1
1
d
n
a
5
0

.

1
1

Bipartite 

Regular 

Bipartite 

Regular 

Bipartite 

Regular 

Bipartite 

Regular 

Bipartite 

Regular 

Bipartite 

Regular 

Tripartite 

Regular 

Both 

Regular 

Both 

Ad hoc 

Tripartite 

Regular 

Tripartite 

Ad hoc 

Parts of the sector organised 

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1
x 

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

e
n
w

i

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i
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r
f
d
n
a
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e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1
x 

i

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p
a
r
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m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1
x 

i

s
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g
a
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v
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b
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h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1
x 

s
d
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e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1
x 

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1
x 

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1
x 

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1
x 

D
O
O
F
0
1
1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

X 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

 58 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

y
n
a
p
m
o
c

i

i

:
g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

h
t
o
b
r
o

l

e
v
e

l

r
o
t
c
e
s

l
l

,
l
e
v
o
e
C
Comp. 

l

S
M

i

n
o
n
u
e
d
a
r
T

SEBETTYK-
PEO 

OBIEK-SEK 

Comp. 

Y
C

Segdamelin-
PEO 
OMEPEGE-
SEK 
  NOS PPP 
Z
C

Comp. 

Comp. 

Comp. 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1
X 

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1
x 

X 

X 

X 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

Parts of the sector organised 

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1
x 

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1
x 

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1
x 

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1
x 

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1
x 

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1
x 

D
O
O
F
0
1
1 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
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e
v
e
b
r
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h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1
x 

i

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

:
e
u
g
o
a
d

i

l

l

a
i
c
o
s
n

i

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m
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v
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o
v
n

I

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g
a
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v
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c

l

d
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t
a
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r
-
r
o
t
c
e
s
n
o
s
n
o
i
t
a
t
l
u
s
n
o
C

t
n
e
m
n
r
e
v
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g
e
h
t
y
b
s
r
e
t
t
a
m

h
t
o
b
r
o
e
t
i
t
r
a
p
i
r
t

,
e
t
i
t
r
a
p
b

i

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

I

K
N
R
D
1
1

x

1

   x

1

x

1

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1
x 

x 

x 

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c

l

a
t
o
T

3
1

%
9
1

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

  Both 
%
8
  3
1

x

NGG 

Both 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x

1

  1

x 

x  x

1

Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

  Bipartite 
%
0
5
>

Tripartite 

Regular 

Tripartite 

Yes 

Tripartite 

Regular 

Tripartite 

n.d. 

Ad hoc 

%
5
8
–
0
8

.

d
  n

.

E
D

K
D

NNF 

3F 

HK Handel 

Both 

Both 

Both 

CO-industri14  Sector 

  ETTAF 

E
E

Comp. 

POEUGTP 

Sector 

L
E

POEK 

POEET 

ΟΕΧΒΕ 

FI-CCOO 

UGT-FICA 

S
E

ELA 

Sector 

x 

Sector 

Sector 

Both 

Both 

Both 

CIG – FGAMT  Both 

FI-USO 

SEL 

I
F

MVL 

Both 

Sector 

Both 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

   x

1

h
g
u
o
r
(

%
0
4

)
e
t
a
m

i
t
s
e

Both 

Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x  x

1

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

x  x

1

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

  1

%
8
9

x 

   x

1

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x  x

1

Bipartite 

n.d. 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x  x

1

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

%
2
9

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

PRO 

Sector 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

13 EFFAT considers this remarkably low for a country with collective bargaining and extension mechanisms (the 
application of agreements to workers and companies that are not affiliated to the social partners responsible 
for their negotiation, whether trade unions or employer organisations).  

14 EFFAT reports that CO-industri is not to be considered a sectoral trade union. See footnote 8. 

 59 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
    
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

l

s
e
b
a
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3
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x 

x 

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x 

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y
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2
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FGA-CFDT 

FGTA-FO 

Both 

CFTC-CSFV 

Both 

R
F

Both 

Both 

FNAF-CGT 

CFE-CGC 
AGRO 
PPDIV 

Comp. 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

NSR PHP 

Comp. 

R
H

NSZP 

Comp. 

X 

X 

Comp. 

Comp. 

Comp. 

Comp. 

Comp. 

EMFSZ 

HDSZ 

U
H

ÉDSZ 

MEDOSZ 

GMDSZ 

SIPTU 

GSU 

Comp. 

X 

x 

x 

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I

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Comp. 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

X 

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Comp. 

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FLAI-CGIL 

T
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Both 

Both 

Both 

Agro-

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alimentare 
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Sector 

Comp. 

LZUDPSF 

LCGB 

Comp. 

OGB-L 

Comp. 

T
L

U
L

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

Parts of the sector organised 

s
d
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e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1
x 

d
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f

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8
.
0
1
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t
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1
0
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1
1
x 

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O
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F
0
1
1 

s
t
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l
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6
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

y
r
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k
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7
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0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

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t
a
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4
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0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

y
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a
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5
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

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n
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3
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1
1
x 

i

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x 

x 

x 

x 

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b
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1
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x 

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p
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x 

i

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x 

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x 

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x 

r
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a
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7
6
0
0
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.
1
1
1
1
x  x

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K
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r
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e
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5
0
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1
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x 

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a
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%
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5
7

%
0
4
–
0
3

:
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Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

h
t
o
b
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t
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a
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t

,
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b

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y
i
b
t
a
s
t
r
l
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t
s
t
n
a
o
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C
Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

Bipartite 

Bipartite 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

h
g
u
o
r
(

%
9

)
e
t
a
m

i
t
s
e

%
0
0
1

   x

1

  1

   x

1

x  x

1

x  x

1

x  x

1

x 

x

1

   x

1

.

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d
n

.

Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

%
5
5
–
0
5

  1

  1

x  x

1

   x

1

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%
0
1

Bipartite 

x

1

x

1

  Both 
%
0
0
1

Both 

Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

x 

Both 

Regular 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

X 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Comp. 

Both 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

X 

x 

x 

x 

  LIA 
V
L

LLPNA 

GWU 

UHM 

FNV  

CNV 
Vakmensen 

T
M

L
N

L
P

Both 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

  1

%
0
9

x

1

Both 

Regular 

SPS NSZZ 

Comp. 

X 

x 

x 

FZZPM 

Comp. 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

X 

x 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x  x

1

0
1
<

%

Both 

Both 

Regular 

Regular 

 60 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Parts of the sector organised 

y
n
a
p
m
o
c

i

i

:
g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
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v
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e
s

l
l

,
l
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l

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Sector 

S
M

i

n
o
n
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e
d
a
r
T

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FZZPPS 

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t
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o
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   x

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i

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n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
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l
l

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t
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%
3
6

:
e
u
g
o
a
d

l

i

l

a
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o
s
n

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t
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m
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Both 

e
g
a
r
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h
t
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b
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t

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e
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p
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e
t
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t
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m
C
Regular 

Regular 

Ad hoc 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

T
P

Sitese 

SinticaBa 

Union of 
Professionals 
in Dairy, 
Food, 
Agriculture, 
Offices, 
Trade, 
Services, 
Road 
Transport, 
Metal-
working, 
Construction 
and Wood-
working  
Union of 
Workers in 
Manu-
facturing and 
Commerce 
of Meat of 
the South 

  CERES 
O
R

Sector 

x 

Sindalimenta  Both 

Comp. 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

HRF 

Handels 

Livs 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

E
S

Unionen 

Both 

Sveriges 
Ingenjörer 
Ledarna 

S KŽI 

I
S

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

Sector 

Sector 

Both 

Both 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

  OZP SR 

K
S

OZPP SR 

Comp. 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

   x

1

   x

1

%
9

Regular 

n.d. 

Both 

n.d. 

Bipartite 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

%
0
9
>

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

  Both 
%
0
8

x 

x 

x 

1 

%
0
4

Ad hoc 

Yes 

Yes 

D
O
O
F
0
1
1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

 61 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

S
M

i

n
o
n
u
e
d
a
r
T

EU27 

y
n
a
p
m
o
c

i

i

:
g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

h
t
o
b
r
o

l

e
v
e

l

r
o
t
c
e
s

l

l
l

,
l
e
v
o
e
C
Comp.: 
31 
(34%) 
Sector: 
18 
(28%) 
Both: 42 
(47%) 
Total: 
89 
(99%) 

Parts of the sector organised 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
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t
i
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r
F
3
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(
3
5

)

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3
5
(
8
4

)

%
9
5
(
3
5

)

%
8
4
(
3
4

)

%
4
6
(
8
5

)

%
8
5
(
2
5

)

%
8
5
(
2
5

)

%
7
6
(
0
6

)

%
2
5
(
7
4

)

%
0
9
(
1
8

)

%
6
5
(
0
5

)

%
4
5
(
9
4

)

%
6
4
(
1
4

)

%
3
4
(
9
3

)

%
4
6
(
8
5

)

%
6
4
(
1
4

)

%
2
6
(
6
5

)

%
3
7
(
6
6

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c

l

a
t
o
T

:
e
u
g
o
a
d

i

l

l

a
i
c
o
s
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

e
g
a
r
e
v
o
c

h
t
o
b
r
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e
t
i
t
r
a
p
i
r
t

,
e
t
i
t
r
a
p
b

i

Bipartite: 
29 (32%) 

Tripartite: 
7 (8%) 

Both: 22 
(24%) 

Total:  58 
(64%) 

l

d
e
t
a
t
n
e
e
r
-
m
r
o
n
t
r
c
e
e
v
s
o
n
g
o
e
s
h
n
t
o
y
i
b
t
a
s
t
r
l
u
e
t
s
t
n
a
o
m
C
Ad hoc: 
38 
(42%) 
Regular: 
20 
(22%) 

Total: 
61 
(68%) 

Notes:  Light  green  shading  denotes  a  positive  response.  Dark  green  shading  indicates  collective  bargaining 
covering at least one subsector (food or drink). Cells with no shading indicate lack of coverage or involvement. 
n.d., no data available. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Almost half of the trade unions are involved in both sector- and company-level collective bargaining. 
Overall,  however,  company-level  bargaining  is  more  important  than  sector-level  bargaining  as,  in 
total, 81% of trade unions are involved  in  only company-level bargaining or  in both company-  and 
sector-level bargaining. A total of 65% of trade unions are involved in sector-level bargaining (only 
sector-level bargaining or both company- and sector-level bargaining). Trade unions engaged in only 
sector-level bargaining are present in six Member States (Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Portugal 
and  Sweden).  In  all  of  these  countries  except  Greece,  the  other  trade  unions are  engaged  in  both 
sector- and company-level bargaining. None of the trade unions in these countries is engaged in only 
company-level  bargaining. In  13 Member States, there  are  trade  unions involved in company-level 
bargaining only. In four of these (Bulgaria, Malta, Romania and Slovakia), there are also trade unions 
that are engaged in both company- and sector-level bargaining. However, none of the trade unions in 
these 13 countries is engaged exclusively in sector-level bargaining. See also Table 17 and Figure 14. 

 62 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Figure 14: Involvement of trade unions in different forms of collective bargaining, EU27 

1 (1%)

16 (18%)

42 (47%)

31 (34%)

Sector

Company

Both

None

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Figure 15 shows the proportions of sectoral trade unions engaged in collective bargaining covering 
different parts of the sector. Manufacture of other food products (67% of trade unions), beer (64%), 
dairy  products  (64%)  and  soft  drinks  and  water  (62%)  are  the  fields  of  activity  in  which  the  most 
collective agreements are signed – these are also the parts of the sector most covered by trade unions. 
Fewer than half of trade unions are engaged in collective bargaining with regard to manufacture of 
oils and fats (48%), malt (46%), cider and fruit wine (46%) and other beverages (43%). 

 63 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Figure 15: Proportion of trade unions engaged in collective bargaining covering different parts of the 
sector, EU27 

10 FOOD
11 DRINK
10.8 Other food
11.05 Beer
10.5 Dairy
11.07 Soft drinks and water
10.3 Fruit and vegetables
10.1 Meat
10.7 Bakery
10.6 Grain mill products
11.01 Spirits
11.02 Wine from grape
10.2 Fish
10.9 Animal feeds
10.4 Oils and fats
11.06 Malt
11.03 Cider and fruit wine
11.04 Other beverages

90%

73%

67%

64%
64%

62%

59%
59%
58%
58%

56%
54%
53%
52%

48%

46%
46%

43%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Table  17  above  shows  the  proportion  of  the  workforce  covered  by  collective  agreements  (total 
collective  bargaining  coverage).  This  information  is  gathered  from  the  Network  of  Eurofound 
Correspondents and includes rough estimations from the countries for which such information and 
estimations  were  provided.  It  is  evident  from  the  available  data  that  bargaining  coverage  varies 
drastically  between  countries,  from  less  than  10%  to  100%.  Higher  coverage  (at  least  75%)  was 
recorded  in  Austria,  Belgium,  Croatia,  Denmark,  Finland,  France,  Italy,  Malta,  the  Netherlands, 
Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Medium coverage (21–74%) was recorded in Czechia, Germany, Greece, 
Hungary, Luxembourg, Portugal and Slovakia. Low coverage (20% or less) was reported for Bulgaria, 
Cyprus, Ireland, Latvia, Poland and Romania. Data are not available for Estonia and Lithuania. 

2.3.  Coverage,  sector-relatedness  and  organisational  density  of 

employer organisations 

In this section, the sector-relatedness and strength of employer organisations in each Member State 
and  in  the  EU27  in  total  are  assessed.  One  factor  in  this  is  whether  an  employer  organisation’s 
membership includes affiliates in each part of the food and drink sector. Also important is whether it 
has  members  in  other  sectors.  Taking  this  into  account,  an  organisation  is  categorised  as  being 
congruent  with  the  sector  or  as  having  an  overlapping,  a  sectional  or  a  sectional  overlapping 
membership domain (see Table 3 and Figure 1 for definitions). The overlapping domains indicate links 
with other sectors, while sectionalism might contribute to fragmentation (if different organisations 
cover different parts of the sector) or pluralism (if different organisations have similar memberships). 
Other factors include the organisational density, whether all company categories (in terms of size and 
type) are covered and whether employers in all parts of the country can be part of the organisation. 

 64 

 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Overall, 112 employer organisations were considered sector-related and relevant for the analysis. Out 
of those, 21 (20%) organise across the whole sector (i.e. have member companies active in all food 
and drink fields of activity). Most commonly, employer organisations have narrow width in terms of 
segments:  72  (67%)  employer  organisations  cover  1–5  segments.  In  most  of  these  cases  (69),  the 
employer organisation covers only food or only drink subsector segments, but not both. The remaining 
14% of the organisations divide equally between medium (6–10 segments) and wide (11–15) widths. 
In  contrast  to  trade  unions,  narrow  width  is  more  common  among  employer  organisations, 
irrespective  of  whether  they  cover  the  food  subsector,  the  drink  subsector  or  both.  Therefore, 
employer organisations tend to be more concentrated on specific fields of activity. Table 18 and Figure 
16 provide more details. 

Table 18: Width of employer organisations (number of NACE activities), EU27 

Number of NACE activities  

1–5 

6–10 

11–15 

16 (full sector 
coverage) 

EOs covering only food or 
only drink 

EOs covering both food 
and drink 

EOs covering the 
subsectors in total 

69 

3 

72 

1 

6 

7 

0 

7 

7 

0 

21 

21 

Note: EO, employer organisation. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Figure 16: Width of employer organisations (number of NACE activities) (%), EU27 

20%

7%

7%

1-5

6-10

11-15

67%

16 (full sector coverage)

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

A more detailed view of the parts of the sector covered by the employer organisations is presented in 
Table 19. It shows that the food subsector is more important than the drink subsector for employer 
organisations, as 87% of employer organisations cover at least the food subsector (i.e. might cover 

 65 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

drink as well), while at least the drink subsector is covered by 46% of organisations. There are three 
Member  States  without  food  subsector  coverage  and  four  without  drink  subsector  coverage.  The 
countries with neither food nor drink subsector coverage are Cyprus, Latvia and Lithuania. For these 
countries, no employer organisations are included in the analysis of this study because of their minor 
role in the sector’s social dialogue and collective bargaining (see Annex 2). Croatia is the other country 
without an employer organisation covering the drink subsector. 

Overall, all food and drink sector parts are covered in the majority of countries, with manufacture of 
bakery products, meat processing, manufacture of dairy products and manufacture of soft drinks and 
water  being  the  most  important  in  the  EU27.  The  least  important  are  manufacture  of  malt  and 
manufacture  of  cider  and  fruit  wine,  which  are  also  least  important  in  terms  of  the  number  of 
companies. There are 11 countries whose employer organisations in combination do not cover parts 
of  the  sector.  In  Hungary,  only  one  activity  is  covered  (manufacture  of  bakery  products),  while  in 
Slovakia 12 out of the 16 activities are not covered (those covered are meat processing, manufacture 
of other food products, manufacture of beer and manufacture of malt). In Bulgaria, 8 out of the 16 
activities are not covered. The number is 6 in Hungary and Luxembourg, 5 in Poland, 4 in Greece and 
Portugal, 3 in Estonia and Ireland, and 2 in Malta. 

Table 19: Employer organisation coverage per segment (number and %), EU27 

l

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1

Number of 
EOs in 
segment 
% of EOs in 
this segment 
Number of 
MSs with 
segment 
covered by 
at least one 
EO 

45 

32 

39 

33 

42 

37 

51 

47 

33 

93 

31 

28 

26 

28 

31 

26 

43 

49 

1 

48 

34 

42 

31 

35 

40 

55 

51 

35  100 

63 

57 

53 

57 

63 

53 

87  100 

<1 

23 

16 

21 

19 

23 

22 

24 

22 

20 

24 

19 

16 

15 

17 

19 

15 

23 

23 

1 
(FR) 

Notes: No data on the sector coverage for one employer organisation (FEDALIM)  from France. EO, employer 
organisation. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Looking at individual employer organisations in the EU27, Figure 17 shows that the most important 
fields of activity in respect to employer organisation coverage in the sector are manufacture of bakery 
products (covered by 51 organisations, 48%), manufacture of other food products (47 organisations, 
44%),  meat  processing  (45  organisations,  42%)  and  manufacture  of  soft  drinks  and  water  (43 

 66 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

organisations,  40%).  This  largely  follows  the  trend  in  the  number  of  companies,  as  three  of  those 
segments are the segments with the highest numbers of companies in the EU27. Least important are 
manufacture of malt and manufacture of cider and fruit wine (both 26 organisations, 24%). 

Figure 17: Share of employer organisations covering each part of the sector, EU27 

11.06 Malt
11.03 Cider and fruit wine
11.04 Other beverages
11.02 Wine from grape
11.05 Beer
11.01 Spirits
10.2 Fish
10.9 Animal feeds
10.4 Oils and fats
10.6 Grain mill products
10.3 Fruit and vegetables
10.5 Dairy
11.07 Soft drinks and water
10.1 Meat
10.8 Other food
10.7 Bakery

24%
24%

26%
26%

29%
29%

30%

31%
31%

35%

36%

39%

40%

42%

44%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

48%

50%

60%

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 
The information provided above is given in more detail in Table 21, which indicates which parts of the 
sector are organised by each of the employer organisations, while also providing information about 
their  affiliation  to  the  European-level  social  partner  organisation  FoodDrinkEurope  and  their 
involvement in collective bargaining. 

Shading is used in Table 21 to indicate the umbrella organisations and their members, which exist in 
Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Dark green shading denotes 
umbrella organisations, while light green shading indicates organisations’ affiliations to an umbrella 
organisation in the respective country (Table 20). The umbrella organisations cover a wide range of 
food  and  drink  activities  through  their  affiliated  subsector  organisations,  with  the  membership  of 
some  umbrella  organisations  also  including  companies  directly  involved  in  several  food  and  drink 
activities. The affiliated subsector organisations may be involved in organising for a very specific type 
of food and drink production, and in collective bargaining for these specific activities either directly or 
through the umbrella organisation. 

 67 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 20: Umbrella organisations and affiliated sectoral organisations in the food and drink sector 

Member 
State 
BE 

DE 

EL 

ES 

FR 

NL 

PT 

Umbrella organisations 

Federation of the Food 
Industry (FEVIA) 
Lebensmittelverband 
Deutschland (Food 
Federation Germany) 
Hellenic Federation of 
Enterprises (SEV) (cross-
industry) 

Spanish Food and Drink 
Industry Federation (FIAB) 

National Association of 
the Food and Drink 
Industry (ANIA) 

Federation of Dutch 
Foodstuff Industry (FNLI) 

Federation of Portuguese 
Agri-Food Industry (FIPA) 

Sectoral or subsectoral employer organisations affiliated to the  umbrella 
organisation 

Federation of Large Bakeries of Belgium (FGBB) 

Federal Association of the German Confectionery Industry (BDSI), Sugar 
Industry Association (VdZ), German Federation of Bakers (VdG), German 
Bakers’ Confederation (ZDB) 

Federation of Hellenic Food Industries (SEVT) 

ANICE (meat industry), Fenaval (vegetable processing and processed 
foods), AFHSE (flour millers’ association), Conxemar (fish products and 
aquaculture), CESFAC (compound feed for animals), Produlce 
(confectionery, cocoa, chocolate and fine bakery), FENIL (dairy industry), 
ANEABE (bottled water), FEV (wine federation), Anfabra (soft drinks 
association), FIAB (brewers) 
Alliance 7 (fruit, vegetables, dairy, grain mill products, bakery), FNIL (dairy 
industry), AEG (ice cream), Culture Viande (beef), FEDEV (meat trades), FICT 
(butchers, caterers, delicatessens), ANMF (milling), BRF (soft drinks), ABF 
(brewers), FEDALIM (umbrella organisation), CSEM (mineral waters), SNSF 
(sugar), SNIPO (egg industrialists) 
VAVI (potato processing), NZO (dairy), VIGEF (vegetable and fruit 
processing), FWS (soft drinks, water and juices), AKSV (cookware and 
snacks) 
Ancipa (traders and industrialists of food products), Casa do Azeite (olive 
oil), ANIL (dairy), APIM (grain processing and pasta), ANIA (rice), AICC 
(coffee), IACA (animal feed processing), APIAM (mineral water) 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Table 21: Sector coverage of employer organisations/business associations 

Parts of the sector covered 

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1 

x 

1 

1 

MS 

Employer 
organisation/ 
business association 

AT 

BE 

FVNG 

BILG 

FEVIA 

FGBB 

SHNB/СХНБ 

SPZZP/СПЗЗП 

BG 

SPKF/СПКФ 

AMB/АМБ 

SPB/СПБ 

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Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Parts of the sector covered 

MS 

Employer 
organisation/ 
business association 

NBPS/НБПС 

CZ 

PK ČR 

ANG  

DFV  

Lebensmittelverband 
Deutschland 
BDSI 

VdZ 
Verband deutscher 
Großbäckereien 
Zentralverband des 
Deutschen 
Bäckerhandwerks 
DI 

ETL 

SEV 

DE 

DK 

EE 

EL 

SEVT 

GSEVEE 

FIAB 

ANICE 

Fenaval 

AFHSE 

Conxemar 

CESFAC 

Produlce 

FENIL 

ANEABE 

FEV 

Anfabra 

ES 

CdE (brewers) 

FI 

ETL 

FR 

ANIA 

Alliance 7 

FNIL 

Culture Viande 

FEDEV 

FICT 

ANMF 

BRF 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

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1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Parts of the sector covered 

MS 

Employer 
organisation/ 
business association 

ABF 

FDALIM 

CSEM 

SNSF 

SNIPO 

Adepale  

CVNVS 

HUP UPIIP 

FÉSZ 

IBEC 

Federalimentare 
Confartigianato 
Alimentazione 
CNA Alimentare 

Casartigiani 

CLAAI 
Legacoop 
Agroalimentare 
Agrital – AGCI 
Fedagri-
Confcooperative 
FIAL 

HR 

HU 

IE 

IT 

LU 

MT  MEA 

NL 

FNLI 

NZO 

VIGEF 

FWS 

AKSV 

COV 

VBZ 

Gemzu 

NEPLUVI 

NEVEDI 

NBOV 

NVB 

KVNW 

SpiritsNL 

VisNed 

VNV (fish) 

l

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No data available 

x 

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1 

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1 

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1
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x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

1 

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1 

i

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1 

1 

1 

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x 

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x 

x 

x 

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x 

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x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

 70 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Parts of the sector covered 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
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i
u
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F
3
.
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1
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O
O
F
0
1
1 

MS 

Employer 
organisation/ 
business association 

VNV (meat) 

COV 

VAVI (potato) 

PL15 

PFPZ 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

FIPA 

Ancipa 

Casa do Azeite 

ANIL 

APIM 

ANIA 

AICC 

IACA 

APIAM 

PT 

Ancave 

ITA 

ALIF 

ANICP 

AIT 

ACIP 

AIPAN 

AIPL 

Asimpala 

ADCP 

Romalimenta 

Li 

GZS – ZKŽP 

ZZS 

ZDS 

PKS 

SCS 

SZVPS 

ZVLaL 

RO 

SE 

SI 

SK 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

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n
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1
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1
1

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D
1
1

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

1 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

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c
n

i

t
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m
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n

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1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

EU27 

Number of EOs/BAs 

45  32  39  33  42  37  51  47  33  93  31  28  26  28  31  26  43  49  25  94 

15 EFFAT reported another two trade unions from Poland (ZP PPS and ZP PRW). However, it was not confirmed 
that they have members in the food and drink sector (i.e. that they are in the scope of this study).  

 71 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Employer 
organisation/ 
business association 

Parts of the sector covered 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
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n
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r
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6
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0
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4
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2
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0
1

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A
9
.
0
1

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O
8
.
0
1

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B
7
.
0
1

s
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p
S
1
0
.
1
1

D
O
O
F
0
1

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n
w

i

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d
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a
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d
C
3
0
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1
1

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s
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g
a
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v
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b
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t
O
4
0
.
1
1

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p
a
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m
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f
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n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

r
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e
B
5
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

e
p
o
r
u
E
k
n
i
r
D
d
o
o
F
o
t
n
o
i
t
a

i
l
i
f
f
A

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

I

K
N
R
D
1
1

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

% of EOs/BAs 

42  30  36  31  39  35  48  44  31  87  29  26  24  26  29  24  40  46  23  88 

Number of MSs 

23  16  21  19  23  22  24  22  20  24  19  16  15  17  19  15  23  23  23  18 

Notes: Coloured shading  denotes a positive response. Dark  blue shading indicates  the organisation covers at 
least  one  subsector  (food or drink).  Dark  green  shading  denotes  umbrella  organisations.  Light  green  shading 
denotes  the  member  organisations  of  the  umbrella  organisation.  BA,  business  association;  EO,  employer 
organisation. 

For Germany, ANG and DFV are themselves not involved in collective bargaining for the entire country; rather, 
their regional member organisations undertake collective bargaining at regional level (Länder). For Spain, CdE is 
engaged in collective bargaining indirectly through FIAB. For the Netherlands, VAVI is shaded yellow, as it is not 
a direct member of FoodDrinkEurope, but it is affiliated indirectly through FNLI. 

The organisations that are members of FoodDrinkEurope are  national ‘umbrella’ federations that organise, in 
each country, different subsectors and specific activities or types of products. For example, FIAB is the national 
‘umbrella’  federation  of  Spain.  The  sectoral  associations  (ANICE,  Produlce,  etc.  –  marked  in  light  green)  are 
members  of  FIAB.  Therefore,  the  organisations  in  this  table  cannot  be  considered  in  isolation,  as  they  are 
interlinked. Not viewing them collectively risks double counting the membership of the umbrella organisations 
and their subsectoral member organisations. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

The organisational density of the employer organisations is assessed in two ways: first, in terms of 
companies covered, showing the number of employer organisation members as a share of the total 
number  of  companies  in  each  country,  and,  second,  in  terms  of  workforce  covered,  showing  the 
affiliated companies’ employment level as a share of the total employment level in each country in 
the sector. As in the case of trade union density, here too the densities are estimations calculated on 
the  basis  of  the  available  data  provided  by  the  Network  of  Eurofound  Correspondents.  Table  22 
provides a detailed overview of the data. 

In terms of companies covered, the density of employer organisations does not typically exceed 21%. 
The exceptions are Germany, where at least 46.7% of sectoral companies are organised by employer 
organisations,  Italy,  where  the  density  is  up  to  78.5%,  Croatia,  with  a  density  of  30%,  and  the 
Netherlands, with up to 30% of organisations covered. The density is 10–21% in eight countries, and 
below 10% in 10 countries. For five countries, not enough information was available for calculations. 

In terms of workforce covered, the data are missing for seven countries. In Austria, Estonia, Finland, 
Greece,  Slovenia  and  Sweden,  the  density  is  75%  or  above,  reaching  92%  in  Austria  and  97%  in 
Sweden. At the same time, the employer organisations cover around 5% to over 19% of companies in 
those countries, indicating that a large share of the workforce is concentrated in this small share of 
companies. In Italy and Romania, the density in terms of workforce is 6% and 10%, respectively. In the 

 72 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

other 12 countries, the density varies between 23% and 70%. In those countries, there is no clear link 
between the density in terms of companies and in terms of workforce. 

Table 22: Organisational density of employer organisations in Member States 

Density in terms of companies covered 

Density in terms of employees covered 

MS 

Number of 
companies 
in sector 

Number of 
EOs covered 
by 
membership 
data 

Number of 
EO members 
in the sector 

Membership 
density (%) 

Employment 
in sector 

Number of 
EOs covered 
by 
employees’ 
data 

Employees 
covered by 
EOs 

Employment 
density (%) 

AT 

BE 

BG 

CY 

CZ 

DE 

DK 

EE 

EL 

ES 

FI 

FR 

HR 

HU 

IE 

IT 

LT 

LU 

LV 

MT 

NL 

PL 

PT 

RO 

SE 

1,749 

All 

270 

15.4 

37,800 

All 

28,350 

3,959 

7,214 

6,262 

All 

All 

All 

10,324 

None 

930 

All 

23,531 

1,635 

737 

16,432 

28,212 

3 out of 5 
(60%) 

All 

All 

1 out of 3 
(33%) 
10 out of 11 
(91%) 

55,141 

14 out of 15 
(93%) 

3,248 

6,787 

All 

All 

1,966 

None 

55,890 

3 out of 8 
(38%) 

1,626 

None 

157 

All 

1,190 

None 

354 

All 

6,611 

15 out of 17 
(88%) 

>200 

>5.1 

82,300 

All 

75,750 

9.7 

7.9 

117,200 

None 

n.d. 

107,200 

All 

28,596 

n.d. 

125,900 

None 

16.8 

10,300 

None 

>11,000 

>46.7 

862,600 

60 

100 

2,400 

2,363 

3.7 

57,900 

13.6 

15,000 

14.6 

132,600 

8.4 

520,600 

3 out of 5 
(60%) 

All 

All 

1 out of 3 
(33%) 
6 out of 11 
(55%) 

n.d. 

n.d. 

>321,200 

17,300 

12,000 

112,710 

164,750 

2,173 

3.9 

679,100 

14 out of 15 
(93%) 

271,026 

30.0 

66,900 

All 

40,140 

700 

492 

n.d. 

156 

974 

>500 

n.d. 

n.d. 

55,700 

All 

<43,860 

<78.5 

504,100 

1 out of 8 
(13%) 

n.d. 

17 

n.d. 

14 

n.d. 

40,400 

None 

10.8 

2,700 

None 

n.d. 

4.0 

22,700 

None 

5,300 

All 

<1,985 

<30 

130,400 

9 out of 17 
(53%) 

38,990 

30,246 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

2,675 

67,055 

15,154 

None 

n.d. 

n.d. 

513,800 

All 

118,174 

11,212 

14 out of 19 
(74%) 

9,134 

4,461 

All 

All 

2,347 

20.9 

118,400 

18 out of 19 
(95%) 

26 

800 

0.3 

221,800 

17.9 

49,400 

All 

All 

44,586 

22,180 

48,000 

 73 

92 

n.d. 

27 

n.d. 

n.d. 

>37 

30 

80 

85 

31 

75 

40 

60 

70 

6 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

50 

51 

23 

38 

10 

97 

>7.4 

143,500 

None 

n.d. 

n.d. 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

SI 

SK 

2,479 

3,907 

All 

All 

483 

48 

19.5 

22,300 

1 out of 3 
(33%) 

1.2 

56,700 

All 

19,178 

14,742 

86 

26 

Notes:  Density  is  a  rough  estimation  owing  to  incomplete  data  about  membership.  Data  of  umbrella 
organisations are not included to avoid double reporting as their membership data are included by their member 
organisations. EO, employer organisation; n.d., no data available. 

Sources: Number of companies – Eurostat, Structural Business Statistics, 2017 (data from 2013 and 2014 were 
used for Ireland and data from 2013, 2016 and 2018 were used for Malta); employment – Eurostat, Labour Force 
Survey, 2019 (data from 2018 were used for Latvia and Sweden); membership and number of employees covered 
– Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

The  following  assessment  covers  membership  domain,  the  type  of  companies  the  employer 
organisations  have  as  members,  whether  they  have  the  most  important  (largest)  companies  as 
members and whether they are affiliated to cross-industry organisations. 

Figure  18  aids  understanding of the membership domains of the employer organisations. The  left-
hand part of the figure shows the domains of the organisations within the food and drink sector. It 
shows  that  the  majority  of  the  employer  organisations  cover  only  the  food  subsector  (57 
organisations, 53%). Both the food subsector and the drink subsector are covered by 36 organisations 
(34%), while 13 organisations (12%) cover only the drink subsector. 

The right-hand part of the figure shows the overall domain types, including beyond the food and drink 
sector, of the employer organisations. The employer organisations typically cover only parts of the 
sector.  Fifty-five  organisations  (52%)  cover  only  parts  of  the  food  and  drink  sector  (thus  having  a 
‘sectional’ domain), while 31 organisations (29%) cover parts of the food and drink sector and also 
have members in other sectors (thus having a ‘sectional overlapping’ domain). Overall, 86 employer 
organisations  (80%)  –  those  two  domain  types  combined  –  cover only  parts of the  food  and  drink 
sector. Eleven organisations (10%) have an ‘overlapping’ domain, indicating that they cover not only 
the  entire  food  and  drink  sector  but  also  other  sectors.  Combining  this  domain  with  ‘sectional 
overlapping’  reveals  that  42  organisations  (39%)  have  members  from  outside  the  food  and  drink 
sector. Nine organisations (8%) have members active in only the food and drink sector and thus have 
a ‘congruent’ domain. The entire sector is covered by a total of 20 organisations (19%) (congruent or 
overlapping domain), which indicates – similarly to the case of trade unions – that the food and drink 
sector is closely related to other sectors (see further information about other sectors in Section 2.7). 

 74 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Figure 18: Membership domains of employer organisations, EU27 

1
(1%)

36 
(34%)

13
(12%)

57
(53%)

9
(9%)

11
(10%)

31
(29%)

55
(52%)

Only food

Only drink

Both

No data

Sectionalism

Sectional overlap

Congruence

Overlap

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Further  details of  the  employer  organisations’  coverage  are  provided  in  Table  23,  which  shows,  in 
addition  to  the  width  and  type  of  membership  domain,  the  types  of  companies  the  organisations 
cover, whether they cover all regions, and the largest companies and whether they are affiliated to 
cross-industry organisations in their country. 

A  total  of  88  employer  organisations  (82%)  have  member  companies  of  all  sizes  and  types.  Other 
organisations specialise either by size of company (large, medium-sized or small companies, or SMEs) 
or by type of company (e.g. cooperatives). All the employer organisations cover the entire country, so 
there  is no regional specialisation.  There are  19 countries  with  at least one employer organisation 
covering  the  largest  companies  (see  Table 8).  Some  44%  of organisations  are  affiliated  to  national 
cross-industry employer organisations. 

 75 

 
 
  
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 23: Types of coverage and cross-industry affiliation of employer organisations 

Employer organisation 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, 
only drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Type of 
companies 
covered 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry affiliation 

13  Both 

12  Both 

16  Both 

1  Only food 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Congruent 

Sectional 

Large industrial 
companies 
Smaller 
companies 
All 

Large bakeries 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Yes 

Yes 

S
M

T
A

FVNG 

BILG 

  FEVIA 
E
B

FGBB 

SHNB/СХНБ 

5  Both 

Sectional overlapping 

SPZZP/СПЗЗП 

G
B

SPKF/СПКФ 

AMB/АМБ 

SPB/СПБ 

NBPS/НБПС 

Z
C

PK ČR 

Lebensmittelverband 
Deutschland 

BDSI 

E
D

VdZ 
Verband deutscher 
Großbäckereien 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

2  Only food 

Sectional 

1  Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

16  Both 

16  Both 

Congruent 

Overlapping 

2  Only food 

Sectional 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

Sectional 

Sectional 

76 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 
Large industrial 
bakeries 

Yes 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

Yes 

No 

Yes 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Federal Economic 
Chamber (WKO) 

WKO 

Bulgarian Industrial 
Association (BIA), 
Confederation of 
Employers and 
Industrialists in Bulgaria 
(CEIBG) 
BIA 

BIA 

BIA 
BIA, CEIBG, Bulgarian 
Chamber of Commerce 
and Industry (BCCI) 
BCCI 

Food Federation 
Germany (BVE) (formerly 
BLL) 
ANG, BDI, BDA, BVE, VIK 

BVE 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

S
M

Employer organisation 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, 
only drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Type of 
companies 
covered 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry affiliation 

Zentralverband des Deutschen 
Bäckerhandwerks 

1  Only food 

Sectional 

K
D

DI 

E
E

ETL 

SEV 

L
E

SEVT 

GSEVEE 

FIAB 

ANICE 

Fenaval 

AFHSE 

S
E

Conxemar 

CESFAC 

Produlce 

FENIL 

ANEABE 

FEV 

Anfabra 

I
F

ETL 

ANIA 

R
F

Alliance 7 

FNIL 

16  Both 

13  Both 

12  Both 

12  Both 

Overlapping 

Sectional 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

3  Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

16  Both 

Congruent 

1  Only food 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Congruent 

Congruent 

Sectional 

Sectional 

2  Only food 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

2  Only food 

1  Only food 

1  Only drink 

1  Only drink 

1  Only drink 

16  Both 

16  Both 

5  Only food 

1  Only food 

77 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

SMEs 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

n.d. 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

Yes 

No 

No 

Yes 

No 

Yes 

No 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

n.d. 

Yes 

No 

No 

German Confederation 
of Skilled Crafts (ZDH), 
BVE, among others 
Confederation of Danish 
Employers (DA) 
Estonian Employers 
Confederation 

SEV 

Meat interprofessional 
associations (ASICI, 
INTERPORC, INTEROVIC, 
PROVACUNO) 

Confederation of Finnish 
Industries (EK) 
MEDEF 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, 
only drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Type of 
companies 
covered 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry affiliation 

S
M

Employer organisation 

Culture Viande 

FEDEV 

FICT 

ANMF 

BRF 

ABF 

FEDALIM  

CSEM 

SNSF 

SNIPO 

Adepale 

CVNVS 

HUP UPIIP 

FÉSZ 

R
H

U
H

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

2  Only food 

1  Only food 

1  Only drink 

1  Only drink 

n.d.  n.d. 

1  Only drink 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

6  Only food 

4  Only drink 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

n.d. 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional overlapping 

1  Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

9  Both 

Sectional 

E
I

IBEC 

Federalimentare 

Confartigianato Alimentazione 

13  Both 

16  Both 

16  Both 

Sectional overlapping 

Congruent 

Overlapping 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

Mostly SMEs 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

Yes 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

T
I

CNA Alimentare 

16  Both 

Overlapping 

All 

Yes 

No 

78 

Croatian Employers’ 
Association (CEA) 

MGYOSZ 

Confindustria 
Confartigianato, Rete 
Imprese Italia 
CNA (Confederazione 
nazionale dell’artigianato 
e della piccola e media 
impresa, National 
Confederation of Craft 
Trades and Small- and 
Medium-Sized 
Enterprises (CNA), Rete 
Imprese Italia 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

S
M

Employer organisation 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, 
only drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Type of 
companies 
covered 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry affiliation 

Casartigiani 

CLAAI 

Legacoop Agroalimentare 

16  Both 

16  Both 

16  Both 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Overlapping 

Mostly SMEs 

Mostly SMEs 

Cooperatives 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Agrital – AGCI 

16  Both 

Overlapping 

Cooperatives 

Yes 

Fedagri-Confcooperative 

16  Both 

Overlapping 

Cooperatives 

Yes 

U
L

FIAL 

T
M

MEA 

L
N

FNLI 

NZO 

VIGEF 

FWS 

AKSV 

COV 

VBZ 

Gemzu 

NEPLUVI 

NEVEDI 

NBOV 

9  Both 

Sectional 

13  Both 

Sectional overlapping 

16  Both 

Congruent 

3  Both 

1  Only food 

1  Only drink 

3  Only food 

1  Only food 

2  Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

1  Only food 

Sectional overlapping 

Large companies 

Yes 

2  Only food 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional overlapping 

All 

All 

All 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

79 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

Rete Imprese Italia 

National League of 
Cooperatives (Legacoop) 
National General 
Association of Italian 
Cooperatives (AGCI) 
Italian Confederation of 
Cooperatives 
(Confcooperative) 
FEDIL (the voice of 
Luxembourg’s industry) 

Confederation of 
Netherlands Industry and 
Employers (VNO-NCW) 

VNO-NCW 

VNO-NCW 
CIUS (a cooperation 
network) 
Agrarian Food Provision 
Trade (AVH) 
VNO-NCW 

VNO-NCW 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

S
M

Employer organisation 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, 
only drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Type of 
companies 
covered 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry affiliation 

NVB 

KVNW 

SpiritsNL 

VisNed 

VNV (fish) 

VNV (meat) 

L
P

PFPZ 

FIPA 

Ancipa 

Casa do Azeite 

T
P

ANIL 

APIM 

ANIA 

AICC 

IACA 

APIAM 

Ancave 

ITA 

ALIF 

ANICP 

AIT 

ACIP 

AIPAN 

Sectional overlapping 

Mostly SMEs 

1  Only food 

Sectional 

2  Only drink 

1  Only drink 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

10  Both 

7  Both 

4  Only food 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional overlapping 

1  Only drink 

Sectional 

Sectional overlapping 

n.d. 

Sectional 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional 

Sectional 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

2  Both 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

80 

Medium-sized 
and large 
companies 
n.d. 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

VNO-NCW 

VNO-NCW 

VNO-NCW 

VNO-NCW 

Union of Entrepreneurs 
and Employers (ZPP) 
Confederation of 
Portuguese Business 
(CIP) 

CIP 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

Yes 

No 

No 

Yes 

No 

No 

Yes 

No 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

S
M

Employer organisation 

Width of 
domain 
(number of 
subsectors 
covered) 

Covers only food, 
only drink or both 

Membership domain type 

Type of 
companies 
covered 

Covers all 
regions 

Covers the largest 
companies in the 
sector 

Cross-industry affiliation 

All 

All 

Cooperatives 
Mostly medium-
sized and large 
companies 

AIPL 

Asimpala 

ADCP 

1  Only food 

1  Only food 

2  Only drink 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

O
R

Romalimenta 

16  Both 

Congruent 

E
S

Li 

16  Both 

Congruent 

GZS – ZKŽP 

I
S

K
S

ZZS 

ZDS 

PKS 

SCS 

SZVPS 

ZVLaL 

16  Both 

10  Both 

16  Both 

10  Both 

1  Only food 

2  Only drink 

1  Only food 

Overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional 

Sectional overlapping 

Sectional overlapping 

EU27 

)

%
3
5
(
7
5
:
d
o
o
f
y
l
n
O

)

%
2
1
(
3
1
:
k
n
i
r
d
y
l
n
O

)

%
4
3
(
6
3
:
h
t
o
B

)

%
1
(
1
:
.
d
n

.

)

%
8
(
9
:
t
n
e
u
r
g
n
o
C

)

%
1
5
(
5
5
:
l
a
n
o
i
t
c
e
S

)

%
0
1
(
1
1
:
g
n
p
p
a
l
r
e
v
O

i

i

:
g
n
p
p
a
l
r
e
v
o

l

a
n
o
i
t
c
e
S

)

%
9
2
(
1
3

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

All 

)

%
2
8
(
8
8
:
l
l

A

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

Yes 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

National Council of Small 
and Medium Private 
Enterprises 
Swedish Confederation 
of Enterprises 
Chamber of Commerce 
and Industry of Slovenia 
(GZS) 

RUZ SR 

AZZZ SR 

)

%
5
1
(
6
1
:
c
i
f
i
c
e
p
S

)

%
2
(
2
:
.
d
n

.

)

%
9
9
(
6
0
1
:
s
e
Y

)

%
1
(
1
:
.
d
n

.

)

%
7
2
(
9
2
:
s
e
Y

)

%
3
6
(
7
6
:
o
N

)

%
0
1
(
1
1
:
.
d
n

.

)

%
4
4
(
7
4
:
s
e
Y

)

%
6
5
(
0
6
:
o
N

Notes: Dark green shading denotes umbrella organisations. Light green shading denotes the member organisations of the umbrella organisation. n.d., no data available. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

81 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

2.4.  Involvement of employer organisations in collective bargaining 
The  previous  section  considered  the  sector-relatedness  and  membership  of  the  employer 
organisations  in  the  food  and  drink  sector.  This  section  will  concentrate  on  their  involvement  in 
collective bargaining. Table 24 shows whether employer organisations are involved in single-employer 
(company-level) or multi-employer (sector-level) collective bargaining, which parts of the sector are 
covered  by  collective  bargaining  and  the  share  of  the  sectoral  workforce  covered  by  collective 
bargaining agreements. 

There  are  five  countries  (Czechia,  Estonia,  Hungary,  Luxembourg  and  Poland)  without  employer 
organisations involved in collective bargaining. In addition, Cyprus, Latvia and Lithuania also do not 
have  an  employer organisation  involved in collective bargaining  This leaves  a total of 19 countries 
where  there  is  at  least  one  employer  organisation  involved  in  either  company-level  collective 
bargaining or sector-level collective bargaining. 

 82 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 24: Involvement of employer organisations in collective bargaining, social dialogue and public 
policy 

  Employer 
S
M

organisation 

Type16 

Collective 
bargaining: 
company 
level, sector 
level or both 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

BA 

EO 

EO 

BA 

BA 

EO 

EO 

EO 

Both 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Both 

Both 

Company 

Sector 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Sector 

  FVNG 
T
A

BILG 

  FEVIA 
E
B

FGBB 

SHNB/СХНБ 

SPZZP/СПЗЗП 

G
B

SPKF/СПКФ 

AMB/АМБ 

SPB/СПБ 

NBPS/НБПС 

PK ČR 

Z
C

Lebensmittel-
verband 
Deutschland 
BDSI 

VdZ 

Verband 
deutscher 
Groß-
bäckereien 
Zentralverband 
des Deutschen 
Bäcker-
handwerks 
DI 

E
D

K
D

E
E

ETL 

BA 

Parts of the sector covered 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

s
d
e
e
f

d
o
o
f

i

l

m
s
t
i
n
t
r
a
i
p
a
e
S
r
M
G
1
1
6
0
.
.
.
0
0
1
1
1
1
x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x 

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1

D
O
O
F
0
1

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1

O
4
.
0
1

i

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

x 

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

I

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

r
e
K
e
N
B
R
5
D
0
.
1
1
1
1
x  x  x  1

x  1

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1

x  x 

   1

x 

   1 

x 

   1 

x  1 

   1 

x  1 

x 

x  x 

   1 

x 

   1 

x 

   1 

i

e
g
a
r
e
v
o
c
g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

i

l
l

o
c

l

a
t
o
T

0
0
1

%

0
0
1

%

.

)
6
0
1
1
d
n
a
5
0

.

1
1

E
C
A
N
n

i

%
0
0
1
(

%
0
1

%
8
3

%
0
5
>

%
5
8
–
0
8

.

d
n

.

:
e
u
g
o
a
d

i

l

l

a
i
c
o
s
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

Both 

Both 

h
t
o
b
r
o
e
t
i
t
r
a
p
i
r
t

,
e
t
i
t
r
a
p
b

i

l

d
e
t
a
e
r
-
r
o
t
c
e
s
n
o
s
n
o
i
t
a
t
l
u
s
n
o
C

t
n
e
m
n
r
e
v
o
g
e
h
t
y
b
s
r
e
t
t
a
m

Regular 

Bipartite 

Regular 

Bipartite 

Regular 

Tripartite 

Ad hoc 

Tripartite 

Ad hoc 

Tripartite 

Regular 

Tripartite 

Ad hoc 

Both 

Ad hoc 

Tripartite 

Regular 

Regular 

Regular 

Bipartite 

Regular 

Ad hoc 

n.d. 

Bipartite 

Regular 

Tripartite 

Regular 

Regular 

EO 

Sector 

x 

   1 

EO 

Sector 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

16 As explained in the introduction to this study (section 0.3) and in Chapter 2, some organisations representing 
employers are classified as business associations. Their inclusion stems from their membership  to European-
level social partner organisations relevant to this study or from their involvement in collective bargaining. The 
Network of Eurofound Correspondents classified each organisation as an employer organisation or as a business 
association based on the information received from the organisations. 

 83 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

  Employer 
S
M

organisation 

Type16 

Collective 
bargaining: 
company 
level, sector 
level or both 

SEV 

SEVT 

L
E

GSEVEE 

FIAB 

ANICE 

Fenaval 

AFHSE 

Conxemar 

S
E

CESFAC 

Produlce 

FENIL 

ANEABE 

FEV 

Anfabra 

ETL 

I
F

ANIA 

Alliance 7 

FNIL 

EO 

BA 

EO 

BA 

BA 

BA 

BA 

EO 

EO 

BA 

EO 

BA 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Both 

Sector 

Sector 

Both 

Sector 

Both 

Sector 

Sector 

Culture Viande 

EO 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

FEDEV 

FICT 

ANMF 

R
F

BRF 

ABF 

FEDALIM 

CSEM 

SNSF 

SNIPO 

Adepale 

CVNVS 

HUP UPIIP 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

R
H

U
H

FÉSZ 

BA 

Parts of the sector covered 

l

s
e
b
a
t
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t
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d
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f

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a
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1
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s
i
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0
1

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x  1 

x  x 

   1 

x 

   1 

x 

x  1 

   1 

x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

i

e
g
a
r
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v
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T

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g
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r
(

%
0
4

)
e
t
a
m

i
t
s
e

%
8
9

%
2
9

x 

x  x  x  x 

   1 

x 

   1 

   1 

   1 

x 

   1 

x 

   1 

x 

x 

x 

No data available 

   X 

   1 

x 

   1 

x  x  x  x 

x  x 

   1 

%
0
0
1

x  1 

   1 

x 

x  1 

x  x  x 

x  1 

:
e
u
g
o
a
d

i

l

l

a
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n

i

t
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n

I

Both 

Both 

Both 

h
t
o
b
r
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t
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p
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r
t

,
e
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a
p
b

i

l

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b
t
a
s
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l
u
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t
s
t
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a
o
m
C
Regular 

Regular 

Ad hoc 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

Regular 

Ad hoc 

Regular 

Regular 

Regular 

Regular 

Regular 

Regular 

Regular 

Regular 

Bipartite 

Regular 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Both 

Both 

Ad hoc 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Company 

x 

   1 

Bipartite 

Regular 

%
5
7

%
0
4
–
0
3

Bipartite 

 84 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Parts of the sector covered 

  Employer 
S
M

organisation 

Type16 

Collective 
bargaining: 
company 
level, sector 
level or both 

IBEC 

EO 

Company 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
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1
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s
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4
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0
1

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7
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a
m
n
A
9
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0
1

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p
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1

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w

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i

r
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t
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1

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c
e

i

l
l

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c

l

a
t
o
T

h
g
u
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r
(

%
9

)
e
t
a
m

i
t
s
e

:
e
u
g
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a
d

i

l

l

a
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t
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l
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v
n

I

h
t
o
b
r
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e
t
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t
r
a
p
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t

,
e
t
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l

d
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t
a
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m
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n
t
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y
i
b
t
a
s
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r
l
u
e
t
s
t
n
a
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m
C
Regular 

Both 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

Sector 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

%
0
0
1

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

E
I

Federali-
mentare 
Confartigianato 
Alimentazione 
CNA 
Alimentare 
Casartigiani 

T
I

CLAAI 

Legacoop Agro-
alimentare 
Agrital – AGCI 

Fedagri-
Confcoopera-
tive 
FIAL 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

U
L

  MEA 
T
M

FNLI 

NZO 

VIGEF 

FWS 

AKSV 

COV 

VBZ 

Gemzu 

L
N

NEPLUVI 

NEVEDI 

NBOV 

NVB 

KVNW 

SpiritsNL 

VisNed 

VNV (fish) 

VNV (meat) 

EO 

Company 

x 

x 

x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

BA 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

BA 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

BA 

EO 

EO 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Both 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x  x 

x 

x 

x 

x  1 

x  x 

x 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

x  x 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

x  1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

x 

x 

 85 

%
5
5
–
0
5

%
0
0
1

%
0
9

Ad hoc 

Both 

Regular 

n.d. 

Yes 

Both 

Ad hoc 

Regular 

Bipartite 

Ad hoc 

Tripartite 

Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

Regular 

Regular 

Regular 

Regular 

Regular 

Regular 

Regular 

Regular 

Regular 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Parts of the sector covered 

  Employer 
S
M

organisation 

Type16 

Collective 
bargaining: 
company 
level, sector 
level or both 

l

s
e
b
a
t
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3
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0
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6
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4
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s
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C
Regular 

Regular 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

x 

x  x 

   1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

   1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x  1 

%
3
6

x  x 

   1 

PFPZ 

L
P

FIPA 

Ancipa 

Casa do Azeite 

ANIL 

APIM 

ANIA 

AICC 

IACA 

APIAM 

T
P

Ancave 

ITA 

ALIF 

ANICP 

AIT 

ACIP 

AIPAN 

AIPL 

Asimpala 

ADCP 

Romalimenta 

O
R

E
S

Li 

GZS – ZKŽP 

I
S

ZZS 

ZDS 

PKS 

SCS 

SZVPS 

ZVLaL 

K
S

EO 

BA 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

EO 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

Sector 

EO 

EO 

EO 

BA 

EO 

EO 

EO 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

Both 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

Both 

Regular 

EO 

Sector 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

%
9

%
0
9
>

%
0
8

Bipartite 

Regular 

Tripartite 

Regular 

Bipartite 

Regular 

Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

Ad hoc 

Tripartite 

Ad hoc 

Tripartite 

Regular 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x 

x  x  x 

   1  x  x  x  x  x 

x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

Both 

x 

   1 

x  x 

   1 

%
0
4

x 

   1 

 86 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Parts of the sector covered 

  Employer 
S
M

organisation 

Type16 

Collective 
bargaining: 
company 
level, sector 
level or both 

l

s
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EU27 

EOs: 
90 
(84%) 

BAs: 
17 
(16%) 

Company: 4 
(4%) 

Sector: 68 
(64%) 

Both: 23 
(21%) 
Total: 95 
(89%) 

)

%
9
2
(
1
3

)

%
3
2
(
5
2

)

%
4
2
(
6
2

)

%
0
2
(
1
2

)

%
7
2
(
9
2

)

%
3
2
(
5
2

)

%
5
3
(
7
3

)

%
0
3
(
2
3

)

%
1
2
(
3
2

)

%
4
7
(
9
7

)

%
2
2
(
4
2

)

%
0
2
(
1
2

)

%
9
1
(
0
2

)

%
0
2
(
1
2

)

%
2
2
(
4
2

)

%
9
1
(
0
2

)

%
7
2
(
9
2

)

%
4
3
(
6
3

i

e
g
a
r
e
v
o
c
g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

i

l
l

o
c

l

a
t
o
T

:
e
u
g
o
a
d

i

l

l

a
i
c
o
s
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

h
t
o
b
r
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e
t
i
t
r
a
p
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r
t

,
e
t
i
t
r
a
p
b

i

Bipartite: 
19 (18%) 

Tripartite: 
10 (9%) 

Both: 18 
(17%) 
Total: 47 
(44%) 

l

d
e
t
a
t
n
e
e
r
-
m
r
o
n
t
r
c
e
e
v
s
o
n
g
o
e
s
h
n
t
o
y
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b
t
a
s
t
r
l
u
e
t
s
t
n
a
o
m
C
Ad hoc: 
26 
(24%) 
Regular: 
43 
(40%) 

Total: 
70 
(65%) 

Notes: Light blue shading denotes a positive response. Dark blue shading indicates collective bargaining covering 
at least one subsector (food or drink). Dark green shading denotes umbrella organisations. Light green shading 
denotes  the  member  organisations  of  the  umbrella  organisation.  BA,  business  association;  EO,  employer 
organisation; n.d., no data available. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

As shown in Figure 19, employer organisations tend to be engaged in sector-level collective bargaining, 
as 68 organisations (64%) are involved in only sector-level bargaining and 23 (21%) are involved in 
both sector- and company-level bargaining. In total, 91 employer organisations (85%) are bargaining 
at sector level.  Four  organisations (4%) are  engaged in  only  company-level  bargaining  (in Bulgaria, 
Croatia, Ireland and Malta), but – adding those that are engaged at both levels – there are a total of 
27 organisations (25%) involved in bargaining at company level. However, 12 employer organisations 
(11%)  are  not  involved  in  collective  bargaining  at  all.  Eight  of  those  are  considered  business 
associations  rather  than  employer  organisations  (see  also  Table  24).  The  objective  of  business 
associations is usually business development, not engaging in social dialogue and collective bargaining 
with the aim of improving working conditions. However, this study includes business organisations 
that  are  members  of  a  European-level  employer  organisation  or  that  are  involved  in  collective 
bargaining  (see  also  Section  0.4).  Business  associations  were  classified  as  such  by  the  Network  of 
Eurofound  Correspondents  based  on  the  information  provided  by  the  organisations.  A  total  of  17 
organisations (16%) were identified as business associations, of which nine are engaged in collective 
bargaining. 

 87 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Figure 19: Involvement of employer organisations in different forms of collective bargaining, EU27 

12
(11%)

23
(21%)

4
(4%)

68
(64%)

Sector

Company

Both

Not involved

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Figure 20 shows the proportions of sectoral employer organisations with collective agreements that 
cover  different  parts  of  the  food  and  drink  sector.  Employer  organisations  are  most  active  in 
bargaining in manufacture of bakery products (35% of organisations) and manufacture of other food 
products (30%), which are also the activities covered by the largest shares of employer organisations. 
The least important activities are manufacture of malt and manufacture of cider and fruit wine, in 
both of  which  19% of  organisations  are  engaged  in collective  bargaining.  In  the  other  parts of  the 
sector, the share of employer organisations engaged in collective bargaining is 20–29%. 

 88 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Figure 20: Proportion of employer organisations with collective agreements covering different parts 
of the sector, EU27 

10.7 Bakery
10.8 Other food
10.1 Meat
11.07 Soft drinks and water
10.5 Dairy
10.3 Fruit and vegetable
10.6 Grain mill products
10.2 Fish
11.05 Beer
11.01 Spirits
10.9 Animal feeds
11.04 Other beverages
11.02 Wine from grape
10.4 Oils and fats
11.06 Malt
11.03 Cider and fruit wine

35%

30%

29%

27%
27%

24%

23%
23%

22%
22%

21%

20%
20%
20%

19%
19%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Table  24  above  shows  the  proportion  of  the  workforce  covered  by  collective  agreements.  This 
information  was  gathered  by  the  Network  of  Eurofound  Correspondents  and  includes  rough 
estimations.  It  is  evident  from  the  data  that  bargaining  coverage  varies  substantially  between 
countries, from less than 10% to 100%. Higher coverage (at least 75%) is recorded in Austria, Belgium, 
Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. There 
is  medium  coverage  (21–74%)  in  Czechia,  Germany,  Greece,  Hungary,  Luxembourg,  Portugal  and 
Slovakia. Bulgaria, Ireland, Poland and Romania have low coverage (20% or less). Data for Estonia are 
not  available.  Cyprus,  Latvia  and  Lithuania  are  not  captured  in  Table  24  as  no  relevant  employer 
organisations were identified in those countries for this study. Data about these countries’ collective 
bargaining coverage are available in Table 17, which shows that Cyprus and Latvia have low coverage, 
while no information is available for Lithuania. 

 89 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

2.5.  Collective bargaining patterns and social dialogue practices 
In previous sections, the sector-relatedness, coverage and collective bargaining engagement of both 
trade unions and employer organisations were assessed. In this section, the information is brought 
together to reveal collective bargaining and social dialogue patterns of the trade unions and employer 
organisations in the EU27. 

The coverage of different types of collective bargaining is summarised in terms of numbers and shares 
of individual trade unions and employer organisations in Table 25. All trade unions identified in this 
study (except one) are engaged in collective bargaining. For trade unions, single-employer bargaining 
(company level) is the most important, as, in total, 81% of trade unions are engaged either in only 
company-level  bargaining  (34%)  or  in  both  company-  and  sector-level  bargaining  (47%).  Multi-
employer bargaining is carried out by a total of 64% of trade unions; 18% of those engaged in multi-
employer bargaining are engaged in only multi-employer (i.e. no single-employer) bargaining. 

Employer organisations have a different pattern. Some 85% of all employer organisations are involved 
in collective bargaining. Single-employer bargaining is less important for employer organisations (in 
total, 24% of organisations are engaged in this; 4% of those engaged in single-employer bargaining are 
engaged solely in single-employer bargaining). On the other hand, 81% of organisations are engaged 
in  multi-employer  bargaining:  60%  in  multi-employer  bargaining  only  and  20%  in  both  single-  and 
multi-employer bargaining. 

Overall, 58 trade unions in the EU27 bargain with a total of 91 employer organisations, with the aim 
of reaching sector-level agreements. At the same time, in the case of single-employer agreements, a 
total of 73 trade unions have a total of 27 employer organisations as partners. 

Table 25: Collective bargaining patterns in the sector (number and % of organisations), EU27 

Trade unions 

Employer organisations 

1 (1%) 

17 (15%) 

16 (18%) 

68 (61%) 

58 (64%) 

90 
(100%) 

91 (81%) 

112 
(100%) 

42 (47%) 

89 (99%) 

23 (21%) 

73 (81%) 

31 (34%) 

4 (4%) 

95 
(85%) 

27 
(24%) 

No collective 
bargaining  

Multi-
employer 
bargaining 
only 
Both single- 
and multi-
employer 
bargaining 
Single-
employer 
bargaining 
only 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

In  Table  26,  the  types  of  collective  bargaining  are  presented  on  a  country-by-country  basis.  This 
illustrates  the  national  collective  bargaining  patterns  in  the  food  and  drink  sector.  In  most  of  the 
countries (17), both single- and multi-employer bargaining take place. However, this does not mean 
that each organisation/trade union is engaged in both of these. Typically, one or some of the trade 
unions in one country are engaged in only sector-level bargaining or only company-level bargaining, 
while  the  rest  of the trade  unions  are engaged  in  both.  Trade  unions  engaged  in  only  sector-level 

 90 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

bargaining and those engaged in only company-level bargaining do not simultaneously exist in any of 
the  countries  (see  also  Section  2.2).  In  nine  countries,  only  company-level  bargaining  is  present, 
meaning that no organisations  bargain  at sector level.  In one  country  –  Greece  –  only  sector-level 
bargaining takes place. 

Table 26: Type of collective bargaining, by Member States 

Type of collective bargaining 

Member States 

Multi-employer bargaining only 

EL 

Both single- and multi-employer bargaining 

AT, BE, BG, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, IT, LV, MT, NL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK 

Single-employer bargaining only 

CY, CZ, EE, HR, HU, IE, LT, LU, PL 

No collective bargaining  

None 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Table 27 builds on the previous table by, in addition to showing the type of collective bargaining in 
each country, adding the proportion of the sectoral workforce covered by collective bargaining. There 
are variations across countries, and no clear links between the types or coverage rates can be made. 
However, countries where the coverage is very high (>74%), sector-level bargaining is more prominent 
among employer organisations, and most of the individual trade unions are engaged in both types of 
bargaining.  In  countries  with  lower  bargaining  coverage  (<25%),  there  tend  to  be  no  employer 
organisations engaged in bargaining or they bargain only at company level, and there tend to be more 
trade unions engaged in only company-level bargaining. 

Table 27: Coverage of collective bargaining, by Member States 

Collective bargaining coverage 

>94% 

75–94% 

50–74% 

25–49% 

1–24% 

0% 

Information not 
available 

AT, BE, ES, 
FR, IT, MT 

DK, FI, NL, 
SE (>90%), 
SI  

DE (>50%), 
PT 

EL 

SK 

BG, LV, RO 

HR 

LU 

CZ, HU 

CY, IE, PL 

EE, LT 

Type of collective 
bargaining 

Multi-employer 
bargaining only 

Both single- and 
multi-employer 
bargaining 

Single-employer 
bargaining only 

No collective 
bargaining 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

2.6.  Participation in public policy and social dialogue 
In addition to sector-relatedness, membership and collective bargaining, involvement in policymaking 
is another indicator of the relevance of national trade unions and employer organisations in the sector. 
This section first looks at the governments’ consultations with the social partners and then looks at 
the social partners’ participation in bipartite or tripartite social dialogue. 

 91 

 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Social partners’ participation in public policy 
Figure  21  illustrates  the  proportions  of  trade  unions  and  employer  organisations  involved  in 
consultations  arranged  by  the  national  governments  with  regard  to  sectoral  policies.  The  rather 
considerable lack of data makes it difficult to produce a clear picture. However, it can be seen, based 
on the available information, that most of the social partners (trade unions (68% of all trade unions) 
or employer organisations (66%)) are being consulted on sector-related matters. However, those not 
consulted form a larger proportion among trade unions (21%) than among employer organisations 
(9%). 

Figure 21: National social partners’ involvement in government consultations, EU27 

Trade unions

Employer organisations

10
(11%)

19
(21%)

61
(68%)

27
(25%)

10 
(9%)

70
(66%)

Consulted

Not consulted

No data

Consulted

Not consulted

No data

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Table 28 reveals the pattern of consultations on a country-by-country basis. In 22 countries, at least 
one trade union and at least one employer organisation are being consulted by the government on 
sector-related  matters.  In  Luxembourg,  no  trade  unions  are  consulted,  while  the  only  employer 
organisation is consulted on an ad hoc basis. In Hungary, Latvia and Lithuania, trade unions, but not 
employer organisations, are included in policymaking. Cyprus is the only country where none of the 
social partners are being consulted by the government, according to available information. 

Table 28: Consultation of employers and trade unions, by Member States 

At least one trade union consulted  

No trade union consulted  

At least one employer 
organisation consulted  

AT, BE, BG, CZ, DE, DK, EE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, 
IE, IT, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK 

LU 

No employer organisation 
consulted  

HU, LT*, LV* 

CY* 

Note: *No employer organisations were included in the analysis; see Chapter 2 for details. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

 92 

 
 
  
 
 
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Overall,  it  can  be  concluded  that  most  of  the  trade  unions  and  employer  organisations  are  being 
involved in sector-related policymaking by the national governments. Such involvement takes place in 
almost all of the countries. 

Tripartite and bipartite participation in social dialogue 
Tripartite and bipartite participation in social dialogue refers to social partners’ cooperation with each 
other and with the government in discussing sector-related matters and designing interventions. This 
cooperation  could  be  particularly  important  in  strengthening  the  social  partners’  positions  and  in 
gaining  recognition  in  countries  without  established  practices  of  multi-employer  bargaining.  This 
section looks at bipartite and tripartite bodies that are particularly established and directly related to 
the  food  and  drink  sector  (i.e.  not  those  simply  engaged  in  ad  hoc  discussions  between  social 
partners). 

Table 29 shows that there are 43 social dialogue bodies established in a total of 18 Member States, 
leaving nine countries without such bodies. Among those nine countries are Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, 
Ireland and Lithuania, which have no established multi-employer bargaining practices. Greece is also 
among those nine; it is the only Member State to have only multi-employer bargaining. 

Figure 22 shows the proportions of the bodies based on their type and origin. Bipartite bodies (53%) 
are slightly more predominant than tripartite bodies (42%). At the same time, statutory bodies (58%) 
constitute a larger proportion than bodies established based on agreements (28%). 

Figure 22: Social dialogue bodies by type and origin, EU27 

Number of bodies by origin

2
(5%)

Number of bodies by type

6
(14%)

12 
(18%)

25 
(58%)

18
(42%)

23
(53%)

Statutory

Agreement

No data

Bipartite

Tripartite

No data

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Table 29 presents the details of each social dialogue body: name, type, domain of activity, origin and 
participating social partners. 

 93 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 29: Tripartite and bipartite social dialogue bodies in which sector-related issues are dealt with 
or in which sector-related social partners are involved 

MS 

Social dialogue body 

Bipartite/ 
tripartite 

Domain of activity  

Tripartite 

AT 

Codex Commission for 
the Publication of the 
Austrian Food Book 
(Codex Alimentarius 
Austriacus) 

Committees within the 
AgrarMarkt Austria, the 
Austrian funding agency 
for agriculture and rural 
development 
Second Pillar Fund JC 
118 

BE 

Guarantee and Social 
Fund for the Food 
Industry 

Social and Guarantee 
Fund for the Bakery, 
Confectionery and 
Refreshment Parlours  
Second Pillar Fund for 
Food Industry White-
Collar Workers 

BG 

Guarantee and Social 
Fund for White-Collar 
Workers in the Food 
Industry 
Sectoral Council for 
Tripartite Cooperation 
(SCTC) ‘Food Industry’ at 
the Ministry of Economy 
and Industry 

Origin: 
agreement/
statutory 

Sectoral trade 
unions 
participating 

Sectoral 
employer 
organisations 
participating 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

ACLVB-CGLSB, 
ACV Voeding en 
Diensten, 
Horval 
ACLVB-CGLSB, 
ACV Voeding en 
Diensten, 
Horval 
ACLVB-CGLSB, 
ACV Voeding en 
Diensten, 
Horval 
ACLVB-CGSLB, 
BBTK SETCa, 
ACV-Puls, CSC-
CNE 
ACLVB-CGSLB, 
BBTK SETCa, 
ACV-Puls, CSC-
CNE 
FSOHP/ФСОХП, 
FHPP/ФХПП, 
SBHN/СБХН, 
NSFTKTU/НСФТ
КТУ 

FEVIA, FGBB 

FEVIA, FGBB 

FEVIA, FGBB 

FEVIA 

FEVIA 

SHNB/СХНБ, 
APBNB, 
SPZZP/СПЗЗП, 
AMB/АМБ, 
SPKF/СПКФ, 
NBSHS, 
SPB/СПБ, 
NBPS/НБПС 

Definitions, research 
methods and 
assessment 
principles; guidelines 
for the manufacture 
and marketing of 
goods; preparation 
and coordination of 
the Austrian position 
for EU and 
international 
committees 
Agricultural food 
pricing, quality and 
marketing 

Tripartite 

Bipartite 

Second pillar 
pension fund 

Statutory 

Bipartite 

Guarantee and social 
fund 

Statutory 

Bipartite 

Guarantee and social 
fund 

Statutory 

Bipartite 

Second pillar 
pension fund 

Statutory 

Bipartite 

Guarantee and social 
fund 

Statutory 

Tripartite 

Statutory 

Horizontal issues 
discussion of draft 
laws, draft by-laws 
and decisions of the 
Council of Ministers 
related to the 
regulation of labour 
relations, social 
security relations 
and issues of living 
standards in the 
sector 
Health and safety at 
work 

 94 

Sectoral/Branch Council 
on Working Conditions 
(Occupational Health 
and Safety) ‘Food 

Tripartite 

Statutory 

FSOHP/ФСОХП, 
FHPP/ФХПП, 
SBHN/СБХН, 
NSFTKTU/НСФТ
КТУ 

SHNB/СХНБ, 
APBNB, 
SPZZP/СПЗЗП, 
AMB/АМБ, 
SPKF/СПКФ, 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Social dialogue body 

Bipartite/ 
tripartite 

Domain of activity  

Origin: 
agreement/
statutory 

Sectoral trade 
unions 
participating 

Industry’ at the Ministry 
of Economy and Industry 

Branch Council for Social 
Partnership for the 
Brewing Industry 

Bipartite  Wages, social policy, 

Statutory 

corporate social 
responsibility and 
health and safety at 
work 

FSOHP/ФСОХП, 
FHPP/ФХПП 

Sectoral Council for 
Tripartite Cooperation at 
the Ministry of 
Agriculture, Food and 
Forestry 

Tripartite 

Labour relations, 
social security and 
living standards in 
the sector 

Statutory 

FNSZ/ФНСЗ 

Sectoral 
employer 
organisations 
participating 

NBSHS, 
SPB/СПБ, 
NBPS/НБПС 
SPB/СПБ 

SHNB/СХНБ, 
APBNB, 
SPZZP/СПЗЗП, 
AMB/АМБ, 
SPKF/СПКФ, 
NBSHS, 
SPB/СПБ, 
NBPS/НБПС 

CY  No social dialogue bodies in the sector 

CZ  No social dialogue bodies in the sector 

Bipartite 

Pensions 

Agreement 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Bipartite 

Pensions 

Agreement 

n.d. 

n.d. 

DE 

Zusatzversorgungskasse 
der Beschäftigten des 
Bäckerhandwerks (Social 
Fund for Bakery 
Workers) 
Berufsgenossenschaft 
Nahrungsmittel und 
Gastgewerbe 
(Association for Food 
and Hospitality) 

DK  Det Faglige Fællesudvalg 

Tripartite 

Education 

Statutory 

NNF 

None 

– Bagere og Konditorer 
(Vocational Committee 
for Bakers and 
Confectioners) 
Mejeribrugets 
Fællesudvalg (Vocational 
Committee for the Dairy 
Sector) 
Slagterfagets 
Fællesudvalg (Vocational 
Committee for the 
Butchery Trade) 
Branchefælles-skab for 
Arbejdsmiljø (BFA) 
Industri (Trade 
Association for Working 
Environment – Industry) 

Tripartite 

Education 

Statutory 

NNF, 3F 

DI 

Tripartite 

Education 

Statutory 

NNF 

DI 

Tripartite  Working 

Statutory 

3F, CO-industri  DI  

environment 

EE  No social dialogue bodies in the sector 

EL  No social dialogue bodies in the sector 

Bipartite 

ES 

Comisión de Asuntos 
Laborales por el Covid-
19 (Commission on 
Labour Affairs for COVID-
19) 

COVID-19 effects in 
the sector, health 
and safety measures 
and guarantee of 
production 

Agreement 

FI-CCOO, UGT-
FICA 

FIAB 

 95 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Social dialogue body 

Bipartite/ 
tripartite 

Domain of activity  

Origin: 
agreement/
statutory 

Sectoral trade 
unions 
participating 

Sectoral 
employer 
organisations 
participating 

Bipartite 

Occupational safety 

n.d. 

PRO, SEL, YTN, 
MVL 

ETL 

Bipartite 

Education 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

FI 

FR 

Elintarvikealan 
työalatoimikunta – 
Työturvallisuuskeskus 
(Sectoral Committee of 
the Food and Textile 
Industry) 
Opetushallituksen 
tutkintotoimikunta  
(the Agency for 
Education’s educational 
committee for the food 
and drink sector) 
Conseil national de 
l’alimentation (National 
Food Council) 

Tripartite 

All issues related to 
food 

Statutory 

Copil PEECA 

Tripartite 

CPNE 

Bipartite 

Housing of 
employees and 
seasonal workers 

Employment issues 
and collective 
bargaining 

Statutory 

Agreement 

CPNI 

Bipartite 

Collective bargaining  Agreement 

and 
statutory 

OPCO 

Bipartite 

Vocational education  Agreement 

and 
statutory 

FGA-CFDT, 
FGTA-FO, CFE-
CGC Agro, 
FNAF-CGT 
FGA-CFDT, 
FGTA-FO, CFE-
CGC Agro, 
FNAF-CGT 
Representative 
trade unions 
(no list 
provided)  

Representative 
trade unions 
(no list 
provided) 

Representative 
trade unions 
(no list 
provided) 

ANIA 

ANIA 

Representative 
employer 
organisations 
(no list 
provided) 
Representative 
employer 
organisations 
(no list 
provided) 
Representative 
employer 
organisations 
(no list 
provided) 
CEA 

Bipartite 

HR 

Socijalno vijeće za sektor 
prehrambene industrije i 
poljoprivrede (Social 
Council for the Food 
Industry and Agriculture)  

HU  Hungarian Food Sector 

Bipartite 

Dialogue Committee 
(ÉÁPB) 
Ad hoc meetings of the 
food sector and the 
relevant ministry 

Bipartite 

Competitiveness, 
employment 
policies, industrial 
policies, quality of 
services, education, 
health and safety 
Professional issues17 

Only professional 
organisations, on 
legislative or 
regulatory issues; no 
work-related topics 
are discussed 

Agreement 

PPDIV 

Statutory 

ÉDSZ, MEDOSZ 

FÉSZ 

Agreement 

None 

FÉSZ 

IE 

IT 

No social dialogue bodies in the sector 

Alifond 

Bipartite 

Occupational 
pension fund 

Agreement 

FLAI-CGIL, FAI-
CISL, UILA-UIL 

Federalimentare 

17 Not currently active. 

 96 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Social dialogue body 

Bipartite/ 
tripartite 

Domain of activity  

Origin: 
agreement/
statutory 

Sectoral trade 
unions 
participating 

Sectoral 
employer 
organisations 
participating 

Fondo assistenza 
sanitaria alimentaristi 
(FASA) (Health Insurance 
Fund for the Food 
Industry) 
Filcoop 

Bipartite 

Health insurance 
fund 

Agreement 

FLAI-CGIL, FAI-
CISL, UILA-UIL 

Federalimentare 

Bipartite 

Health insurance 
fund and 
occupational 
pension fund 

Agreement 

FLAI-CGIL, FAI-
CISL, UILA-UIL 

AGCI-Agrital, 
Legacoop-
Agroalimentare, 
Fedagri-
Confcooperative 

LT  No social dialogue bodies in the sector 

LU  No social dialogue bodies in the sector 

LV  National Tripartite 

Tripartite 

General 

Statutory 

Cooperation Council 
(Transport, 
Communications and 
Information 
Technologies Subcouncil) 

MT  Malta Council for 

Both 

Economic Development 
(MCESD) 

NL 

Social and Economic 
Council 

Tripartite 

Stichting van de Arbeid 
(StvdA) (labour 
foundation) 

Bipartite 

Various sectoral social 
dialogue bodies  

Bipartite 

PL 

Tripartite Team for the 
Food Industry 

Tripartite 

Provides a forum for 
bipartite dialogue 
between employers 
and employees’ 
representatives, and 
a supportive 
framework for social 
dialogue; provides 
systematic 
monitoring and 
evaluation of 
bipartite and 
tripartite social 
dialogue; its remit 
reaches beyond the 
food and drink 
sector and 
encompasses all 
economic sectors 
and matters of social 
relevance 
Advisory and 
research body, and 
forum for policy 
negotiations 

National-level 
negotiation forum 
and advisory 
organisation 
Various (meat, 
confectionery, 
bakeries, dairy, 
animal feed, etc.) 
All issues related to 
sectoral problems 

 97 

Members of 
cross-sectoral 
trade unions 
indirectly 

Members of 
cross-sectoral 
employer 
organisations 
indirectly 

Statutory 

GWU, UĦM 

MEA 

Statutory 

CNV, FNV, VCP  VNO-NCW, LTO 

and an 
independent 
expert (crown 
appointed) 

Statutory 

CNV, FNV, VCP  VNO-NCW, LTO 

Agreement 

CNV, FNV 

Agreement  Members of 

cross-sectoral 
trade unions 
indirectly 

Delegated 
sectoral 
employers  

Members of 
cross-sectoral 
employer 
organisations 
indirectly 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Social dialogue body 

Bipartite/ 
tripartite 

Domain of activity  

Origin: 
agreement/
statutory 

Sectoral trade 
unions 
participating 

Sectoral 
employer 
organisations 
participating 

PT  No social dialogue bodies in the sector 

RO 

Social Dialogue 
Commission under the 
Ministry of Agriculture 
and Rural Development 

Tripartite 

Food industry (one 
of the technical 
subcommittees) 

Statutory 

Economic and Social 
Council (CES)  

Tripartite 

SE  No social dialogue bodies in the sector 

SI 

Economic and Social 
Council of Slovenia 

Tripartite 

SK 

Economic and Social 
Council (HSR) 

Tripartite 

A consultative forum 
that must be 
consulted on all draft 
laws in its area of 
competence 
(economy, taxes, 
labour, social 
protection, health, 
education, research, 
culture, wages) 

A tripartite body 
established with the 
purpose of 
considering issues 
and measures 
concerning 
economic and social 
policies, and other 
issues related to the 
specific fields of the 
social partners’ 
dialogue, and 
providing opinions or 
positions on these 
issues 
Employment, 
working conditions, 
wages and social 
policy 

Statutory 

Members of 
cross-sectoral 
trade unions 
indirectly 

Members of 
cross-sectoral 
trade unions 
indirectly 

Members of 
cross-sectoral 
employer 
organisations 
indirectly 
Members of 
cross-sectoral 
employer 
organisations 
indirectly 

Statutory 

Members of 
cross-sectoral 
trade unions 
indirectly 

Members of 
cross-sectoral 
employer 
organisations 
indirectly 

Statutory 

Members of 
cross-sectoral 
trade unions 
indirectly 

Members of 
cross-sectoral 
employer 
organisations 
indirectly 

Notes:  Austria  –  bipartite  or tripartite  permanent  bodies generally  do  not  exist  in  Austria,  but  social  partner 
consultation is based on the practice of regular but informal cooperation. Germany – Zusatzversorgungskasse 
der Beschäftigten des Bäckerhandwerks was established in the 1970s; in 2004, the fund was abolished in favour 
of individualised occupational pension schemes by the collective bargaining partners. n.d., no data available. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

 98 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

2.7.  Fragmentation and pluralism 
This section provides an overview of the reasons for organisational fragmentation and pluralism in the 
sector. Fragmentation occurs when different organisations cover different parts of a sector. In that 
context,  organisations  are  complementary,  as  their  membership  domains  are  not  overlapping. 
Pluralism, on the other hand, is when organisations coexist in the same (or  a very similar) domain, 
representing the same types of employees. 

In the food and drink sector, there are, on average, 3.3 trade unions per Member State. The reasons 
for there being more than one trade union per country (where this is the case) are provided in Table 
30. It shows that the most common reason is fragmentation: having members in different parts of the 
sector or engaged in different types of activities (e.g. food subsector vs drink subsector) applies to 12 
countries, organising different categories of workers (e.g. blue-collar vs white-collar workers) applies 
to 8 countries, having members in different parts of the country applies to 4 countries and having 
members in different types of companies (e.g. of different sizes) applies to 2 countries. Pluralism (i.e. 
having similar membership domains,  but  differing in terms of ideology)  is recorded in 8 countries. 
There may be multiple reasons for fragmentation and pluralism in any one country (see Table 30). 

 99 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 30: Reasons for fragmentation and pluralism of trade unions 

MS 

They organise 
different 
categories of 
workers  

They have 
members in 
different parts 
of the country 

They have members 
in different types of 
companies in terms 
of size or ownership 

They have 
members in 
different parts of 
the sector/types 
of activities  

They have similar 
membership 
domains but differ 
in terms of 
ideology  

Other 
reasons 

AT 
BE 
BG 
CY 
CZ 
DE 
DK 
EE 
EL 
ES 
FI 
FR 
HR 
HU 
IE 
IT 
LT 
LU 
LV 
MT 
NL 
PL 
PT 
RO 
SE 
SI 
SK 
EU27 

x 
x 

x 

1 trade union in sector 
x 
1 trade union in sector 

x 

x 

x 

x 
x 
No fragmentation 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 
x 

x 

(b) 

(c) 

x 
x 
x 

x 
x 

(a) 

x 
x 
x 
x 
x 

8 

4 

2 

12 

8 

2 

Notes: Green shading denotes a positive response. (a) The reason for fragmentation in Hungary is loyalty based 
on historical connection: members stayed with the trade union that had been present in their company for a long 
time. (b) The reason for fragmentation in Lithuania is that one trade union represents only the employees working 
in the food operations of a large agriculture company, while the rest of the workforce in the food and drink sector 
belongs to another trade union. (c) The reason for fragmentation in Latvia is that trade union members work in 
different companies. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Regarding employer organisations, there are, on average, 3.9 organisations per Member State. There 
is more variation in the number of employer organisations per country than in the number of trade 
unions  per  country,  as  there  are  altogether  11  countries  where  there  is  only  one  or  no  employer 
organisations, compared with two such countries in the case of trade unions. The most prominent 
reason for fragmentation among employer organisations is having members in different parts of the 
sector/engaged  in  different  activities.  This  was  also  seen  when  looking  at  the  width  of  sectoral 
coverage  (see  Sections  2.1  and  2.3)  –  employer  organisations  mostly  have  narrow  coverage  of 
segments,  while  trade  unions  tend  to  have  wider  coverage.  Still,  there  are  two  countries  where 
employer organisations have members from different parts of the country, four countries where their 
members  are  different  types  of  companies  and  three  countries  where  pluralism  exists.  Table  31 
provides a detailed overview. 

 100 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 31: Reasons for fragmentation and pluralism of employer organisations 

MS 

They have 
members in 
different parts of 
the country 

They have members in 
different types of 
companies in terms of 
size or ownership 

They have members 
in different parts of 
the sector/types of 
activities  

They have similar 
membership domains 
but differ in terms of 
ideology  

Other 
reasons 

AT 
BE 
BG 
CY 
CZ 
DE 
DK 
EE 
EL 
ES 
FI 
FR 
HR 
HU 
IE 
IT 
LT 
LU 
LV 
MT 
NL 
PL 
PT 
RO 
SE 
SI 
SK 
EU27 

No employer organisations in sector 
1 employer organisation in sector 

1 employer organisation in sector 

x 
x 

x 
1 employer organisation in sector 

1 employer organisation in sector 

1 employer organisation in sector 

x 

No employer organisations in sector 

No employer organisations in sector 
1 employer organisation in sector 

x 
1 employer organisation in sector 
1 employer organisation in sector 

x 

x 
x 
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 
x 
x 

x 
x 

x 

x 

x 

2 

4 

15 

3 

0 

Note: Blue shading denotes a positive response. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

 101 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

2.8.  Multisectoralism 
The European Commission, as detailed in its 2010 staff working document on the functioning of the 
ESSDCs, supports and encourages initiatives between ESSDCs and between cross-industry and sectoral 
European  social  dialogue  bodies.  Cooperation  and  exchange  of  information  between  ESSDCs  can 
reinforce the value that European sectoral social dialogue can add, while avoiding duplication of work 
and divergence of social partners’ positions (European Commission, 2010). The following analysis of 
multisectoralism aims to guide social partners in finding meaningful cooperation with other ESSDCs. 

In  the  data  collected  for  this  study,  all  national  food  and  drink  trade  unions  and  employer 
organisations were asked in which other sectors they also have members. A complete overview of the 
resulting  information  is  provided  in  Table  49.  Multisectoralism  is  clearly  more  prominent  among 
national trade unions than among national employer organisations. The other sectors  in which the 
trade  unions  and  employer  organisations  most  often  have  members  are  commerce,  agriculture, 
Horeca, contract catering and sugar. A detailed comparison of the information on the multisectoralism 
of national sectoral trade unions in this representativeness study and the corresponding information 
in the representativeness studies for agriculture, commerce, Horeca and contract catering is made in 
Table 50, indicating the situation for each individual Member State. The overall picture is summarised 
in Table 32. 

Table 32: Other sectors covered by food and drink trade unions and employer organisations, EU27 

Sector 

Commerce 

Agriculture 

Horeca 

Contract catering 

Sugar 

Note: See also Table 50. 

90 food and drink trade 
unions 

36 trade unions in 13 
Member States 

27 trade unions in 17 
Member States 

17 trade unions in 12 
Member States 

16 trade unions in 11 
Member States 

34 trade unions in 18 
Member States 

112 food and drink employer organisations  

5 employer organisations in 5 Member 
States 

4 employer organisations in 2 Member 
States 

2 employer organisations in 2 Member 
States 

1 employer organisation in 1 Member State 

10 employer organisations in 10 Member 
States 

EFFAT is the European trade union organisation  also covering the agriculture, Horeca and contract 
catering sectors, while UNI Europa covers the commerce sector. At the employers’ side, the European 
employer organisation covering the commerce sector is EuroCommerce, for agriculture it is Geopa-
Copa, for Horeca it is Hotrec and for contract catering it is FoodServiceEurope. The May 2020 joint 
opinion  regarding  support  needed  for  the  hospitality  and  tourism  sector  was  signed  by  EFFAT, 
FoodDrinkEurope, Hotrec and FoodServiceEurope, while the December joint opinion on the vaccine 
strategy was signed by EFFAT, FoodDrinkEurope and Geopa-Copa (see Table 1). This illustrates how 
the  identified multisectoralism  has  already  brought  about  cooperation  among  the  European social 
partner organisations across the different economic sectors. 

 102 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

3.  European level of interest representation 

This chapter presents detailed data on the representativeness of the European-level social partners in 
the food and drink sector. There are two social partners listed by the European Commission as social 
partner  organisations  to  be  consulted  under  Article 154  of  the  TFEU.  The  European  organisation 
representing the trade unions, and thus the workforce in this sector, is EFFAT. The employers in the 
sector are represented at European level by FoodDrinkEurope. 

The  representativeness  of  the  European-level  social  partners  is  assessed  in  three  ways.  First,  the 
membership strength of the European-level social partner organisations on both sides is examined, 
based on the membership domains covered by their national affiliates (in Section 3.1 for the trade 
unions  and  in  Section  3.3  for  the  employer  organisations).  Second,  their  capacity  to  negotiate  is 
analysed (in Section 3.8); this means their ability to commit themselves on behalf of their members 
and to conclude binding agreements or actions that can be implemented or monitored EU-wide. This 
capacity to negotiate depends on the involvement of their affiliates in collective bargaining at national 
level,  which  ensures  not  only  that  they  can  provide  an  effective  mandate  for  discussion  and 
negotiation  at  European  level,  but  also  that  they  are  in  a  position  to  implement  European-level 
agreements. Third, their effective participation in ESSDC meetings is assessed (in Section 3.9). 

Finally, the limits of the representativeness of the social partners involved in the ESSDC for the food 
and  drink  sector  are  assessed  in  two  ways:  first,  by  looking  at  the  national  organisations  not 
represented  by  the  organisations  involved  in  the  ESSDC  (in  Sections  3.2  and  3.4),  and,  second,  by 
considering the representativeness of any other European associations in the sector (in Sections 3.5 
and 3.6). 

3.1.  EFFAT membership 
EFFAT represents 54 (60%) of the 90 sectoral trade unions, in 25 Member States. The two Member 
States where EFFAT does not have an affiliated food and drink sector trade union are Czechia and 
Estonia (Figure 23). 

 103 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Figure 23: Membership strength of EFFAT for the food and drink subsectors 

57% of trade unions 
organising employees in the 
food subsector are affiliated 
to EFFAT 

34

51

Affiliated

Not affiliated

Source: Table 34 

25 Member 
States with an 
EFFAT-
affiliated 
trade union 
organising 
food 
subsector 
employees 
ES 
LV 
AT 
FI  MT 
BE 
BG 
FR  NL 
CY  HR  PL 
HU  PT 
CZ
18 
DE 
DK 
EE 
EL 

RO 
SE 
SI 
SK 

IE 
IT 
LT 
LU 

64% of trade unions 
organising employees in the 
drink subsector are affiliated 
to EFFAT 

25

44

Affiliated

Not affiliated

24 Member 
States with an 
EFFAT-
affiliated 
trade union 
organising 
drink 
subsector 
employees 
ES 
LV 
AT 
FI  MT 
BE 
BG 
FR  NL 
CY  HR  PL 
CZ  HU  PT 

DE 
DK 
EE 
EL 

IE 
IT 
LT 
LU 

RO 
SE 
SI 
SK 

EFFAT was created in 2000 as a regional organisation of the International Union of Food, Agricultural, 
Hotel,  Restaurant,  Catering,  Tobacco  and  Allied  Workers’  Associations  (IUF).  In  addition  to 
representing the interests of workers in the food and drink, agriculture and tourism sectors, EFFAT 
also represents the interests of domestic workers and workers from other related sectors, services 
and activities. EFFAT is a member of the European Trade Union Confederation. Table 33 lists all the 
national  trade  unions  affiliated  to  EFFAT,  providing  details  about  their  membership  size,  sectoral 
coverage and involvement in collective bargaining. 

In 13 countries out of the 25 with EFFAT members, the food and drink sector is not covered entirely 
by the EFFAT members. The number of segments not covered by EFFAT members is largest in Greece 
and  Luxembourg  (13  and  11  segments  out  of  16,  respectively),  followed  by  Hungary,  with  seven 
missing segments, and Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia, each with six missing segments. Bulgaria and 
Malta each lack four segments, Cyprus, Ireland and Poland each lack three segments, and Denmark 
and Portugal each lack one segment. In the food subsector, the segments that are most commonly 
not represented are oils and fats manufacturing and fish processing (missing in six countries for both), 
followed by manufacture of animal feeds (five countries). In the drink subsector, the most prominent 
are manufacture of fruit wine and cider, manufacture of other beverages and manufacture of malt, 

18 The Czech trade union OSPZV-ASO ČR is affiliated to EFFAT. However, the representatives of this trade union 
reported to the Network of Eurofound Correspondents that they only organise workers in the agriculture sector 
and not in food and drink production. 

 104 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

each of which is missing in eight countries, and manufacture of wine from grape, which is missing in 
five countries. 

In terms of organisational density, more than half of the sectoral workforce is covered by the EFFAT 
members in four Member States (Denmark, Finland, Malta and Sweden), while in three countries the 
workforce coverage is slightly lower than 50% (Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain). In the majority of 
the countries (16), the workforce coverage is below 25%. 

At trade union level, 60% of all national sectoral trade unions in the EU27 are EFFAT members. Except 
for  the  Trade  Union  Federation of  Lithuanian  Agricultural  Workers (LZUDPSF),  all  trade  unions  are 
involved in collective bargaining. There are no data on sectoral coverage for three trade unions. The 
food subsector is covered by all trade unions for which sectoral coverage information is available (i.e. 
51 trade unions and 94% of all EFFAT members cover the food subsector). The drink subsector also 
has rather high coverage: 45 trade unions (83% of all EFFAT members) are active in the subsector. 

Table 33: Membership domain of EFFAT 

MS 

Trade union 

r
o
t
c
e
s
e
h
t
n

i

s
r
e
b
m
e
m

f
o
r
e
b
m
u
N

AT 

BE 

PRO-GE 

8,800 

GPA-DJP 

3,300 

ACLVB-CGSLB 

6,000 

ACV Voeding 
en Diensten 
ABVV-FGTB 
Horval 
ABVV-FGTB 
BBTK SETCa 

24,400 

21,785 

n.d. 

ACV-CSC Puls 

n.d. 

ACV-CSC CNE 

n.d. 

FNSZ/ФНСЗ 

182 

BG 

FSOHP/ 
ФСОХП 

1,931 

FHPP/ФХПП 

1,000 

CY 

OBIEK-SEK 

775 

OMEPEGE-SEK  470 

d
e
r
e
v
o
c
e
c
r
o
f
k
r
o
w

f
o
%

15 

45 

3 

1 

Parts of the sector organised 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1

D
O
O
F
0
1

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

I

K
N
R
D
1
1

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x 

x 

x  1 

x  x  x 

x 

   1  x  x 

   0 

x  1 

x 

   1 

x 

x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x 

x 

x  1 

x  x 

x  x  x  x 

x  x  1 

   0 

ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 

DE  NGG 

200,000 

23 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

 105 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Trade union 

r
o
t
c
e
s
e
h
t
n

i

s
r
e
b
m
e
m

f
o
r
e
b
m
u
N

NNF 

3F 

DK 

15,500 

>15,000 

HK Handel 

n.d. 

CO-industri 

n.d. 

Parts of the sector organised 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1

x  x  x  x 

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1

D
O
O
F
0
1

1 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

x 

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1

x 

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

I

K
N
R
D
1
1

1 

x  x 

x  x 

x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

d
e
r
e
v
o
c
e
c
r
o
f
k
r
o
w

f
o
%

53 

No data available 

No data available 

EL 

POEET 

<26,000 

20 

x 

x  x 

   1 

0 

FI-CCOO 

200,000 

UGT-FICA 

30,000 

ES 

ELA 

FI-USO 

FI 

SEL 

PRO 

3,000 

1,374 

30,000 

2,500 

FR 

FGA-CFDT 

n.d. 

FGTA-FO 

>10,000 

CFTC-CSFV 

n.d. 

CFE-CGC 
AGRO 

n.d. 

HR 

PPDIV 

12,000 

HU 

HDSZ 

1,125 

MEDOSZ 

1,742 

IE 

SIPTU 

13,000 

FAI-CISL 

IT 

FLAI-CGIL 

UILA-UIL 

LMP 

LT 

LZUDPSF 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

80 

LU  OGB-L 

1,256 

45 

86 

1 

18 

2 

23 

n.d. 

0 

47 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x 

x 

x  1 

x  x 

x  x  x 

x 

x  1  x 

1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x 

x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x 

x 

x 

   1 

x  x 

x  x  x  1 

x  x 

   0 

x  1 

x  x  x 

x  x  x  x  x  1  x 

x  x  x 

x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x 

x 

x  x 

   1  x  x  x 

   1 

x  x 

   1 

x 

x 

x 

 106 

x 

x 

x  1 

   0  no 
ye
s 

   1 

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Trade union 

r
o
t
c
e
s
e
h
t
n

i

s
r
e
b
m
e
m

f
o
r
e
b
m
u
N

LV 

LIA 

200 

MT  GWU 

4,000 

NL 

FNV  

CNV 
Vakmensen 

n.d. 

n.d. 

PL 

SPS NSZZ 

9,339 

PT 

SETAAB 

435 

RO 

CERES 

7,380 

Sindalimenta 

25,000 

HRF 

n.d. 

d
e
r
e
v
o
c
e
c
r
o
f
k
r
o
w

f
o
%

1 

75 

n.d. 

2 

0 

15 

Parts of the sector organised 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1

D
O
O
F
0
1

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

I

K
N
R
D
1
1

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x 

x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x 

x  1 

x  x  x 

x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x 

x  x  x  x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x 

x  x  x 

x  1 

x  x 

x 

   1 

x  x  x  x  x  x 

x 

   1  x 

x 

x 

x  1 

x  1 

No data available 

SE 

Livs 

27,000 

70 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

Unionen 

7,281 

SI 

S KŽI 

>2,500 

OZP SR 

2,580 

SK 

OZPP SR 

65 

Out of the 90 
TUs 

EU27 

Number of 
MSs 

54 

60% 

5
2

x  x  x  x  x  x 

x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x 

   1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x 

x  x  x  x  x 

   1  x 

x  x  x  1 

11 

5 

x 

   1 

   0 

)

Out of the 54 
EFFAT 

%
6
7
(
1
members  4

)

%
0
7
(
8
3

)

%
8
7
(
2
4

)

%
2
7
(
9
3

)

%
0
8
(
3
4

)

%
4
7
(
0
4

)

%
4
7
(
0
4

)

%
)
%
7
8
4
(
7
7
(
4

)

%
2
7
(
9
3

)

%
4
9
(
1
5

)

%
4
7
(
0
4

)

%
0
7
(
8
3

)

%
3
6
(
4
3

)

%
3
6
(
4
3

)

%
6
7
(
1
4

)

%
1
6
(
3
3

)

%
7
7
(
2
4

)

%
1
8
(
4
4

)

%
8
9
(
3
5

Out of the 25 
MSs 

2
2

9
1

2
2

9
1

2
2

1
2

3
2

5
2

0
2

5
2

2
2

0
2

7
1

7
1

3
2

7
1

3
2

4
2

5
2

Notes: Coloured shading denotes a positive response. Dark green shading indicates organisations covering at 
least one part of the sector. TU, trade union. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

 107 

ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 
ye
s 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 34: Representativeness details of EFFAT, showing members in the different parts of the sector 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1

D
O
O
F
0
1

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

i

U
T

I

K
N
R
D
1
1

s
U
T

l
l

A

s
r
e
b
m
e
m
T
A
F
F
E

90 

54 
TUs 
(60%) 

Number 
of TUs  

Number 
of TUs 
affiliated 
to EFFAT 

% of all EFFAT 
members 

% of TUs 
representing each 
segment affiliated 
to EFFAT 

h
t
i

w
s
S
M

T
A
F
F
E

s
r
e
b
m
e
m

25 

Number 
of MSs 

Note: TU, trade union. 

60 

55  58  51  63  55  56 

64  55  85  55  54  46  45  63  43 

59  69  89 

41 

38  42  39  43  40  40 

47  39  51  40  38  34  34  41  33 

41  45  53 

76 

70  78  72  80  74  74 

87  72  94  74  70  63  63  76  61 

76  83  98 

68 

69  72  76  68  73  71 

73  71  60  73  70  74  76  65  77 

69  65  60 

22 

19   22   19  22   21   23   25   20  25   22   20  17  17  23   17 

23   24   25  

Source: Authors’ own calculations, based on Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 
2020 

Table  35  gives  an  overview  of  whether  the  largest  trade  unions  in  the sector  at  national  level  are 
affiliated to EFFAT, of whether they cover all fields of activity in the sector and of the existence and 
relevance of other trade unions and other European organisations in all EU Member States. The largest 
trade union is affiliated to EFFAT in a total of 20 Member States, and in 16 countries the second largest 
trade union is affiliated to EFFAT. In Czechia and Estonia, there are no EFFAT affiliates. In Greece and 
Portugal, neither the largest nor the second largest trade union is an EFFAT affiliate. This leaves a total 
of  23  Member  States  with  at  least  one  of  the  two  largest  trade  unions  affiliated  to  EFFAT.  In  18 
countries,  other  trade  unions,  besides  the  EFFAT  affiliates,  are  active,  but  in  most  cases  their 
relevance,  bargaining  strength  and  representativeness  are  considered  to  be  weak  and  they  are 
considered to play only a minor role in the sector. Still, there are cases in which the non-affiliates are 
very important as a result of being the only trade union in the sector (Estonia), being the largest in the 
sector (Hungary) or having wider coverage than EFFAT affiliates (Cyprus, Latvia and Portugal). 

 108 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 35: European affiliation of the largest and second largest trade unions 

The largest TU 
is affiliated to 
EFFAT 

The second 
largest TU is 
affiliated to 
EFFAT 

All types of 
activities are 
covered 

There are 
sectoral TUs 
not affiliated 
to EFFAT 

Representativeness of 
the TUs that are not 
members of EFFAT 

Existence of any 
other European 
trade union 
associations with 
representativeness 
in the sector 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

No EFFAT members 

x 

1 TU in sector 

x 

x 

No EFFAT members 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

Lower than that for 
EFFAT members  
70% of sectoral 
workforce (it is the only 
TU in the sector) 
Roughly equal to that 
for EFFAT members 

Very low 
Lower than that for 
EFFAT members 
Very low (covers only 
NACE 10.2) 
Very low compared 
with that for EFFAT 
members 

Very low 
Very low, company 
level 
Higher than that for 
EFFAT members 
Lower than that for 
EFFAT members 

Very low 

Lower than that for 
EFFAT members 
Higher than that for 
EFFAT members 
Considerably lower 
than that for EFFAT 
members 

Slightly lower than that 
for EFFAT members 
Higher than that for 
EFFAT members 

Considerably lower 
than that for EFFAT 
members 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

MS 

AT 

BE 

BG 

CZ 

CY 

DE 

DK 

EE 

EL 

ES 

FI 

FR 

HR 

HU 

IE 

IT 

LT 

LU 

LV 

MT 

NL 

PL 

PT 

RO 

SE 

SI 

SK 

EU27 

20 

16 

12 

18 

6 

Note: Green shading denotes a positive response. TU, trade union. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

 109 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
  
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

3.2.  National trade unions not represented in the ESSDC 
This section takes a closer look at those trade unions not affiliated to EFFAT, providing an overview of 
the limits and potentials of the membership  level  of EFFAT.  Table  36  presents  the  details of those 
trade unions. Altogether, 17 Member States have trade unions not represented by EFFAT. In around 
half  of  the  countries  (Bulgaria,  Croatia,  Cyprus,  Greece,  Hungary,  Ireland,  Poland,  Portugal  and 
Sweden), there are several such trade unions. In Czechia and Estonia, the trade unions not represented 
by EFFAT are the only sector-relevant trade unions in the country. 

The proportion of the workforce covered by the trade unions is rather small in the vast majority of 
countries. It is highest in Czechia, with 70%, followed by Luxembourg, with 23%, and Malta, with 14%. 
In  the  rest  of  the  countries,  the  workforce  coverage  is  below  12%.  In  3  of  the  17  countries  (Italy, 
Portugal  and  Sweden),  all  parts of  the  sector  are  covered  by one  trade  union  or a  combination of 
several trade unions. In other countries, only some of the sectoral segments are covered by those 
trade unions not affiliated to EFFAT. 

Those trade unions not affiliated to EFFAT account for 40% (36 trade unions) of all national sectoral 
trade unions, and all of these trade unions are involved in collective bargaining. There are two trade 
unions  not  covering  the  food  subsector  (in  Croatia  and  Ireland)  and  12  not  covering  the  drink 
subsector. In most cases, the trade unions have narrow width, covering 1–5 segments each (20 trade 
unions,  56%).  Full  coverage  (all  segments)  is  recorded  for  eight  trade  unions  (22%).  This  leaves  a 
further eight trade unions (22%) with medium or wide coverage. Overall, the coverage of each food 
and drink segment is 28–61%, being on average 44%. Overall, this is lower than for EFFAT members 
(73%). 

Table 36: Characteristics of trade unions not represented in the ESSDC 

Parts of the sector organised 

MS 

Trade union 

r
o
t
c
e
s
e
h
t
n

i

s
r
e
b
m
e
m

f
o
r
e
b
m
u
N

BG  SBHN/СБХН 

NSFTKTU/ 
НСФТКТУ 

606 

80 

e
c
r
o
f
k
r
o
w

l

a
r
o
t
c
e
s

f
o
%

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1
1  x 

CY  SEBETTYK-PEO 

794 

1 x 

Segdamelin-
PEO 

515 

x 

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1

x 

x 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1
x 

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1
x 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

x 

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1

x 

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1

D
O
O
F
0
1
1 

1 

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

I

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

K
N
R
D
1
1
1  yes 

I

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1
x 

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1
x 

x 

1  yes 

x  x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1  x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

1  yes 

x 

1  yes 

CZ  NOS PPP 

7,173  70  x 

x 

x  x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1  x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1  yes 

EE  ETTAF 

18 

0   

x 

x 

1 

x 

1  yes 

 110 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Parts of the sector organised 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1
x 

i

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1
x 

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1
x 

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

x 

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1
x 

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1
x 

D
O
O
F
0
1
1 

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

I

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

K
N
R
D
1
1
1  yes 

I

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

0 

1 

1 

1 

0 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

0  yes 

0  yes 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1  yes 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

0  yes 

1  yes 

1  yes 

0  yes 

x 

1  yes 

0  yes 

1  yes 

x 

1  yes 

0  yes 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1  yes 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1  yes 

1  yes 

1  yes 

0  yes 

0  yes 

0  yes 

r
o
t
c
e
s
e
h
t
n

i

s
r
e
b
m
e
m

f
o
r
e
b
m
u
N
9,000 

e
c
r
o
f
k
r
o
w

l

a
r
o
t
c
e
s

f
o
%

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1

8   

x 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1
x 

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1

750 

x 

<600 

x 

x 

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1
x 

x 

MS 

Trade union 

EL  POEUGTP 

POEK 

ΟΕΧΒΕ 

ES  CIG – FGAMT 

2,000 

2  x 

x 

FI  MVL 

1,800 

5   

x 

x 

x 

x 

HR  NSR PHP 

650 

1 

x 

NSZP 

250 

HU  EMFSZ 

615 

3  x 

ÉDSZ 

GMDSZ 

3,349 

295 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

IE  GSU 

1,400 

6 

Connect TU 

1,000 

x 

x 

x 

DEA 

700 

IT  UGL Agro-
alimentare 

n.d.  n.d.  x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

LU  LCGB 

628  23  x 

x 

x 

LV  LLPNA 

777 

3  x 

x 

x 

x 

MT  UHM 

720  14 

PL  FZZPM 

3,200 

1 

x 

FZZPC 

FZZPPS 

2,500 

500 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

 111 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

r
o
t
c
e
s
e
h
t
n

i

s
r
e
b
m
e
m

e
c
r
o
f
k
r
o
w

l

a
r
o
t
c
e
s

f
o
r
e
b
m
u
N
10,000  11 x 

f
o
%

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1

MS 

Trade union 

PT  FESAHT 

CESP 

1,100 

x 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

Parts of the sector organised 

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1

D
O
O
F
0
1
1  x 

1  x 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

I

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

K
N
R
D
1
1
1  yes 

I

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1
x 

x 

1  yes 

0  yes 

250 

420 

250 

150 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

Sindepescas 

Sitese 

Sinticaba 

Union of 
Professionals 
in Dairy, Food, 
Agriculture, 
Offices, Trade, 
Services, Road 
Transport, 
Metalworking, 
Construction 
and 
Woodworking 

Union of 
Workers in 
Manufacturing 
and Commerce 
of Meat of the 
South 

400 

x 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x  x 

1  yes 

x  x 

1  yes 

x  x 

1  yes 

0  yes 

0  yes 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1  yes 

SE  Handels 

300 

6 

Sveriges 
Ingenjörer 

500 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

Ledarna 

2,200 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1  yes 

EU27  36 (out of 90) TUs in 17 

MSs are not 
represented 

TUs  19  17  16  12  20  15  16  17  16  34  15  16  12  11  22  10  18  24  36 

% 

3
5

7
4

4
4

3
3

6
5

2
4

4
4

7
4

4
4

4
9

2
4

4
4

3
3

1
3

1
6

8
2

0
5

7
6

0
0
1

MSs  12  10  9 

6  14  9  11  11  9  17  10  11  7 

6  15  5  12  15  17 

Notes: Coloured shading denotes a positive response. Dark green shading indicates organisations covering at 
least one part of the sector. n.d., no data available; TU, trade union. 

Sources: Eurostat, Labour Force Survey, 2019 (data from 2018 were used for Latvia and Sweden); Network of 
Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

 112 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

3.3.  FoodDrinkEurope membership 
The European-level social partner organisation representing employer organisations in the sector is 
FoodDrinkEurope. The creation of FoodDrinkEurope dates back to 1982, when the Union of Industrial 
and Employers’ Confederations of Europe (now BusinessEurope) founded the Confederation of Food 
and Drink Industries of the EEC (CIAA), replacing its Commission of Food and Drink Industries. In 2011, 
the CIAA was renamed FoodDrinkEurope. It represents the food and drink industry’s traditions and 
potentials  in  three  core  areas:  food  and  consumer  policy  (food  safety  and  science,  nutrition  and 
health), environmental sustainability and competitiveness. 

FoodDrinkEurope has three types of members, as set out in Article 5 of its statutes. 

1.  National  food  and  drink  umbrella  associations,  of  which  most  cover  both  food  and  drink 

activities. 

2.  European associations covering specific parts of the sector (listed in Table 39). Their member 

organisations are also directly affiliated to the national associations. 

3.  Multinational companies operating in several EU Member States (listed in Section 3.3). 

Affiliated national associations are the most important of the associations for the assessment of the 
representativeness of FoodDrinkEurope, for the following two reasons. 

•  Most of the national member organisations of the European associations are also affiliated to 

• 

the national associations affiliated to FoodDrinkEurope. 
In several countries, the directly affiliated multinational companies are also members of the 
national associations, and as such are indirectly affiliated to FoodDrinkEurope. 

Therefore, the assessment of representativeness is best based on the affiliated national associations, 
as adding up the European subsector associations and the directly affiliated multinational companies 
would lead to double counting. 

In the EU27, FoodDrinkEurope has a total of 25 affiliated national associations in 23 Member States 
(Figure 24). FoodDrinkEurope has no affiliated national associations from Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania or 
Malta. In 11 countries (Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, 
Poland,  Romania  and  Sweden),  the  organisations  represented  by  FoodDrinkEurope  are  the  only 
employer  organisations  in  the  country.  Table  37  presents  all  the  national  employer  organisations 
affiliated to FoodDrinkEurope, providing details about their membership size, sectoral coverage and 
involvement in collective bargaining. 

Figure 24: Membership strength of FoodDrinkEurope for the food and drink subsectors 

23 Member States with a FoodDrinkEurope 
affiliate organising food producers 

22 Member States with a FoodDrinkEurope 
affiliate organising drink producers 

AT 
BE 
BG 
CY 
CZ 
DE 
DK 
EE 
EL 

LV 
ES 
FI  MT 
NL 
FR 
PL 
HR 
PT 
HU 
RO 
IE 
SE 
IT 
SI 
LT 
SK 
LU 

22

29

affiliated

not affiliated

LV 
AT  ES 
BE 
FI  MT 
BG  FR  NL 
CY  HR  PL 
CZ  HU  PT 
RO 
IE 
DE 
SE 
IT 
DK 
SI 
LT 
EE 
SK 
LU 
EL 

25

72

affiliated

not affiliated

Source: Table 34 

 113 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

In 11 of the 23 countries, the food and drink sector is not covered entirely by the FoodDrinkEurope 
members.  Croatia  and  Bulgaria  have  the  largest  numbers  of  sectoral  segments  not  covered  by 
FoodDrinkEurope members (15 and 11 segments out of 16, respectively), followed by Portugal, with 
nine  missing  segments.  Hungary  and  Luxembourg  each  have  seven  missing  segments,  Poland  and 
Slovakia each have six missing segments, Greece has four missing segments and Austria, Estonia and 
Ireland each have three missing segments. 

In  the  food  subsector,  fish  processing  is  the  segment  most  commonly  missing  (eight  countries), 
followed by animal feeds and oils and fats manufacturing (five and four countries, respectively). In the 
drink subsector, the most commonly missing are manufacture of cider and fruit wine and manufacture 
of wine from grape, which are each missing in nine countries, and manufacture of other beverages 
and manufacture of malt, which are each missing in eight countries. 

The membership density of the FoodDrinkEurope members is highest in Croatia, at 30%. However, in 
the food subsector in Croatia, only manufacture of bakery products is represented. Drink producers 
from Croatia are not represented in FoodDrinkEurope. In six countries, the organisational density in 
terms of companies covered is between 10% and 18%, overall covering most of the activities in the 
sector. In the remaining 10 countries, where information is available, the density is below 10%. 

The  FoodDrinkEurope membership in  the  EU27 accounts  for 22%  (25 organisations) of all national 
sectoral  employer  organisations.  Of  those,  52%  (13  organisations)  are  involved  in  collective 
bargaining. In terms of sectoral coverage, all employer organisations in the food and drink subsector 
cover at least one segment of the food subsector, while 22 organisations cover at least one segment 
of  the  drink  subsector.  Overall,  each  segment  in  the  sector  is  covered  by  more  than  half  of  the 
FoodDrinkEurope members. 

Table 37: Membership domain of FoodDrinkEurope 

d
e
r
e
v
o
c

i

s
e
n
a
p
m
o
c

f
o
%

r
o
t
c
e
s
e
h
t
n

i

s
r
e
b
m
e
m

f
o
r
e
b
m
u
N
200 

700 

36 

156 

>240 

60 

100 

n.d. 

3,085 

270 

n.d. 

MS 

Employer 
organisation 

AT 

BE 

BG 

CZ 

DE 

DK 

EE 

EL 

ES 

FI 

FR 

FVNG (FIAA) 

FEVIA 

SHNB/СХНБ 

PK ČR 
Lebensmittelverband 
Deutschland 
DI Fødevarer 

ETL 

SEVT 

FIAB 

ETL 

ANIA 

Parts of the sector organised 

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

s
d
e
e
f

d
o
o
f

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

l

i

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1
5  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x 

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1

D
O
O
F
0
1

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1

O
4
.
0
1

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1

i

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
r
t
e
f
e
o
B
S
7
5
0
0
.
.
1
1
1
1
x  x  x  1  1 

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

K
N
R
D
1
1

I

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

10  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  1 

1  x 

x 

x  x 

1 

x  1 

17  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

4  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  1 

14  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x 

1  x 

x  x  x 

x  1 

n.d.  x 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x 

x  x  x  1  1 

11  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

15  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  1 

n.d.  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

 114 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Employer 
organisation 

HR 

HU 

IE 

IT 

LU 

NL 

PL 

PT 

RO 

SE 

SI 

SK 

HUP UPIIP 

FÉSZ 
Food Drink Ireland 
IBEC 
Federalimentare 

FIAL 

FNLI 

COV 

NVB 

PFPZ 

FIPA 

Romalimenta 

Li 

GZS – ZKŽP 

PKS 

r
o
t
c
e
s
e
h
t
n

i

s
r
e
b
m
e
m

f
o
r
e
b
m
u
N
974 

>500 

n.d. 

7,000 

17 

500 

42 

40 

>30 

n.d. 

26 

800 

223 

30 

25 

Out of the 112 EOs 

EU27 

22% 

Number of MSs 

23 

Parts of the sector organised 

d
e
r
e
v
o
c

i

s
e
n
a
p
m
o
c

f
o
%

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1

30 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1
x 

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1

D
O
O
F
0
1
1 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

I

K
N
R
D
1
1

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

1 

7  x 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x  1 

n.d.  x  x  x 

x  x  x  x  x  1  x 

x  x  x 

x  1  1 

13  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  1 

11  x 

x  x  x  x  x 

1 

x 

x 

x  1 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

9 

x 

1 

1 

x 

0  x 

x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1 

x 

n.d. 

x  x  x  x 

x  x  1 

1 

1 

x  1 

x  1 

0  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  1 

18  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  1 

9  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  1  1 

1  x 

x 

x 

x  x 

1  x  x 

x  x  x  1 

)

%
8
8
(
2
2

)

%
0
6
(
5
1

)

%
4
8
(
1
2

)

%
6
7
(
9
1

)

%
8
8
(
2
2

)

%
0
8
(
0
2

)

%
2
9
(
3
2

)

%
4
8
(
1
2

)

%
2
7
(
8
1

)

%
0
0
1
(
5
2

)

%
8
6
(
7
1

)

%
6
5
(
4
1

)

%
6
5
(
4
1

)

%
0
6
(
5
1

)

%
2
7
(
8
1

)

%
0
6
(
5
1

)

%
8
8
(
2
2

)

%
8
8
(
2
2

)

%
2
5
(
3
1

1

5
1

1
2

9
1

2
2

0
2

2
2

1
2

8
1

3
2

7
1

4
1

4
1

5
1

8
1

5
1

2
2

2
2

2
1

Out of the 
25 
FoodDrink
Europe 
members 

Out of the 

23 MSs  2

Notes: Light blue shading  denotes a positive response. Dark  blue shading indicates  organisations covering at 
least one part of the sector. Green shading denotes umbrella organisations. The unshaded member organisations 
are subsectoral organisations involved in collective bargaining that are indirectly affiliated through the umbrella 
organisations (shaded green). The member organisations shaded grey are like the umbrella organisations; they 
have a wider membership domain, covering almost all food and drink activities. The only exception is the Croatian 
national association HUP UPIIP, which covers only bakery activities in Croatia. EO, employer organisation; n.d., 
no data available. 

Sources: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020; Eurostat, Structural Business 
Statistics, 2017 (data from 2013 and 2014 were used for Ireland) 

 115 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table  38  gives  an  overview  of  whether  the  largest  employer  organisations  in  the  sector  are 
FoodDrinkEurope affiliates, of whether they cover all fields of activity in the sector and of the existence 
of other employer organisations in the country and other European organisations in all EU Member 
States.  The  largest  employer  organisations are  FoodDrinkEurope  affiliates  in  a total of 21 Member 
States, and the second largest are in two Member States. Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta have no 
FoodDrinkEurope  affiliations.  Overall,  at  least  one  of  the  largest  employer  organisations  has  a 
FoodDrinkEurope  affiliation  in  23  Member  States.  In  10  countries,  besides  the  FoodDrinkEurope 
affiliates, there are also other active employer organisations.  

Table 38: European affiliation of the largest and second largest employer organisations 

The largest EO 
is affiliated to 
FoodDrink 
Europe 

The second 
largest EO is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrink 
Europe 

x 

There are 
sectoral 
EOs not 
affiliated 
to 
FoodDrink
Europe 

All types 
of 
activities 
are 
covered 

MS 

AT 

BE 

BG 

CZ 

CY 

DE 

DK 

EE 

EL 

ES 

FI 

FR 

HR 

HU 

IE 

IT 

LT 

LU 

LV 

MT 

NL 

PL 

PT 

RO 

SE 

SI 

SK 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 EO in sector 

No EOs in sector 

1 EO in sector 

1 EO in sector 

x 

1 EO in sector 

1 EO in sector 

1 EO in sector 

1 EO in sector 

No EOs in sector 

1 EO in sector 

No EOs in sector 

1 EO in sector 

1 EO in sector 

1 EO in sector 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

Existence of any 
other European 
EOs with 
representativeness 
in the sector 

Representativeness of the 
EOs that are not members of 
FoodDrinkEurope 

No information available 
Lower than that for 
FoodDrinkEurope members 
Higher than that for 
FoodDrinkEurope members 

Non-members are affiliated 
to FoodDrinkEurope member 

No information available 
Lower than that for 
FoodDrinkEurope members 

No information available 

Lower than that for 
FoodDrinkEurope members 

Higher than that for 
FoodDrinkEurope members 

Higher than that for 
FoodDrinkEurope members 

Roughly similar to that for 
FoodDrinkEurope members 
Higher than that for 
FoodDrinkEurope members 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

 116 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

The largest EO 
is affiliated to 
FoodDrink 
Europe 

The second 
largest EO is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrink 
Europe 

All types 
of 
activities 
are 
covered 

There are 
sectoral 
EOs not 
affiliated 
to 
FoodDrink
Europe 

21 

2 

12 

13 

MS 

EU27 

Representativeness of the 
EOs that are not members of 
FoodDrinkEurope 

Existence of any 
other European 
EOs with 
representativeness 
in the sector 

10 

Note: Blue shading denotes a positive response. EO, employer organisation. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Table 39: European associations affiliated to FoodDrinkEurope 

Abbreviation 

Full name of the association 

AIJN 

Caobisco 

Ceereal 

CEFS 

Clitravi 

COFALEC 

European Fruit Juice 
Association 

Association of Chocolate, 
Biscuit and Confectionery 
Industries of Europe 
European Breakfast Cereal 
Association 

European Committee of 
Sugar Manufacturers 
Liaison Centre for the Meat 
Processing Industry in the 
European Union 
Confederation of EU Yeast 
Producers 

ECF 

European Coffee Federation 

European Dairy Association 

European Natural Soy and 
Plant-Based Foods 
Manufacturers Association 

EDA 

ENSA 

ESA 

ESA 

European Snacks Association 

Companies 

European Spice Association 

EUPPA 

European Potato Processors’ 
Association 

Type of 
members 

Associations 
and 
companies 
Associations 
and 
companies 
Associations 
and 
companies 
Companies 

Associations 

Associations 
and 
companies 
Associations 
and 
companies 
Associations 

Companies 

Associations 
and 
companies 
Associations 
and 
companies 

 117 

Number of Member States with 
affiliated associations, and number of 
member companies (where available) 
15 Member States 

15 Member States 

9 member associations in 8 Member 
States 
14 member company  
CEFS is an EU social partner in the 
sugar ESSDC 
20 Member States 

22 Member States 

Associations from 12 Member States 
35 member companies 

18 Member States and associated 
associations in 2 other Member States 
Companies from 5 Member States and 
1 associated company from another 
Member State 
Some of these companies are 
multinationals producing in several 
Member States 
59 member companies 
Claims to represent 80% of the EU 
market of snacks 
Member associations in 9 Member 
States and member companies in 
another 7 Member States 
6 Member States 
15 member companies, accounting for 
90% of processed potato production 
in Europe 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Abbreviation 

Full name of the association 

EuroGlaces 

European Ice Cream 
Association 

FEDIAF 

Fedima 

IMACE 

NMWE 

Profel 

European Pet Food Industry 
Federation 

Federation of European 
Manufacturers and Suppliers 
of Ingredients to the Bakery, 
Confectionery and Patisseries 
Industries 
European Margarine 
Association 
Natural Mineral Water 
Europe 

European Association of Fruit 
and Vegetable Processors 

Associations 
and 
companies 
Associations 
and 
companies 

SNE 

Specialised Nutrition Europe 

Associations 

spiritsEUROPE 

spiritsEUROPE 

Starch Europe 
BoEU 

Starch Europe 
Brewers of Europe 

THIE 

UNAFPA 

UNESDA 

Tea & Herbal Infusions 
Europe 

Union of Organisations of 
Manufacturers of Pasta 
Products of the EU 
Union Of European Soft 
Drinks Associations 

Associations 
and 
companies 
Companies 
Associations 

Associations 
and 
companies 
Associations 
and 
companies 
Associations 
and 
companies 

Type of 
members 

Associations 
and 
companies 
Associations 
and 
companies 
Associations 

Number of Member States with 
affiliated associations, and number of 
member companies (where available) 
Associations and companies from 8 
Member States 

18 Member States and 5 member 
companies 

13 Member States 

Companies 

11 member companies 

21 national business associations 
7 directly affiliated companies 

11 Member States 
Its members (500+ companies) 
employ more than 80,000 people in 
Europe 
National associations in 17 Member 
States 
National associations in 21 Member 
States and 11 member companies 

28 member companies 
National associations of 26 Member 
States 
Associations and companies from 11 
Member States 

Associations and companies from 8 
Member States 

23 Member States 

9 multinational companies 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

The following companies are affiliated to FoodDrinkEurope: 

•  AB InBev 
•  ADM 
•  Cargill 
•  Coca-Cola 
•  Danone 
•  DSM 
•  Ferrero 
•  GB Foods 

 118 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

•  General Mills 
• 
IFF 
•  Kellogg 
•  Kerry Group 
•  Kraft Heinz 
•  Mars 
•  McCain 
•  Mondelez 
•  Nestlé 
•  PepsiCo 
•  Roquette 
•  Südzucker 
•  Tate & Lyle 
•  Ülker 
•  Unilever 

3.4.  National employer organisations not represented in the ESSDC 
This section takes a closer look at those employer organisations not affiliated to FoodDrinkEurope, 
giving an overview of the limits and potentials of the membership level of FoodDrinkEurope. 

In Table, the details of those employer organisations are presented. Altogether, 13 Member States 
have employer organisations not represented by FoodDrinkEurope. In most of those countries (10), 
there are several such employer organisations. In Malta, the employer organisation not represented 
by FoodDrinkEurope is the only sectoral employer organisation in the country. 

The share of companies that are members of FoodDrinkEurope-affiliated employer organisations is 
highest in Italy (66%) and Germany (46%), followed by the Netherlands (29%) and Portugal (21%). In 
the other eight countries, it is below 16%. In Italy and Slovenia, all parts of the food and drink sector 
are  covered  by one  employer  organisation  or  a  combination  of  several  employer  organisations.  In 
other countries, only some of the sectoral segments are covered by those employer organisations not 
affiliated  to  FoodDrinkEurope.  The  food  subsector  is  at  least  partly  covered  by  one  employer 
organisation or a combination of several employer organisations in all countries, whereas the drink 
subsector is at least partly covered in 10 countries. 

is  significantly 

Those employer organisations not affiliated to FoodDrinkEurope account for 73% (82) of all national 
sectoral  employer  organisations.  However,  all  of  the  organisations  are  involved  in  collective 
bargaining.  The  sectoral  coverage 
lower  than  that  for  the  members  of 
FoodDrinkEurope. Some 83% of employer organisations (68) cover parts of the food subsector and 
33% (27) cover parts of the drink subsector. The vast majority of the organisations (68 in total, 83%) 
have narrow width, being active  in  1–5  segments  in the sector.  Eight organisations (10%) cover all 
segments, while five organisations (6%) cover 6–13 segments. Overall, the coverage of each segment 
is 13–34%, being on average 25%, which is significantly lower than that for FoodDrinkEurope affiliates 
(74%). 

 119 

 
 
i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 40: Characteristics of employer organisations not represented in the ESSDC 

Parts of the sector covered 

r
o
t
c
e
s
e
h
t
n

i

s
r
e
b
m
e
m

f
o
r
e
b
m
u
N

i

s
e
n
a
p
m
o
c

l
l

a
f
o
%

n.d. 

n.d. 

0 

7 

30 

11 

73 

105 

19 

248 

225 

4 

n.d. 

10,491 

46 

n.d. 

2,400 

15 

600 

225 

70 

244 

320 

66 

60 

58 

700 

20 

8 

S
M

Employer 
organisation 

AT 

BE 

BILG 

FGBB 

SPZZP/СПЗЗП 

SPKF/СПКФ 

BG 

AMB/АМБ 

SPB/СПБ 

NBPS/НБПС 

BDSI 

DE 

VdZ 
Verband deutscher 
Großbäckereien 
Zentralverband des 
Deutschen 
Bäckerhandwerks 

SEV 

EL 

GSEVEE 

ANICE 

Fenaval 

AFHSE 

Conxemar 

CESFAC 

Produlce 

FENIL 

ANEABE 

FEV 

Anfabra 

ES 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1
x 

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1
x 

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1
x 

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1
x 

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1
x 

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1
x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1
x 

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1
x 

D
O
O
F
0
1
1 

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1
x 

I

K
N
R
D
1
1
1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

 120 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Parts of the sector covered 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1
x 

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1
x 

x 

i

s
e
n
a
p
m
o
c

l
l

a
f
o
%

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1

x 

x 

x 

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1
x 

x 

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1
x 

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1
x 

x 

D
O
O
F
0
1
1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

No data available  

r
o
t
c
e
s
e
h
t
n

i

s
r
e
b
m
e
m

f
o
r
e
b
m
u
N

241 

282 

72 

225 

193 

231 

6 

118 

58 

6 

4 

43 

186 

508 

36,353 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

<507 

n.d. 

14 

13 

62 

21 

33 

100 

n.d. 

57 

92 

<1,130 

130 

26 

7 

<200 

S
M

Employer 
organisation 

Alliance 7 

FNIL 

Culture Viande 

FEDEV 

FICT 

ANMF 

BRF 

ABF 

FEDALIM 

CSEM 

SNSF 

SNIPO 

Adepale  

CVNVS 
Confartigianato 
Alimentazione 

I Alimentare 

Casartigiani 

CLAAI 
Legacoop 
Agroalimentare 

Agrital – AGCI 
Fedagri-
Confcooperative 

FR 

IT 

MT  MEA 

NL 

NZO 

VIGEF 

FWS 

AKSV 

VBZ 

Gemzu 

NEPLUVI 

NEVEDI 

NBOV 

KVNW 

SpiritsNL 

VisNed 

VNV (fish) 

VNV (meat) 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

X 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

4 

66 

4 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

32 

29 

x 

 121 

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

I

K
N
R
D
1
1

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

l

s
e
b
a
t
e
g
e
v
d
n
a
t
i
u
r
F
3
.
0
1
x 

i

s
e
n
a
p
m
o
c

l
l

a
f
o
%

t
a
e
M
1
.
0
1

h
s
i
F
2
.
0
1
x 

s
t
a
f
d
n
a
s
l
i

O
4
.
0
1

x 

y
r
i
a
D
5
.
0
1

x 

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
p

l
l
i

i

m
n
a
r
G
6
.
0
1

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

r
o
t
c
e
s
e
h
t
n

i

s
r
e
b
m
e
m

f
o
r
e
b
m
u
N

400 

65 

50 

n.d. 

5 

39 

69 

17 

n.d. 

4 

n.d. 

24 

6 

630 

700 

205 

133 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

n.d. 

21 

60 

200 

10 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

2 

8 

8 

x 

0 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

S
M

Employer 
organisation 

Ancipa 

Casa do Azeite 

ANIL 

APIM 

ANIA 

AICC 

IACA 

APIAM 

Ancave 

ITA 

ALIF 

ANICP 

AIT 

ACIP 

AIPAN 

AIPL 

Asimpala 

ADCP 

ZZS 

ZDS 

SCS 

SZVPS 

ZVLaL 

PT 

SI 

SK 

Parts of the sector covered 

e
n
w

i

t
i
u
r
f
d
n
a
r
e
d
C
3
0
.
1
1

i

e
p
a
r
g
m
o
r
f
e
n
W
2
0
.
1
1

i

s
e
g
a
r
e
v
e
b
r
e
h
t
O
4
0
.
1
1

r
e
e
B
5
0
.
1
1

t
l
a
M
6
0
.
1
1

r
e
t
a
w
d
n
a
s
k
n
i
r
d
t
f
o
S
7
0
.
1
1

s
d
e
e
f

l

i

a
m
n
A
9
.
0
1

d
o
o
f

r
e
h
t
O
8
.
0
1
x 

y
r
e
k
a
B
7
.
0
1
x 

s
t
i
r
i
p
S
1
0
.
1
1

D
O
O
F
0
1
1 

i

i

g
n
n
a
g
r
a
b
e
v
i
t
c
e

l
l

o
c
n

i

t
n
e
m
e
v
l
o
v
n

I

I

K
N
R
D
1
1

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

x 

1 

x 

1 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

x 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

3
EOs  2

7
1

8
1

4
1

0
2

7
1

8
2

6
2

5
1

8
6

4
1

4
1

2
1

3
1

3
1

1
1

1
2

7
2

2
8

EU27 

82 EOs (out of 112) in 13 MSs 
are not represented 

%
3
7

%
8
2

%
1
2

%
2
2

%
7
1

%
4
2

%
1
2

%
4
3

%
2
3

%
8
1

%
3
8

%
7
1

%
7
1

%
5
1

%
6
1

%
6
1

%
3
1

%
6
2

%
3
3

%
0
0
1

0
MSs  1

7

8

7

0
1

8

1
1

2
1

8

3
1

7

7

5

6

5

5

9

0
1

3
1

Notes: Coloured shading denotes a positive response. Dark blue shading indicates organisations covering at least 
one  part  of  the  sector.  Dark  green  shading  denotes  umbrella  organisations.  Light  green  shading  denotes  the 
member organisations of an umbrella organisation. EO, employer organisation; n.d., no data available. 

Sources: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020; Eurostat, Structural Business 
Statistics, 2017 (data from 2013 and 2014 were used for Ireland) 

 122 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

3.5.  Other European trade union organisations 
An  overview  of  national  trade  unions’  affiliations  to  European  associations  other  than  EFFAT  is 
provided in Error! Reference source not found.. None of these associations has affiliates from more 
than five Member States. 

The organisations shaded grey in Table 41 are not related to the food and drink sector; trade unions 
covering the food and drink sector are affiliated to them for their members from other sectors. In 
addition, the IUF can be ignored as this is a global trade union organisation to which most of the EFFAT 
members in the sector are also affiliated. 

This leaves only three other European associations (shaded green in Table 41), each with one affiliated 
food and drink trade union in one Member State. These are AEDIL, EZA and EUCDW. The three national 
sectoral trade unions affiliated to these are all already represented by EFFAT in the ESSDC. 

AEDIL  deals  with  the  dairy  sector.  The  Netherlands  is  the  only  country  with  an  affiliate.  The  other 
organisations mentioned do not deal directly with the food and drink sector as they are concentrated 
on horizontal topics (such as education, as is the case for the EZA) or forming their membership base 
on the basis of something other than sector (such as religion, as is the case for the EUCDW). 

Table  41:  Other  EU  trade  union  associations  with  food  and  drink  sector  national  trade  unions  as 
members 

Other EU trade union associations 

Member States 
with an affiliate 
according to the 
organisation’s 
website 

Member States 
with a food and 
drink sector 
affiliate 

Abbreviation 

Full name 

Assessment of sector-relatedness 

UNI Europa 

European Services 
Workers’ Union 

Does not cover food and drink 

27 

IndustriAll 
Europe 

IndustriAll European 
Trade Union 

Does not cover food and drink 

27 

5 (AT, BE, FI, FR, 
PT), of which 4 (AT, 
BE, FI, FR) are 
affiliated to EFFAT 
5 (AT, CY, EE, ES, 
LV), of which 4 (AT, 
CY, ES, LV) are 
affiliated to EFFAT 

IUF 

International Union of 
Food, Agricultural, 
Hotel, Restaurant, 
Catering, Tobacco and 
Allied Workers’ 
Associations 

The IUF is an international trade 
union organisation covering a variety 
of industries from agriculture to food 
and drink production and Horeca, 
thus covering a large share of the 
food chain. 

25 (excluding EE, 
PT) 

3 (ES, HR, SK), all of 
which are affiliated 
to EFFAT 

ETUC 

European Trade Union 
Confederation 

ETUC is a cross-industry peak-level 
European trade union organisation. 
ETUC comprises 90 national 
organisations from 38 countries. 

27 

3 (MT, NL, SE), all of 
which are affiliated 
to EFFAT 

 123 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

AEDIL 

Association of 
European Dairy 
Industry Learning 

European Centre for 
Workers’ Questions 

EZA 

ETF 

AEDIL promotes and protects the 
dairy profession and the dairy sector 
in Europe and contributes to the 
coordination and adaptation of dairy-
related education. The organisation 
has a total of 15 members. 

The EZA is committed to the 
education of workers and uniting 
workers’ organisations, unions and 
educational institutions in 29 
European countries. It has 70 
members. 

11 (AT, DE, DK, FI, 
FR, IE, IT, LU, NL, PL, 
SE) 

1 (FI), which is not 
affiliated to EFFAT 

23 (excluding EE, FI, 
IE, SE) 

1 (MT), which is not 
affiliated to EFFAT 

European Transport 
Federation 

Transport workers’ federation 

27 

1 (AT), which is 
affiliated to EFFAT 

EUCDW 

European Union of 
Christian Democratic 
Workers 

Eurofedop 

European Federation 
of Public Service 
Employees 

The EUCDW unites Christian 
democratic workers’ organisations 
from all sectors. It has 24 member 
organisations from 18 European 
countries, including Christian 
democratic trade unions, Christian 
social movements and workers’ 
associations in political parties. 

Eurofedop unites 41 public service 
trade unions from 23 countries. 

Does not seem to be food-related. Its 
website refers to the creation of the 
following trade councils in order to 
increase co-operation between 
members: postal services and 
telecommunications; local and 
regional authorities; ministries and 
finances; health services; police; 
defence; and justice. 

15 (AT, BE, CZ, DE, 
EL, ES, HU, IE, IT, 
LU, MT, NL, PT, RO, 
SI) 

1 (NL), which is 
affiliated to EFFAT 

16 (AT, BE, DE, DK, 
EL, ES, FR, HU, IE, 
LT, MT, NL, PT, RO, 
SI, SK) 

1 (MT), which is not 
affiliated to EFFAT 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

3.6.  Other  European  employer  organisations  and  EU  business 

associations 

An  overview  of  the  membership  of  the  national  employer  organisations/business  associations  is 
provided in Tables 42 and 43. In contrast to the case of trade unions, the number of other European 
organisations  with  affiliates  among  national  food  and  drink  sector  employer organisations  is  quite 
large. A total of 60 organisations were identified in this study. However, most of the organisations (47) 
have affiliates from only one or two Member States. All of the organisations focus on specific parts of 
the food and drink sector (e.g. meat processing, manufacture of dairy products, fruit and vegetable 
processing), so there are no organisations covering the food and drink sector as a whole. The most 
prominent of these organisations, based on this study, are the EDA, which deals with manufacture of 

 124 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

dairy  products,  and  FEFAC,  which  deals  with  animal  feeds  (both  have  affiliates  from  six  Member 
States). Five countries have organisations affiliated to Brewers of Europe. 

Table 42: Other EU associations not affiliated to FoodDrinkEurope with food and drink sector national 
employer organisations/business associations as members 

Other EU employer organisation 

Abbreviation 

Full name 

Assessment of sector-relatedness 

FEFAC 

European Feed 
Manufacturers’ Federation 

AIPCE-CEP 

EU Fish Processors and 
Traders Association 

EFM 

European Flour Millers 

UECBV 

European Livestock and Meat 
Trading Union 

AVEC 

Association of Poultry 
Processors and Poultry Trade 
in the EU Countries 

FEFAC represents and promotes 
the interests of the European 
compound feed and premix 
industry. It has 22 full members, 6 
associate members and 2 observer 
members from a total of 27 
countries. 
AIPCE-CEP represents companies 
related to fish. The association 
represents a total of 22 
associations from 15 countries, 
accounting for more than 3,900 
enterprises and 128,000 
employees (80% 
representativeness at EU level). 
EFM is the association 
representing the European wheat, 
rye and oat milling industry at both 
EU and international levels. 
Members are the representative 
national associations from 28 
European countries. In 
representing over 90% of the 
milling capacity in Europe, it is able 
to reflect credibly and 
authoritatively the interests of the 
industry. 
UECBV is the EU voice of national 
federations representing livestock 
markets, livestock traders, meat 
traders and the meat industry. It 
unites 53 national or regional 
federations in 24 Member States 
and Japan, Norway, Russia, 
Switzerland and Ukraine. In total, 
some 20,000 firms of all sizes and 
over 230,000 jobs are represented 
through the UECBV. 
AVEC is the voice of the European 
poultry meat sector. It facilitates 
communication and exchange 
between international 
organisations and decision-makers, 
and focuses on key areas such as 
animal health and welfare, food 
safety and quality, trade and 
sustainable development. It has 
members from 17 Member States. 

 125 

Member 
States with 
an affiliate 
according to 
the 
organisation’s 
website 

21 (excluding 
EE, EL, HR, LU, 
LV, MT)  

Member States 
with a food and 
drink sector 
affiliate 

6 (AT, BG, ES, FI, 
PT, SI), of which 
3 (AT, FI, SI) are 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

12 (BE, DE, 
DK, ES, FI, FR, 
IE, IT, NL, PL, 
PT, SE)  

3 (ES, FI, NL), of 
which 1 (FI) is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

23 (excluding 
HU, MT, RO, 
SK)  

EE, LV and LT 
represented 
by Baltic 
Millers 
Association 

3 (ES, FI, SI), of 
which 2 (FI, SI) 
are affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

23 (excluding 
EE, LT, LV, SK) 

3 (ES, FI, NL), of 
which 2 (FI, NL) 
are affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope  

16 (AT, BE, 
DE, DK, ES, FI, 
FR, HU, IT, LV, 
NL, PL, PT, 
RO, SI, SE)  

2 (FI, NL), of 
which 1 (FI) is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Other EU employer organisation 

Abbreviation 

Full name 

Assessment of sector-relatedness 

European Confederation of 
National Bakery and 
Confectionery Organisations 

CEBP is a confederation of the 
national bakery and confectionery 
associations in the EU Member 
States. CEBP represents more than 
190,000 SMEs with more than 2 
million employees in 17 countries, 
concentrating on the 
strengthening and promotion of 
SMEs in Europe. 

European Committee of Wine 
Companies 

Not relevant 

No data 

European Chilled Food 
Federation  

Not relevant 

No data 

CEBP 

CEEV 

ECFF 

EFPRA 

European Fat Processors and 
Renderers Association 

Not relevant 

Euromalt 

Working Committee of the EU 
Malting Industry 

Not relevant 

AEDIL 

AIBI  

Association of European Dairy 
Industry Learning 

Not relevant 

International Baking 
Association 

Not relevant 

AIM 

European Brands Association  Not relevant 

AIPCE 

European Fish Processors 
Association 

Not relevant 

Assifonte 

Association of the Processed 
Cheese Industry in the EU 

Not relevant 

CEEP 

European Centre of Employers 
and Enterprises Providing 
Public Services 

Not relevant 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

Copa-Cogeca 

Copa-Cogeca 

Not relevant 

No data 

Culinaria 
Europe  

Federation of Associations 
and Enterprises of Industrial 
Culinary Product Producers in 
Europe 

Not relevant 

No data 

EBA 

European Biogas Association 

Not relevant 

No data 

 126 

Member 
States with 
an affiliate 
according to 
the 
organisation’s 
website 

Member States 
with a food and 
drink sector 
affiliate 

14 (AT, BE, 
DE, DK, EL, ES, 
FI, FR, HU, IT, 
LU, NL, RO, 
SE)  

2 (AT, DE), 
neither of which 
is affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

2 (ES, NL), 
neither of which 
is affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
2 (FI, NL), of 
which 1 (FI) is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
2 (AT, PT), of 
which 1 (AT) is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
2 (AT, FI), both of 
which are 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (FI), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (SI), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (FI), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (PT), which is 
not affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (AT), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (MT), which is 
not affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
3 (HR, IT, SI), of 
which 1 (HR) is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

1 (AT), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

1 (SI), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Other EU employer organisation 

Abbreviation 

Full name 

Assessment of sector-relatedness 

Member 
States with 
an affiliate 
according to 
the 
organisation’s 
website 

Eucolait 

Eucolait 

Not relevant 

European Cold Storage and 
Logistics Association 

Not relevant 

EESC ‘Various Activities’ Group 
(Group ΙΙΙ, ‘Diversity Europe’) 

Not relevant 

ECSLA 

EESC ‘Various 
Activities’ 
Group (Group 
ΙΙΙ, ‘Diversity 
Europe’) 

EFM 

European Milk Forum  

Not relevant 

ESC 

European Shippers’ Council 

Not relevant 

European SME 
Assembly 

European SME Assembly 

Not relevant 

Fediol 

Fedolive 

FEFAC 

EU Vegetable Oil and Protein 
Meal Industry 

Not relevant 

Federation of the Olive Oil 
Industry of the EEC 

Not relevant 

European Feed 
Manufacturers’ Federation 

Not relevant 

FSE 

Food Supplements Europe 

Not relevant 

GSSI 

Global Sustainable Seafood 
Initiative 

Not relevant 

IDF 

International Dairy Federation   Not relevant 

IMACE 

LDAC 

International Margarine 
Association of the Countries of 
Europe 

Not relevant 

Long Distance Fleet Advisory 
Council 

Not relevant 

MAC  

Market Advisory Council 

Not relevant 

OEIT 

TomatoEurope Processors 
Association 

Not relevant 

OMC 

Oat Millers Committee 

Not relevant 

 127 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

Member States 
with a food and 
drink sector 
affiliate 

1 (NL), which is 
not affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (AT), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

1 (EL), which is 
not affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

1 (NL), which is 
not affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (AT), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (EL), which is 
not affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (FI), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (PT), which is 
not affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (AT), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (SI), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (ES), which is 
not affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (FI), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (AT), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (ES), which is 
not affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (ES), which is 
not affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (ES), which is 
not affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (FI), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Other EU employer organisation 

Abbreviation 

Full name 

Assessment of sector-relatedness 

SGF 

Sure-Global-Fair  

Not relevant 

SMEunited 

SMEunited (formerly 
UEAPME) 

Not relevant 

Starch Europe 

Starch Europe 

Not relevant 

UIBC 

WAPA 

International Union of Bakers 
and Confectioners 

Not relevant 

World Apple and Pear 
Association 

Not relevant 

BusinessEurope  BusinessEurope 

Cross-industry social partner 
organisation 

Member 
States with 
an affiliate 
according to 
the 
organisation’s 
website 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

Member States 
with a food and 
drink sector 
affiliate 

1 (FI), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (EL), which is 
not affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (FI), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (DE), which is 
not affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (SI), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
3 (EL, HR, SE), of 
which 2 (HR, SE) 
are affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Table 43:  Other  EU  associations  affiliated to  FoodDrinkEurope  with  food  and drink  sector  national 
employer organisations/business associations as members 

Other EU employer organisation 

Abbreviation 

Full name 

Assessment of sector-relatedness 

EDA 

European Dairy 
Association 

BoEU 

Brewers of Europe 

Caobisco 

Association of 
Chocolate, Biscuit 
and Confectionery 
Industries of 
Europe 

The EDA unites all types of dairy 
companies, cooperatives and 
privately owned dairies, world 
dairy leaders and SMEs in the milk 
processing industry. It has 31 
national delegates from 22 
countries. 
The organisation promotes the 
beer industry in Europe, with 
members from a total of 29 
countries and representing more 
than 11,000 breweries in Europe. 
Caobisco stands for flexible and 
responsible marketing 
opportunities and the 
development of an innovative, 
sustainable, competitive and 
creative chocolate, biscuit and 
confectionery industry in Europe. 
With 15 national member 
associations and direct member 
companies and affiliated 
members, Caobisco is the voice of 
more than 12,700 companies in 
the sector. 

 128 

Member States 
with an affiliate 
according to the 
organisation’s 
website 

Member States 
with a food and 
drink sector 
affiliate 

19 (AT, BE, CZ, DE, 
DK, EE, EL, ES, FI, 
FR, IE, IT, LU, NL, 
PL, PT, SE, SI, SK)  

25 (excluding EE, 
LV)  

6 (BG, ES, FI, NL, 
PT, SI), of which 2 
(FI, SI) are 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

5 (AT, BG, FR, SI, 
SK), of which 2 
(AT, SI) are 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

12 (AT, BE, DE, ES, 
FI, FR, HU, IE, IT, 
NL, PL as national 
associations and EL 
as an affiliated 
member)  

4 (AT, DE, ES, FI), 
of which 2 (AT, FI) 
are affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

 
 
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Other EU employer organisation 

Abbreviation 

Full name 

Assessment of sector-relatedness 

Clitravi 

Profel 

Liaison Centre for 
the Meat 
Processing 
Industry in the 
European Union 

European 
Association of 
Fruit and 
Vegetable 
Processors 

SNE 

Specialised 
Nutrition Europe 

UNESDA 

Soft Drink Europe 

NMWE 

CEFS 

ECF 

ESA 

Fedima 

Natural Mineral 
Waters Europe 

(before 2021: 
EFBW, European 
Federation of 
Bottled Waters) 

European 
Association of 
Sugar 
Manufacturers 

European Coffee 
Federation 

European Spice 
Association 

Federation of 
European 
Manufacturers and 
Suppliers of 
Ingredients to the 
Bakery, 

Member States 
with an affiliate 
according to the 
organisation’s 
website 

Member States 
with a food and 
drink sector 
affiliate 

20 (excluding CY, 
EE, LU, LV, MT, SI, 
SK)  

4 (AT, ES, FI, NL), 
of which 2 (AT, FI) 
are affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

10 (AT, BE, DE, EL, 
ES, FI, FR, HU, IT, 
NL) 

4 (AT, ES, FI, NL), 
of which 2 (AT, FI) 
are affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope  

17 (AT, BE, DE, DK, 
EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, 
HU, IE, IT, NL, PL, 
PT, RO, SE)  

4 (AT, FI, HR, PL), 
all of which are 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

20 (excluding CY, 
HR, HU, LT, LV, MT, 
PL)  

4 (AT, ES, PL, SI), 
of which 3 (AT, 
PL, SI) are 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

19 (excluding CY, 
EE, FI, LT, LV, MT, 
SE, SK)  

3 (ES, PT, SI), of 
which 1 (SI) is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

Clitravi is a professional 
organisation with the aim of 
representing the interests of the 
European meat processing 
industry. It is in a dialogue with 
relevant EU institutions and a 
member of FoodDrinkEurope. It 
has 26 national member 
organisations. 
Profel promotes the interests and 
facilitates cooperation between 
more than 500 companies active 
in the fruit and vegetable 
processing industry, which employ 
more than 80,000 employees in 
11 countries. 
SNE members are the national 
associations from 19 European 
countries whose members are 
companies producing tailor-made 
dietary solutions for populations 
with very specific nutritional 
needs. 
UNESDA promotes the interests of 
consumers and producers of non-
alcoholic beverages across Europe 
and aims for increased 
competitiveness and 
sustainability.  
NMWE, established in 2003, is a 
non-profit trade association 
addressing all issues impacting the 
industry, raising them before both 
EU institutions and international 
organisations. It represents more 
than 500 companies in Europe 
through 24 trade associations, 7 
direct company members and 7 
affiliate members. 

Not relevant 

No data 

Not relevant 

No data 

Not relevant 

No data 

Not relevant 

No data 

 129 

2 (DE, SK), neither 
of which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
2 (AT, FI), both of 
which are 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
2 (AT, FI), both of 
which are 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

2 (AT, PT), of 
which 1 (AT) is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Other EU employer organisation 

Abbreviation 

Full name 

Assessment of sector-relatedness 

Member States 
with an affiliate 
according to the 
organisation’s 
website 

Member States 
with a food and 
drink sector 
affiliate 

Confectionery and 
Patisseries 
Industries 

European Fruit 
Juice Association 

European 
Breakfast Cereal 
Association 

Not relevant 

Not relevant 

AIJN 

Ceereal 

EuroGlaces 

European Ice 
Cream Association 

Not relevant 

spiritsEUROPE 

spiritsEUROPE 

Not relevant 

Starch Europe 

Starch Europe 

Not relevant 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

No data 

1 (FI), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (FI), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (DE), which is 
not affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (AT), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 
1 (FI), which is 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope 

Note: Table 39 provides other information on these companies. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

 130 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

3.7.  Summary for Member States with the largest sectoral workforce 
This section  describes the membership of the ESSDC-represented  organisations  in the six  Member 
States with the largest food and drink sector workforces in absolute numbers. This is followed by a 
description of the membership in the Member States with the largest food and drink sector workforce 
as a proportion of the total employment in the country (between 2.9% and 4.0%). Table and Table 45 
show  that,  in  the  countries  with  the  most  significant  employment  levels,  both  employees  and 
employers are represented in the ESSDC by at least one organisation in each country. In each country, 
at least one trade union involved in collective bargaining is represented in the ESSDC. On the other 
hand, employer organisations involved in collective bargaining are present in only two countries. 

Table 44: Affiliations in Member States with sectoral employment in excess of 200,000 

Total number of 
people employed 
(2019) 

At least one 
national TU 
represented in the 
ESSDC 

At least one 
national TU 
involved in 
collective 
bargaining 
represented in the 
ESSDC 

At least one 
national EO 
represented in the 
ESSDC 

At least one 
national EO 
involved in 
collective 
bargaining 
represented in the 
ESSDC 

862,600 

679,100 

520,600 

513,800 

504,100 

221,800 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

yes 

* 

* 

* 

yes 

yes 

MS 

DE 

FR 

ES 

PL 

IT 

RO 

Notes: Coloured shading denotes a positive response. *The affiliated organisation is an umbrella organisation 
not  involved  in  collective  bargaining  but  whose  members  are  involved  in  collective  bargaining.  EO,  employer 
organisation; TU, trade union. 

Sources: Eurostat, Labour Force Survey, 2019; Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 
2020 

Next, a closer look at countries with the highest sectoral employment levels in which there are no 
employer organisations involved in collective bargaining (Table 45) is taken. In France, Germany and 
Spain, there are several employer organisations per country, but only one per country is represented 
in  the  ESSDC.  All  of  these  are  umbrella  organisations  that  themselves  are  not  active  in  collective 
bargaining; rather, their members are involved in such bargaining. In Poland, there is only one relevant 
employer organisation. 

 131 

 
 
  
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 45: Affiliations in the Member States where the food and drink sector has the largest share of 
total employment 

MS 

Share of total 
employment (2019) 
(%) 

At least one 
national TU 
represented in the 
ESSDC 

At least one 
national TU involved 
in collective 
bargaining 
represented in the 
ESSDC 

At least one 
national EO 
represented in the 
ESSDC 

At least one 
national EO 
involved in 
collective bargaining 
represented in the 
ESSDC 

HR 

EL 

BG 

HU 

PL 

LT 

4.0 

3.4 

3.3 

3.2 

3.1 

2.9 

Note: Coloured shading denotes a positive response. EO, employer organisation; TU, trade union. 

Sources: Eurostat, Labour Force Survey, 2019; Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 
2020 

In some countries in which food and drink sector employment represents the largest share (compared 
with  other  sectors)  of  the  total  employment  in  the  country,  there  are  no  employer  organisations 
involved in collective bargaining (see Table 45). In Hungary and Poland, the organisation represented 
in the ESSDC is the only employer organisation present in each country. The employer organisation 
represented in the ESSDC from Bulgaria is the only one out of six employer organisations in the country 
that is not involved in collective bargaining. 

3.8.  European social partner organisations’ capacity to negotiate 
EFFAT  was  established  in  its  current  form  in  December  2000.  However,  cooperation  structures 
between food and drink sector trade unions date back to 1958 (Fattmann, 2008). According to the 
EFFAT statutes of 7 November 2019, one of its tasks is to ‘promote social dialogue at all levels and 
collective bargaining at national and sectoral level’ (Article 3). The European role of EFFAT is, among 
other things, ‘negotiating/bargaining on behalf of its member organisations in the social dialogue and 
in transnational negotiations with companies’. Article 17Q of the EFFAT statutes clearly defines the 
duties of the EFFAT Executive Committee in the case of negotiations, in terms of the composition and 
mandate of a negotiation delegation, how the committee is to be kept informed and how it decides 
on draft texts and agreements. Therefore, EFFAT’s statutes set out a clear role of negotiation. The 
procedures for this were set out in a separate document as referred to in Article 17Q. 

EFFAT has 14 staff members, of which three are regularly involved in the food and drink ESSDC. EFFAT 
has  a  website  with  a  subsection  on  food  and  a  members-only  section,  which  is  mainly  used  to 
coordinate the work of European Works Councils. Within EFFAT, there is a specific Food, Drink and 
Tobacco Sector. This sector has a board and an annual general assembly, at which an action plan for 
work in the year ahead is created. The EFFAT Executive Committee is the main decision-making body 
contributing to the texts and agreements of the food and drink ESSDC. 

 132 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

FoodDrinkEurope  is  the  successor  of  the  CIAA,  which  was  founded  in  1982  and  renamed 
FoodDrinkEurope in June 2011. In the latest version of its statutes, from 2015, the activities of the 
ESSDC  could  fall  within  what  is  set  out  in  Article 4.2I–L,  although  social  dialogue  with  trade  union 
organisations is not explicitly mentioned. 

FoodDrinkEurope has 23 staff members, of which two are regularly involved in food and drink ESSDC 
activities.  It  has  a  website  and  an  extranet  for  communicating  with  its  members.  These  contain 
publications related to EU activities, including those of European agencies such as the European Food 
Safety  Authority,  and  the  positions  and  documents  that  FoodDrinkEurope  agrees  within  its 
membership on market and competitive issues. Within FoodDrinkEurope, there is a social dialogue 
working group for internal discussions related to the ESSDC. In addition, the competitiveness working 
group and the research and development working group sometimes deal with transversal issues that 
are also relevant for the ESSDC,  such as  skills-related matters, the impact of COVID-19 and the EU 
Farm to Fork Strategy. 

FoodDrinkEurope states that it has the capacity to negotiate on behalf of its members,  following a 
standard  mandating  procedure  and  formalised  procedures  for  mandating  and  decision-making  on 
draft social partner texts or agreements. These are  generally embedded in the voting rights of the 
member  organisations  set out  in  Article 8  of the  FoodDrinkEurope  statutes,  although  there  are  no 
specified procedures for agreeing European social partner texts or agreements. Positions are rarely 
voted upon, as FoodDrinkEurope is a consensus-based organisation. Draft documents are normally 
discussed by the FoodDrinkEurope social dialogue working group. A decision is made by consensus of 
all members of the working group and with the approval of the director-general of FoodDrinkEurope, 
who can sign the text on behalf of the organisation. The April 2020 guidelines for the safety of workers 
in the sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, given this was an urgent issue, were discussed only with 
the chairperson of the FoodDrinkEurope social dialogue committee, and subsequently shared with the 
committee  members  for  comments.  Only  when  agreement  cannot  be  reached  by  the 
FoodDrinkEurope social dialogue committee would a matter be brought to the executive board of the 
organisation. This has not yet been necessary. 

EFFAT  and  FoodDrinkEurope  have  cooperated  regularly  since  2011,  in  the  ESSDC  and  in  three  EU-
funded projects. A fourth joint project has started in 2022. 

3.9.  Effective participation in the ESSDC 
There  were  three  plenary  meetings  of  the  food  and  drink  ESSDC  in  2018  (in  January,  June  and 
November) and two in 2019 (in February and June). Except for the June 2018 meeting, at which there 
were  only  eight  delegates  representing  trade  unions,  the  number  of  trade  union  delegates  varied 
between 13 and 16 (from seven to nine different Member States) for these meetings. The number of 
delegates  representing  employer  organisations  varied  from  two  to  six  (from  two  to  four  different 
Member States). 

Looking at countries from which there was effective participation in the ESSDC for the sector in 2018 
and 2019 (Table 46), the trade union side had participants from 12 Member States, and the employer 
delegation had participants from four Member States. 

 133 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 46: Effective participation in the ESSDC for the food and drink sector, 2018–2019 

12  Member  States  with  trade  union  participation  in 
the ESSDC for the food and drink sector 

BE, BG, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, IE, IT, MT, RO, 
SE 

14  Member  States  for  which  EFFAT  has  affiliated 
sectoral  trade  unions  but  that  did  not  participate  in 
the ESSDC 

AT, CY, EL, HR, HU, LT, LU, LV, NL, PL, PT, 
RO, SI, SK 

4  Member  States  with  employer  organisation 
participation  in  the  ESSDC  for  the  food  and  drink 
sector 

BE, DE, DK, HR 

19  Member  States  for  which  FoodDrinkEurope  has 
affiliated sectoral employer organisations but that did 
not participate in the ESSDC 

AT, BG, CZ, EE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HU, IE, IT, LU, 
NL, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK 

Note: For this analysis, three meetings in 2018 (in January, June and November) and two meetings in 2019 (in 
February and June) were considered. 

Source: Eurofound and the European Commission, 2018/2019 

This means that EFFAT has affiliated trade unions in the food and drink sector in 14 Member States 
that did not participate in ESSDC meetings in 2018 or 2019: Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, 
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. 

On  the  side  of  the  European  employer  organisations,  19  Member  States  had  no  employer 
representative  in  any  of  the  2018  or  2019  meetings  of  the  ESSDC,  even  though  there  are 
FoodDrinkEurope-affiliated organisations in these Member States. These Member States are Austria, 
Bulgaria,  Czechia,  Estonia,  Finland,  France,  Greece,  Hungary,  Ireland,  Italy,  Luxembourg,  the 
Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. 

 134 

 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Conclusions 

There are 4.7 million employees in the food and drink sector in the EU27,  constituting 2.4% of the 
total EU workforce. Two-thirds of the EU food and drink workforce are employed in five EU Member 
States: Germany (18%), France (14%), Italy, Poland and Spain (each 11%). In Croatia, 4% of the total 
national workforce is employed in the food and drink sector, which is the highest proportion in the 
EU27. In Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary and Poland, this proportion is between 3% and 4%. For all other 
countries, the food and drink sector accounts for less than 3% of the national workforce. The lowest 
proportions can be found in Sweden (1%) and Luxembourg (0.9%). 

Within the food and drink sector, the workforce breakdown indicates that 90% of the total sectoral 
workforce is employed in food production and only 10% in drink production. Manufacture of bakery 
products and meat processing together account for 54% of the sectoral workforce. Included in this are 
both small village bakeries with only two or three employees and much larger companies. The average 
number of employees in bakery companies is nine, illustrating that microfirms prevail in this part of 
the sector. The average number of employees in meat production, including both small butchers and 
larger slaughterhouses and meat factories, is 23. In the drink subsector, the activities with the most 
employees are the manufacture of wine, of soft drinks and of beer. 

Across the food and drink sector, 80% of companies are microfirms with fewer than 10 employees, 
and 10% have between 10 and 19 employees. Only 1% of the companies in the sector have more than 
250 employees.  In terms  of workforce, 42% of employees work  in a company with more than 250 
employees, and 23% in companies with between 50 and 249 employees. Together, this is two-thirds 
of the sectoral workforce. Only 15% of workers in the sector are employed in microfirms, and another 
9%  work  in  companies  with  10–19  employees.  These  two  smaller  company  size  groups  together 
employ about one-quarter of the sectoral workforce. Chapter 1 examined further specificities of the 
sector and how it was impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. 

Chapter 2 identified 90 national sectoral trade unions (and two trade unions not involved in sectoral 
collective  bargaining  and  not  affiliated  to  EFFAT,  which  were  not  included  in  the  study)  and  112 
employer organisations and business associations (and 62 sectoral trade associations, which were also 
not included in the assessment of representativeness). Among the national trade unions, 74% organise 
workers in both food and drink production. A small majority of them have a wide membership domain, 
covering most of the activities in the sector. Of all sectoral trade unions, 39% cover all food and drink 
production  activities.  This  is  the  case  for  20%  of  the  employer  organisations.  These  are  umbrella 
federations  to  which  smaller  subsectoral  associations  are  affiliated.  Only  one-third  of  the  sectoral 
employer organisations organise companies in both food and drink production, while two-thirds of 
them cover a very specific part of the sector, with only a few covering all sectoral activities. This higher 
degree  of  sectionalism  and  fragmentation  explains  the  relatively  higher  number  of  employer 
organisations and trade associations in the sector at national level (see Section 2.7). 

Of  the  90  sectoral  trade  unions,  89  are  involved  in  collective  bargaining.  Two-thirds  of  them  are 
involved in multi-employer collective bargaining at sector level or in a combination of multi-employer 
bargaining and single-employer bargaining. The remaining one-third of trade unions are engaged in 
only company-level (single-employer) bargaining. The majority of employer organisations are involved 
in only sector-level collective bargaining, although 21% are engaged in both sector- and company-level 

 135 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

collective bargaining. Some 4% are involved in only company-level collective bargaining and 11% are 
not involved in collective bargaining. 

Among the EU Member States with the largest sectoral workforces, France, Italy and Spain have very 
high collective bargaining coverage, of between 95% and 100%. This is above 50% for Germany and 
below 24% for Poland (see Table 27). Sectoral social dialogue structures specific to food and drink 
were identified for 18 Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, 
Germany,  Hungary,  Italy,  Latvia,  Malta,  the  Netherlands,  Poland,  Romania,  Slovenia,  Slovakia  and 
Spain (see Table 29). 

Of all the trade unions organising workers in food production activities, 54 trade unions (60%) from 
25 Member States are affiliated to EFFAT. Only in Czechia and Estonia are there no food trade unions 
affiliated to EFFAT. Among the trade unions organising workers in drink production activities, 44 trade 
unions (65%) from 24 Member States are affiliated to EFFAT. Czechia, Estonia and Greece do not have 
any  drink  subsector  trade  unions  affiliated  to  EFFAT.  EFFAT  has  53  affiliated  trade  unions that  are 
involved in sectoral collective bargaining, in 25 Member States. Only in Czechia and Estonia does EFFAT 
have no members. 

The largest national food and drink sector trade union is affiliated to EFFAT in 20 Member States, and 
the second largest is affiliated to EFFAT in 16 Member States. The Member States for which EFFAT has 
an  affiliated  trade  union,  although  not  the  one  with  most  members  in  the  sector,  are  Cyprus 
(SEBETTYK-PEO),  Greece  (POEUGTP),  Hungary  (ÉDSZ),  Latvia  (LLPNA)  and  Portugal  (FESAHT). 
Altogether, 36 sectoral trade unions identified in this study are not represented by EFFAT (Table 36). 

A  number  of  other  European  associations  with  affiliated  food  and  drink  sector  trade  unions  were 
found (see Table 40). However, EFFAT is the only one with a statutory mandate to negotiate. 

It can thus be concluded that EFFAT is the only representative European trade union organisation for 
the food and drink sector. 

When assessing the representativeness of FoodDrinkEurope, it needs to be considered that 19% of all 
identified  employer  organisations  involved  in  collective  bargaining  in  this  study  are  umbrella 
organisations, covering all or almost all activities, and that 34% cover both food and drink producers. 
In this study, the assessment of the representativeness of FoodDrinkEurope is based upon only these 
directly affiliated national umbrella organisations. 

FoodDrinkEurope  has  25  affiliated  employer  organisations  covering  food  production  (27%)  in  23 
Member States and 22 such organisations covering drink production (45%) in 22 Member States (see 
Table  19).  For  Cyprus,  Latvia,  Lithuania  and  Malta,  FoodDrinkEurope  has  no  member  organisation 
representing employers in food production. For the drink subsector, there is no affiliated employer 
organisation  for  Croatia,  Cyprus,  Latvia,  Lithuania  or  Malta.  FoodDrinkEurope  has  13  affiliated 
employer  organisations  that  are  involved  in  sectoral  collective  bargaining,  in  12  Member  States: 
Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia 
and Sweden. 

As stated above, the assessment of representativeness is based upon the affiliated national umbrella 
organisations from 23 EU Member States.  However, FoodDrinkEurope  also  has affiliated  European 
subsectoral  associations  and  directly  affiliated multinational  companies.  These  companies  are  also 
part  of  the  membership  of  the  affiliated  national  associations,  while  the  European  subsectoral 
associations have members in each country that are also part of the national umbrella organisations 

 136 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

affiliated to FoodDrinkEurope. FoodDrinkEurope represents all its members equally – both SMEs and 
large companies – regardless of size, in all segments of the sector. FoodDrinkEurope has the largest 
sectoral employer organisation as an affiliate in 21 Member States and the second largest in 2 Member 
States.  The  Member  States  where  the  largest  employer  organisation  is  not  affiliated  are  Austria, 
Greece and Malta. For Cyprus, Latvia and Lithuania, no sectoral employer organisation was identified. 
The  largest  European  food  and  drink  multinational  companies  are  also  directly  affiliated  to 
FoodDrinkEurope. Altogether, 82 national employer organisations not affiliated to FoodDrinkEurope 
and,  as  such,  not  represented  in  the  ESSDC  were  identified  (see  Table  37).  In  addition, 
FoodDrinkEurope  has  the  proven  capacity  to  negotiate. 
It  can  thus  be  concluded  that 
FoodDrinkEurope is the most representative European employer organisation for the food and drink 
sector. 

 137 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

References 

All Eurofound publications are available at www.eurofound.europa.eu 

EFFAT (2020), EFFAT reaction on Covid-19 outbreak, web page, accessed 25 August 2022. 

Euractiv (2020), Working conditions in meat processing plants make them hotbed for COVID-19, web 
page, accessed 7 March, 2021. 

Eurofound (2013), Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink 
sector, Dublin. 

European Commission (undated), Food and drink industry, web page, accessed 11 August 2022. 

European Commission (2010), Commission staff working document on the functioning and potential 
of European sectoral social dialogue, SEC(2010)964 final, Brussels. 

Eurostat (2021a), Key figures on the European food chain, Publications Office of the European Union, 
Luxembourg. 

Eurostat (2021b), Production in industry – Monthly data, web page, accessed 7 March 2022. 

Fattmann, R. (2008), Gewerkschaften ohne Grenzen – Für ein soziales Europa. 50 Jahre europäische 
Gewerkschaftspolitik im Agrar-, Lebensmittel- und Tourismusbereich 1958–2008, Friedrich-Ebert-
Stiftung, Bonn. 

FoodDrinkEurope (2021), Data & trends of the European food and drink industry 2021, web page, 
accessed 25 August 2022. 

High Level Group on the Competitiveness of the Agro-Food Industry (2009), Report on the 
competitiveness of the European agro-food industry, European Commission Enterprise and Industry 
Directorate General, Brussels. 

Kerckhofs, P. (2019), European sectoral social dialogue: Facts and figures, Publications Office of the 
European Union, Luxembourg. 

ResearchGermany (2021), List of the 300 largest food companies in Germany, web page, accessed 25 
August 2022. 

 138 

 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Annex  1:  National  trade  unions  and  employer 
organisations included in this study 

Table 47: Trade unions included in this study 

MS 

Abbreviation in 
original language 

Full name in original language 

Full name in English 

PRO-GE 

Produktionsgewerkschaft 

AT 

GPA-DJP 

Gewerkschaft der Privatangestellten, Druck, 
Journalismus, Papier 

ACLVB-CGSLB 

Algemene Centrale der Liberale Vakbonden van 
België – Centrale Générale des Syndicats Libéraux 
de Belgique 

Manufacturing Union 
Union of Salaried Private Sector 
Employees, Graphical Workers and 
Journalists 

General Federation of Liberal Trade 
Unions of Belgium 

ACV Voeding en 
Diensten 

ACV Voeding en Diensten  

General Christian Trade Union Food and 
Services 

ABVV-FGTB Horval 

Algemeen Belgisch Vakverbond (ABVV), Fédération 
Générale du Travail de Belgique (FGTB) Horval 

General Belgian Trade Union Horval 

BE 

ABVV-FGTB BBTK 
SETCa 

ACV-CSC Puls 

ACV-CSC CNE 

FNSZ/ФНСЗ 

FSOHP/ФСОХП 

BG 

FHPP/ФХПП 

(Algemeen Belgisch Vakverbond, Fédération 
Générale du Travail de Belgique) De Bond van 
Bedienden, Technici en Kaderleden (BBTK) Syndicat 
des Employés, Techniciens et Cadres (SETCa) 

(Algemeen Christelijk Vakverbond (ACV), 
Confédération des syndicats chrétiens (CSC)) Puls 

(Algemeen Christelijk Vakverbond (ACV), 
Confédération des syndicats chrétiens (CSC)) 
Centrale nationale des employés 

ABVV-FGTB Union of White-Collar 
Workers, Technicians and Professional 
and Managerial Staff 

General Christian Trade Union Puls 

ACV-CSC National White Collar 
Federation 

Федерация на независимите синдикати от 
земеделието 

Federation of Independent Trade 
Unions in Agriculture  

Федерацията на независимите синдикални 
организации от хранителната промишленост 
Федерация ‘Хранителна и питейна 
промишленост’ 

SBHN/СБХН 

Синдикат ‘Бира, храни и напитки’ 

NSFTKTU/НСФТКТУ 

Независима синдикална федерация на 
търговията, кооперациите, туризма и услугите 

SEBETTYK-PEO 

Συντεχνία Εργατοϋπαλλήλων Βιομηχανίας, 
Εμπορίου, Τύπου-Τυπογραφείων και Γενικών 
Υπηρεσιών Κύπρου – ΠΕΟ 

Federation of Independent Trade 
Unions in the Food Industry  

Federation Food and Beverages Industry  

Trade Union of Beer, Food and 
Beverages  
Independent Trade Union Federation of 
Commerce, Cooperatives, Tourism and 
Services  
Cyprus Industry, Commerce and Press-
Printing Houses and General Services 
Trade Union –PEO 

OBIEK-SEK 

CY 

Segdamelin-PEO 

OMEPEGE-SEK 

CZ  NOS PPP 

Ομοσπονδία Βιομηχανικών Εργατοϋπαλλήλων 
Κύπρου – ΣΕΚ 

Federation of Industrial Workers of 
Cyprus – SEK 

Συντεχνία Εργατοϋπαλλήλων Γεωργίας, Δασών, 
Μεταφορών, Λιμενεργατών, Ναυτεργατών και 
Συναφών Επαγγελμάτων Κύπρου – ΠΕΟ 

Cyprus Agricultural, Forestry, Transport, 
Port, Seamen and Allied Occupations 
Trade Union – PEO  

Ομοσπονδία Εργατοϋπαλλήλων Μεταφορών, 
Πετρελαιοειδών και Γεωργίας Κύπρου – ΣΕΚ 
Nezávislý odborový svaz pracovníků 
potravinářského průmyslu a příbuzných odvětví 
Čech a Moravy 

Employees’ Federation of Transport, 
Petroleum and Agriculture – SEK  
Independent Trade Union of Employees 
in the Food Industry and Related Sectors 
of Bohemia and Moravia 

 139 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Abbreviation in 
original language 

Full name in original language 

Full name in English 

DE  NGG 

Gewerkschaft Nahrung-Genuss-Gaststätten 

NNF 

3F 

Fødevareforbundet 

Fagligt Fælles Forbund 

DK 

HK Handel 

HK Handel 

CO-industri 

CO-industri  

Trade Union of Food, Beverages, Drink, 
Tobacco, Hotel, Catering and Allied 
Workers 
Food Workers’ Union 

United Federation of Danish Workers 

HK Commerce 

Central Organisation of Industrial 
Employees in Denmark  

EE  ETTAF 

Eesti Tööstustöötajate Ametiühingute Föderatsioon  Estonian Industry Workers Trade Union 

POEUGTP 

Πανελλήνια Ομοσπονδία Εργατοτεχνιτών και 
Υπαλλήλων Γάλακτος, Τροφίμων και Ποτών 

Pan Hellenic Federation of Milk, Food 
and Drinks Workers and Employees 

ΠανελλήνιαΟμοσπονδίαΕργατοϋπαλλήλωνΚρέατος 

Pan Hellenic Federation of Manual and 
Clerical Staff of the Meat Industry  

Πανελλήνια Ομοσπονδία Εργαζομένων στον 
Επισιτισμό- Τουρισμό 

Pan Hellenic Federation of Employees in 
Food and Tourism 

EL 

POEK 

POEET 

ΟΕΧΒΕ 

FI-USO 

SEL 

FI 

MVL 

PRO 

PPDIV 

HR 

NSR PHP 

NSZP 

EMFSZ 

HDSZ 

HU 

Ομοσπονδία Εργατοϋπαλλήλων Χημικής 
Βιομηχανίας Ελλάδας 

FI-CCOO 

Federación Industria de Comisiones Obreras 

UGT-FICA 

Federación de Industria, Construcción y 
Agroalimentación de la Unión General de 
Trabajadores 

Federation of Chemical Industry 
Employees of Greece 
Federation of Industry of Workers’ 
Commissions 
Federation of Industry, Construction and 
Agrifood of the General Union of 
Workers 

CIG – Galician Federation of Food, Sea, 
Transport, Textiles, Telecommunications 
and Related Activities 
Industry  Federation  of  the  Workers’ 
Union 

ES 

ELA 

ELA Euskal Sindikatua 

ELA Basque Union 

CIG – FGAMT 

CIG – Federación Galega de Alimentación, Mar, 
Transporte, Téxtil, Telecomunicacións e actividades 
afíns 

Federación de Industria de la Unión Sindical Obrera 

Suomen Elintarviketyöläisten Liitto SEL  

Finnish Food Workers Union 

Meijerialan Ammattilaiset MVL ry 

Professional Dairy Association MVL 

Ammattiliitto Pro ry 

FGA-CFDT 

Fédération Générale Agroalimentaire CFDT 

FGTA-FO 

Fédération générale des Travailleurs de 
l’Agriculture, de l’Alimentation, des tabacs et des 
services annexes – Force Ouvrière  

Trade Union Pro 
General Federation of the Agrofood 
Industry CFDT 
General Federation of Workers in 
Agriculture, Food, Tobacco and Related 
Services – Labour Force 

FR 

CFTC-CSFV 

Fédération des Syndicats Commerce, Services et 
Force de Vente 

Federation of Commerce, Services and 
Sales Force Trade Unions 

FNAF-CGT 

Fédération nationale agroalimentaire et forestière 
– CGT 

National Federation of the Forestry and 
Agrofood Industry 

CFE-CGC AGRO 

Fédération nationale Agroalimentaire – CFE-CGC 

Sindikat zaposlenih u poljoprivredi, prehrambenoj i 
duhanskoj industriji i vodoprivedi Hrvatske  

Nezavisni sindikat radnika u proizvodnji hrane i pića 

Nezavisni sindikat ‘Zagrebačke pivovare’ 

Élelmezésipari Munkavállalók Független 
Szakszervezete  

National Federation of the Agrofood 
Industry 
Trade Union of Employees in the 
Agriculture, Food and Tobacco Industry 
and Water Resources  
Independent Trade Union of Workers in 
the Production of Food and Drink  
Independent Trade Union ‘Zagrebačka 
pivovara’ 
Independent Trade Union of Food 
Workers 

Húsipari Dolgozók Szakszervezete 

Trade Union of Meat Industry Workers 

 140 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Abbreviation in 
original language 

Full name in original language 

Full name in English 

ÉDSZ 

MEDOSZ 

GMDSZ 

SIPTU 

Élelmiszeripari Dolgozók Szakszervezete 

Trade Union of Food Workers 

Mezőgazdasági, Erdészeti, Élelmiszeripari és Vízügyi 
Dolgozók Szakszervezete  

Trade Union of Agriculture, Forestry, 
Food and Water Supply Workers 

Gabona- és Malomipari Dolgozók Szakszervezete  

Grain and Mill Workers’ Union 

Services Industrial Professional Trade Union 

Services Industrial Professional Trade 
Union 

Guinness Staff Union 

Connect Trade Union 

GSU 

IE 

Guinness Staff Union 

Connect TU 

Connect Trade Union 

DEA 

Dairy Executives Association 

Dairy Executives Association 

FAI-CISL 

IT 

FLAI-CGIL 

UILA-UIL 

UGL 
Agroalimentare 

Federazione Agricola, Alimentare, Ambientale 
Industriale Italiana-CISL 

Federazione Lavoratori Agroindustria 

Italian Industrial Federation of 
Agriculture, Food and Environment – 
CISL 
Agri-industrial Workers Federation  

Unione Italiana dei Lavoratori Agroalimentari – UIL 

Italian Union of Agri-Food Workers 

Unione Generale del Lavoro Agroalimentare 

General Union of Agri-food Labour 

LMP 

Lietuvos maistininkų profesinė sąjunga 

Lietuvos žemės ūkio darbuotojų profesinių sąjungų 
federacija 

Confédération luxembourgeoise des syndicats 
chrétiens 

Syndicat alimentation et hôtellerie de l’OGB-L 

Lithuanian Trade Union of Food 
Producers  
Trade Union Federation of Lithuanian 
Agricultural Workers 

Luxembourg Confederation of Christian 
Trade Unions 
Independent Trade Union Confederation 
– Luxembourg 

Latvijas Industriālonozaruarodbiedrība 

Latvian Industrial Workers Trade Union 

Latvijas Lauksaimniecības un 
pārtikasnozaruarodubiedrība 

General Workers Union 

Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin 

Latvian Agriculture and Food Branch 
Trade Union 

General Workers Union 

Voice of the Workers 

Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging  

Federation of Dutch Trade Unions 

CNV Vakmensen 

Christelijk Nationaal Vakverbond – Vakmensen 

National Christian Union – Trade 
Professionals 

Sekretariat Przemysłu Spożywczego NSZZ 
Solidarność  
Federacja Związków Zawodowych Pracowników 
Mleczarstwa  

Food Workers’ Secretariat of NSZZ 
Solidarnosc 
Trade Unions Federation of Dairy 
Workers 

Federacja Związków Zawodowych Pracowników 
Przemysłu Cukrowniczego  

Trade Union Federation of Sugar 
Industry Workers 

Federacja Związków Zawodowych Pracowników 
Przemysłu Spożywczego  

Sindicato Nacional dos Trabalhadores da 
Agricultura, Floresta, Pesca, Turismo, Indústria 
Alimentar, Bebidas e Afins 

Federação dos Sindicatos de Agricultura, 
Alimentação, Bebidas, Hotelaria e Turismo de 
Portugal 
Sindicato dos Trabalhadores do Comércio, 
Escritórios e Serviços de Portugal 

Trade Union Federation of Food 
Industry Workers 
National Union of Workers in 
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Tourism, 
Food Industry, Beverages and Related 
Activities 
Federation of Agriculture, Food, 
Beverage, Hotel and Tourism Unions of 
Portugal 
Union of Workers in Commerce, 
Administration and Services of Portugal 

 141 

LZUDPSF 

LCGB 

OGB-L 

LIA (also called 
LINA) 

LLPNA 

GWU 

UHM 

FNV  

LT 

LU 

LV 

MT 

NL 

PL 

SPS NSZZ 

FZZPM 

FZZPC 

FZZPPS 

SETAAB 

PT 

FESAHT 

CESP 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Abbreviation in 
original language 

Full name in original language 

Full name in English 

Sindepescas 

Sindicato Democrático das Pescas 

Democratic Fisheries Union 

Sitese 

Sinticaba 

Union of 
Professionals in 
Dairy, Food, 
Agriculture, 
Offices, Trade, 
Services, Road 
Transport, 
Metalworking, 
Construction and 
Woodworking  
Union of Workers 
in Manufacturing 
and Commerce of 
Meat of the South 

Sindicato dos Trabalhadores e Técnicos de Serviços, 
Comércio, Restauração e Turismo 

Sindicato Nacional dos Trabalhadores da Indústria e 
Comércio de Alimentação, Bebidas e Afins 

Union of Workers and Service 
Technicians, Trade, Restoration and 
Tourism 
National Trade Union of Workers in the 
Food, Beverage and Related Industries 
and Commerce 

Sindicato dos Profissionais de Lacticínios, 
Alimentação, Agricultura, Escritórios, Comércio, 
Serviços, Transportes Rodoviários, 
metalomecânica, Metalurgia, Construção Civil e 
Madeiras  

Union of Professionals in Dairy, Food, 
Agriculture, Offices, Trade, Services, 
Road Transport, Metalworking, 
Construction and Woodworking  

Sindicato dos Trabalhadores da Indústria e 
Comércio de Carnes do Sul 

Union of Workers in Manufacturing and 
Commerce of Meat of the South 

CERES 

RO 

Sindalimenta 

HRF 

Handels 

Livs 

Unionen 

SE 

Centrala Sindicatelor Lucratorilor din Agricultura si 
Alimentatie 

Federaţia Naţională a Sindicatelor din Industria 
Alimentară, a Băuturilor, Tutunului şi Ramuri 
Conexe ‘Sindalimenta’ 

Hotell- och Restaurangfacket  

National Trade Union Federation 

National Trade Union Federation 
Sindalimenta 

Swedish Hotel and Restaurant Workers’ 
Union 

Handelsanställdas förbund  

Union of Commercial Employees 

Livsmedelsarbetareförbundet  

Swedish Food Workers’ Union 

Unionen 

Unionen 

Sveriges Ingenjörer  Sveriges Ingenjörer 

Swedish Association of Graduate 
Engineers 

Ledarna 

Ledarna 

Ledarna 

SI 

S KŽI 

Sindikat kmetijstva in živilske industrije Slovenije 

OZP SR 

Odborový zväz potravinárov Slovenskej republiky 

SK 

OZPP SR 

Odborový zväz pracovníkov poľnohospodárstva na 
Slovensku 

Trade Union of Agriculture and the Food 
Industry of Slovenia 
Trade Union Association of the Food 
Industry in Slovakia 
Trade Union Association of Agriculture 
Workers in Slovakia 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Table 48: Employer organisations included in this study 

MS 

Abbreviation in original 
language 

Full name in original language 

Full name in English 

FVNG (also called FIAA) 

Fachverband für Nahrungs- und Genussmittelindustrie 

AT 

BE 

BILG 

FEVIA 

FGBB 

Bundesinnung für Lebensmittelgewerbe 

Fédération de l’Industrie Alimentaire/Federatie 
Voedingsindustrie 

Federatie Van Grote Bakkerijen in België 

 142 

Food Industry Association 
Austria 
Federal Association of 
Food Trades 

Food Industry Federation 

Federation of Large 
Bakeries in Belgium 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Abbreviation in original 
language 

Full name in original language 

Full name in English 

SHNB/СХНБ 

Сдружение ‘Храни и напитки България’ 

SPZZP/СПЗЗП 

Съюз на производителите на захар и захарни 
продукти 

SPKF/СПКФ 

Cъюз на производителите на комбинирани фуражи 

BG 

AMB/АМБ 

Асоциация на Млекопреработвателите в България 

SPB/СПБ 

съюз на пивоварите в българия 

NBPS/НБПС 

национален браншови пчеларски съюз 

CZ 

PK ČR 

Potravinářská komora České republiky 

Lebensmittelverband 
Deutschland 

Lebensmittelverband Deutschland 

BDSI 

VdZ 

DE 

Verband deutscher 
Großbäckereien 

Zentralverband des 
Deutschen 
Bäckerhandwerks 

Bundesverband der Deutschen Süßwarenindustrie 

Verein der Zuckerindustrie 

Verband deutscher Großbäckereien 

Zentralverband des Deutschen Bäckerhandwerks  

DK  DI 

EE 

ETL 

SEV 

SEVT 

EL 

GSEVEE 

FIAB 

ANICE 

Fenaval 

Dansk Industri 

Eesti Toiduainetööstuse Liit 

Σύνδεσμος Επιχειρήσεων και Βιομηχανιών 

ΣύνδεσμοςΕλληνικώνΒιομηχανιώνΤροφίμων 

ΓενικήΣυνομοσπονδίαΕπαγγελματιώνΒιοτεχνώνΕμπόρω
νΕλλάδας  

Federacion Española de Industrias de Alimentacion y 
Bebidas 

Asociación Nacional de Industrias de la Carne de España 

La Federación Nacional de Asociaciones de 
Transformados Vegetales y Alimentos Procesados 

ES 

AFHSE 

Asociación de Fabricantes de Harinas y Sémolas de 
España 

Conxemar 

CESFAC 

Conxemar: Asociación Española de Mayoristas, 
Importadores, Transformadores y Exportadores de 
productos de la pesca y acuicultura 

Confederación Española de Fabricantes de Piensos 
Compuestos para Animales 

 143 

Food Drink Bulgaria 
Association  
Union of Sugar and Sugar 
Products Producers  
Bulgarian Feed 
Manufacturers 
Association  
Bulgarian Association of 
Dairy Processors  
Union of Brewers in 
Bulgaria  
National Branch 
Beekeeping Union  
Federation of the Food 
and Drink Industries of 
the Czech Republic 
Food Federation 
Germany 
Federation of the 
German Confectionery 
Industry 
Sugar Industry 
Association 
Federal Association of 
German Industrial 
Bakeries 

German Bakers’ 
Confederation 

Confederation of Danish 
Industry 
Association of Estonian 
Food Industry 
Hellenic Federation of 
Enterprises 
Federation of Hellenic 
Food Industries 
Hellenic Confederation of 
Professionals, Craftsmen 
and Merchants  
Spanish Food and Drinks 
Industry Federation 

National Association of 
Meat Industries of Spain 
National Federation for 
Transformed Vegetables 
and Processed Foods 
Associations 
Spanish Flour Millers 
Association 
Spanish Association of 
Wholesalers, Importers, 
Processors and Exporters 
of Fish Products and 
Aquaculture 
Spanish Confederation of 
Manufacturers of 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Abbreviation in original 
language 

Full name in original language 

Full name in English 

Produlce 

Asociación Espanyola del Dulce 

FENIL 

ANEABE 

FEV 

Anfabra 

Federación Nacional de Industrias Lácteas 

Asociación Nacional De Empresas De Aguas De Bebida 
Envasadas 

Federación Española del Vino 

Asociación de Bebidas Refrescantes 

FI 

ETL 

Elintarviketeollisuusliitto ry  

ANIA 

Alliance 7 

FNIL 

Association Nationale des Industries Alimentaires 

Alliance 7 

Fédération Nationale de l’Industrie Laitière 

Culture Viande 

Culture Viande 

FEDEV (formerly FNICGV)  

Fédération des métiers de la viande 

FICT 

Fédération française des industriels charcutiers, 
traiteurs, transformateurs de viandes  

ANMF 

Association nationale de la meunerie française 

BRF (formerly SNRB) 

Boissons Rafraîchissantes de France 

FR 

ABF 

Association des Brasseurs de France 

FEDALIM 

CSEM 

SNSF 

SNIPO 

Adepale  

CVNVS 

FEDALIM - Pole de regroupement de fereations ou 
syndicat professionnel industrie alimentaire 

Maison des eaux minérales naturelles (formerly Chambre 
syndicale des eaux minérales) 

Syndicat national des fabricants de sucre 

Syndicat national des industriels et professionnels des 
œufs 

Association des entreprises de produits alimentaires 
élaborés 

Conseil national des Industries et Commerces en gros 
des Vins, Cidres, Spiritueux, Sirops, Jus de fruits et 
Boissons diverses  

HR  HUP UPIIP 

Hrvatska udruga poslodavaca Udruga prehrambene 
industrije i poljoprivrede 

 144 

Compound Feed for 
Animals 

Spanish Confectionery, 
Cocoa and Chocolate and 
Fine Bakery Wares 
Association 
Spanish Dairy Industries 
Federation 
Spanish National 
Association of Bottled 
Water 
Spanish Wine Federation  

Soft Drinks Association 

Finnish Food and Drink 
Industries’ Federation  

National Association of 
the Food Industry 

Alliance 7 
National Dairy Industry 
Federation 

Beef Culture 

Federation of Meat 
Trades 
French Federation of 
Butchers, Caterers, Meat 
Processors and 
Delicatessen 
Manufacturers 
National Association of 
French Milling 

Soft Drinks of France 

Brewers of France 

Cluster of federations or 
trade unions in the food 
industry 
House of Natural Mineral 
Waters 
National Sugar 
Manufacturers Union 
National Union of Egg 
Industrialists and 
Professionals 
Association of Processed 
Food Companies 
National Council of 
Industries and 
Wholesalers of Wines, 
Ciders, Spirits, Syrups, 
Fruit Juices and 
Miscellaneous Beverages 
Croatian Employers’ 
Association – Food 
Industry and Agriculture 
Association 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Abbreviation in original 
language 

HU  FÉSZ (formerly ÉFOSZ) 

Felelős Élelmiszergyártók Szövetsége (formerly 
Élelmiszer-feldolgozók Országos Szövetsége) 

Full name in original language 

Full name in English 

IE 

IBEC 

Irish Business and Employers Confederation  

Federalimentare 

Federazione Italiana dell’Industrial Alimentare 

Confartigianato 
Alimentazione 

CNA Alimentare 

Confartigianato Alimentazione 

Confederazione nazionale dell’artigianato e della piccola 
e media impresa alimentare 

Casartigiani 

Confederazione Autonoma Sindacati Artigiani 

IT 

CLAAI 

Confederazione delle Libere Associazioni Artigiane 
Italiane 

Legacoop Agroalimentare 

Associazione Nazionale delle Cooperative Agroalimentari 
per lo Sviluppo Rurale 

Agrital – AGCI 

Associazione Generale Cooperative Italiane – Settore 
Agri Ittico Alimentare 

Fedagri-Confcooperative 

Federazione Nazionale delle Cooperative Agricole e 
Agroalimentari – Confcooperative 

LU 

FIAL 

MT  MEA 

NL 

FNLI 

NZO 

VIGEF 

FWS 

AKSV 

COV 

VBZ 

Gemzu 

NEPLUVI 

NEVEDI 

Fédération des industries agro-alimentaires 
luxembourgeoises 

Malta Employers’ Association 

Federatie Nederlandse Levensmiddelen Industrie 

Nederlandse Zuivel Organisatie 

Vereniging van de Nederlandse Groenten- en 
Fruitverwerkende Industrie 

Nederlandse Vereniging Frisdranken, Waters, Sappen 

Algemene Kokswaren en Snackproducenten Vereniging 

Centrale Organisatie voor de Vleessector 

De Vereniging voor de Bakkerij- en Zoetwarenindustrie 

Werkgeversorganisatie Vereniging Gemeenschappelijke 
Zuivelsecretariaat 

Vereniging van de Nederlandse Pluimveeverwerkende 
Industrie 

De Nederlandse Vereniging Diervoederindustrie 

 145 

Federation of Hungarian 
Food Industries 
Irish Business and 
Employers Confederation 
Italian Federation of 
Food Industry 
Confartigianato 
Alimentazione 
National Confederation 
of Craft Trades and Small 
and Medium-Sized 
Enterprises of the Food 
and Drink Sector  
Autonomous 
Confederation of Artisan 
Unions 
Confederation of Free 
Italian Artisan 
Associations 
National Association of 
Agrofood Cooperatives 
for Rural Development 
General Association of 
Italian Cooperatives – 
Agriculture, Fisheries and 
Food 
National Federation of 
Agriculture and Food 
Cooperatives 
Federation of the 
Luxembourgish Food 
Industry 
Malta Employers’ 
Association 
Federation of Dutch 
Foodstuff Industry 

Dutch Dairy Association 
Association for the Dutch 
Vegetable and Fruit 
Processing Industry 
Dutch Association for 
Soft Drinks, Water and 
Juices 
General Association for 
Cookware and Snack 
Products 
Central Organisation for 
the Meat Sector 
Association for the Baked 
Goods and Sweets 
Industry 
Employer Organisation 
Association Common 
Dairy Secretariat 
Association for the Dutch 
Poultry Processing 
Industry 
Dutch Association for the 
Animal Feed Industry 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Abbreviation in original 
language 

Full name in original language 

Full name in English 

NBOV 

NVB 

KVNW 

SpiritsNL 

VisNed 

Nederlandse Brood- en banketbakkers Ondernemers 
Vereniging 

Nederlandse Vereniging voor de Bakkerij 

Koninklijke Vereniging van Nederlandse Wijnhandelaren 

SpiritsNL 

Visfederatie 

VNV (meat) 

Vereniging voor de Nederlandse Vleeswarenindustrie 

VNV (fish) 

De Vereniging van Nederlandse Visspecialisten 

PL 

PFPZ 

Polska Federacja Producentów Żywności  

FIPA 

Ancipa 

Federação das Indústrias Portuguesas Agro-Alimentares 

Associação Nacional de Comerciantes e Industriais de 
Produtos Alimentares  

Dutch Association of 
Bread and Pastry 
Entrepreneurs 
Dutch Association of 
Baking 
Royal Association for 
Dutch Wine Traders 

SpiritsNL 

Fish Federation 

Association for the Dutch 
Meat Product industry 
Association of Dutch Fish 
Specialists 
Polish Federation of Food 
Industry 
Federation of Portuguese 
Agro-Food Industries 
National Association of 
Traders and Industrialists 
of Food Products 

Casa do Azeite 

Casa do Azeite – Associação do Azeite de Portugal 

House of Olive Oil 

ANIL 

APIM 

ANIA 

AICC 

IACA 

Associação Nacional dos Industriais de Lacticínios 

Associação Portuguesa da Indústria de Moagem e 
Massas 

Associação Nacional dos Industriais de Arroz 

Associação Industrial e Comercial do Café  

Associação Portuguesa do Industriais de Alimentos 
Compostos para Animais 

PT 

APIAM 

Associação Portuguesa dos Industriais de Águas Minerais 
Naturais e de Nascente 

Ancave 

ITA 

ALIF 

ANICP 

AIT 

ACIP 

AIPAN 

Associação Nacional dos Centros de Abate e Indústrias 
Transformadoras de Carne de Aves 

Associação Portuguesa dos Industriais de Tripas e Afins 

Associação Livre dos Industriais pelo Frio  

Associação Nacional dos Industriais de Conservas de 
Peixe  

Associação dos Industriais de Tomate  

Associação do Comércio e da Indústria de Panificação, 
Pastelaria e Similares  

Associação dos Industriais de Panificação, Pastelaria e 
Similares do Norte  

 146 

National Association of 
Dairy Manufacturers 
Portuguese Association 
of the Grinding and Pasta 
Industry 
National Association of 
Rice Manufacturers 
Industrial and 
Commercial Coffee 
Association 
Portuguese Association 
of Feed Processing 
Industries 
Portuguese Association 
of Natural Mineral Water 
and Spring Water 
Industries 
National Association of 
Poultry Slaughter Centres 
and Processing Industries 
Portuguese Association 
of Tripe Manufacturing 
and Similar Industries 
Free Association of 
Industrialists for Cold 
National Association of 
Fish Canning Industries  
Tomato Manufacturers 
Association 
Association of Bakery, 
Pastry and Similar 
Industries and Commerce 
Association of Bakery, 
Pastry and Similar 
Industries of the North 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

MS 

Abbreviation in original 
language 

Full name in original language 

Full name in English 

AIPL 

Associação dos Industriais de Panificação de Lisboa 

Asimpala 

Associação dos Industriais de Panificação do Alto 
Alentejo 

ADCP 

Associação das Adegas Cooperativas de Portugal 

RO  Romalimenta 

Federatia Patronala Romana din Industria Alimentara 
‘Romalimenta’ 

SE 

Li 

Livsmedelsföretagen  

GZS – ZKŽP 

Gospodarska zbornica Slovenije, Zbornica kmetijskih in 
živilskih podjetij 

SI 

SK 

ZZS 

ZDS 

PKS 

SCS 

SZVPS 

ZVLaL 

Zadružna zveza Slovenije 

Združenje delodajalcev Slovenije  

Potravinarskakomora Slovenska 

Slovensky cukrovarnicky spolok 

Slovenske zdruzenie vyrobcov piva a sladu 

Zdruzenie vyrobcov liehu a liehovin na Slovensku 

Lisbon Bakery Industry 
Association 
Association of Bakery 
Industries of Alto 
Alentejo 
Association of 
Portuguese Wine 
Cooperatives 
Romanian Employers’ 
Federation of the Food 
Industry ‘Romalimenta’ 

Swedish Food Federation 
Chamber of Commerce 
and Industry of Slovenia 
– Chamber of Agricultural 
and Food Enterprises 
Cooperative Union of 
Slovenia 
Association of Employers 
of Slovenia 
Food Chamber of 
Slovakia 
Slovak Association of 
Sugar Producers 
Slovak Beer and Malt 
Association 
Association of Spirits 
Producers in Slovakia 

Notes:  Dark  green  shading  denotes  umbrella  organisations.  Light  green  shading  denotes  the  member 
organisations of the umbrella organisation. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

 147 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 49: Other sectors covered by trade unions and employer organisations 

Sector 

Number of 
TUs 

Share of 
all TUs (%) 

Member States 

Number of 
EOs 

Share of all 
EOs (%) 

Member States 

Agriculture, forestry 
and/or fisheries 

Manufacturing (a) 

All (b) 

Wholesale and retail 
trade (c) 

State administration, 
education, health 
and/or research 

Accommodation 
and/or food service 
activities 

Services (d) 

Transportation and 
storage 

Energy and/or 
electricity 

Information and 
communication 

Construction 

21 

19 

17 

16 

10 

9 

7 

6 

5 

4 

– 

BG, EE, FR, HR, HU, 
IT, LT, LV, PT, RO, SI, 
SK 

EE, EL, ES, FI, HR, HU, 
LV, LT, MT, PL, PT, SK 

BE, BG, DK, ES, IE, LU, 
NL, PT, SE 

BE, BG, CZ, DK, EL, 
FR, HU, MT, PT, SE 

BG, CZ, DK, FI, HU, 
LV, MT, SK 

23 

21 

19 

18 

11 

10 

BE, DE, EL, FR, MT, 
PL, PT, SE 

8  BE, DK, FI, FR, MT, PT 

7 

6 

4 

– 

EL, ES, MT, PT 

BG, ES, MT 

DK, ES, FI 

– 

8 

11 

4 

20 

1 

1 

4 

– 

2 

– 

1 

7 

DE, HR, IT, SI 

10 

BG, DE, DK, EL, IT, 
NL, PT, SK 

4 

EL, IE, MT, SI 

19 

BG, DE, ES, FR, NL, 
PT, SI, SK 

1 

1 

4 

– 

2 

– 

1 

EL 

IT 

DK, NL, SI, SK 

– 

EL, SI 

– 

DK 

Notes: (a) In the case of trade unions, sector parts include tobacco, textiles, wood, chemistry, pharmaceuticals 
and  metal.  In  the  case  of  employer  organisations,  sector  parts  include  plastic,  glass,  woodwork,  textiles, 
pharmaceuticals, tobacco and craft. (b) Trade unions include those that cover almost all sectors in the economy 
and those that cover some subgroups in all or most sectors, for example all white-collar workers in all sectors or 
the entire private sector (but not the public sector). (c) In the case of employer organisations, activities include 
import/export.  (d)  Activities  were  not  specified,  but  include,  for  example,  accounting  and  advisory  work.  EO, 
employer organisation; TU, trade union. 

Trade unions tend to cover a larger number of additional sectors than employer organisations do, in 
terms of number of organisations and number of countries. In fact, only Austria and Cyprus have trade 
unions  not  engaged  in  any  other  sectors  besides  food  and  drink,  while  13  countries  do  not  have 
employer organisations  covering other sectors (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, 
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania and Sweden). 

Among the trade unions, the most common additional sectors are agriculture, forestry and fisheries 
(23% of trade unions); manufacturing (21%); all (19%); and wholesale/retail trade (18%). These sectors 
are also at the top of the list for employer organisations, although in a slightly different order, with 
wholesale/retail trade being first (20%), followed by manufacturing (11%), agriculture, forestry and 
fisheries (8%) and all (4%). Other sectors common to both trade unions and employer organisations 

 148 

 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

are services (8% trade unions, 4% employer organisations), energy/electricity (6% trade unions, 2% 
employer organisations) and Horeca (10% trade unions, 1% employer organisations). 

Table 50 provides the numbers of food and drink trade unions and employer organisations according 
to  Eurofound  representativeness  studies  for  the  commerce  sector  (2018),  the  agriculture  sector 
(2016), Horeca (2018), the contract catering sector (2018) and the sugar sector (2017). 

Table 50: Multisectoralism of food and drink trade unions (according to representativeness studies for 
commerce, agriculture, Horeca, contract catering and sugar) 

Sector 

90 food and drink trade unions 

Commerce 

110 trade 
unions 

149 
employer 
organisations 

36 trade unions (40%) in 13 Member 
States: AT (2/2), BE (6/6), CY (4/4), DK 
(3/4), ES (3/5), FI (1/3), FR (5/5), IE 
(1/4), LU (2/2), MT (2/2), NL (2/2), PT 
(2/8), SE (3/6) 

None in 14 Member States: BG, CZ, DE, 
EE, EL, HR, HU, IT, LT, LV, PL, RO, SI, SK 

Agriculture 

65 trade 
unions 

97 employer 
organisations 

27 trade unions (30%) in 17 Member 
States: AT (2/2), BE (2/6), CY (2/4), DK 
(1/4), ES (2/5), FR (3/5), HR (1/3), HU 
(1/5), IE (1/4), IT (3/4), LT (1/2), MT 
(1/2), NL (2/2), PT (1/8), SE (2/6), SI 
(1/1), SK (1/2) 

None in 10 Member States: BG, CZ, DE, 
EE, EL, FI, LU, LV, PL, RO 

17 trade unions (19%) in 12 Member 
States: AT (1/2), BE (3/6), DE (1/1), DK 
(1/4), ES (1/5), FR (2/5), IE (1/4), LU 
(1/2), MT (1/2), NL (1/3), PT (2/8), SE 
(2/6) 

None in 15 Member States: BG, CY, CZ, 
EE, EL, FI, HR, HU, IT, LT, LV, PL, RO, SI, 
SK 

16 trade unions (18%) in 11 Member 
States: AT (1/2), BE (3/6), DE (1/1), DK 
(1/4), FR (2/5), IE (1/4), LU (1/2), MT 
(1/2), NL (1/3), PT (2/8), SE (2/6) 

Horeca 

52 trade 
unions 

58 employer 
organisations 

Contract 
catering 

50 trade 
unions 

30 employer 
organisations 

None in 16 Member States: BG, CY, CZ, 
EE, EL, ES, FI, HR, HU, IT, LT, LV, PL, RO, 
SI, SK 

112 food and drink employer 
organisations 

5 employer organisations (4%) in 5 
Member States: DK (1/1), EL (1/3), IT 
(2/8), SE (1/1), SI (1/3) 

None in 22 Member States: AT, BE, BG, 
CZ, CY, DE, EE, ES, FI, FR, HR, HU, IE, LT, 
LU, LV, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK 

4 employer organisations (4%) in 2 
Member States: IT (2/8), SI (2/4) 

2 employer organisations (2%) in 2 
Member States: SE (1/1), SI (1/3) 

1 employer organisation (1%) in 1 
Member State: SI (1/3) 

Sugar 

34 trade unions (38%) in 18 Member 
States: AT (2/2), BE (3/6), BG (2/5), CZ 

10 employer organisations (9%) in 10 
Member States: AT (1/2), BE (1/2), BG 

 149 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

45 trade 
unions 

17 employer 
organisations 

(1/1), DE (1/1), DK (1/4), FI (2/3), FR 
(5/5), HR (1/3), HU (1/5), IT (3/4), LT 
(1/2), NL (2/2), PL (2/4), PT (2/8), RO 
(1/2), SE (3/6), SK (1/2) 

(1/6), DE (1/5), DK (1/1), FI (1/1), FR 
(1/15), HR (1/1), IT (1/8), SK (1/4) 

None in 7 Member States: CZ, EL, ES, 
NL, PL, PT, SE 

None in 2 Member States: EL and ES 

(CY, EE, IE, 
LV, LU, MT 
and SI were 
excluded 
from the 
study as 
there is no 
sugar 
production) 

 150 

 
 
 
 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Annex 2: Trade unions and employer organisations 
not included in this study 

Table 51: Trade unions not included in the analysis 

Abbreviation 
in national 
language 

Full name in 
national 
language 

MS 

FI 

YTN 

Ylemmät 
toimihenkilöt 

Full name in 
English 

Federation of 
Professional 
and Managerial 
Staff 

Number 
of 
members 

Involvement 
in collective 
bargaining 

Affiliation 
to EFFAT 

3,000 

No 

No 

FR 

n.d. 

Fédération 
UNSA Industrie 
et Construction 

FAMAR 

Confamar 

Confsal SIA 

FAPI 

Confsal 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Fesica Confsal 

n.d. 

Fisals Confsal 

IT 

CIU 

USAE 

ACS 

CSE 

CSE Fulscam 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

CSE FNILAPMI 

n.d. 

CSE FNLEI 

CSE DIR 

CSE COOP 

CSE FNILASU 

CSE FNILA 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

NL 

De Unie 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Yes 

No 

Reason for not 
including in main 
tables 
It is not involved in 
collective 
bargaining and not 
affiliated to EFFAT 
(marked grey in 
Table 10). 
It has very weak 
involvement in this 
sector (marked 
grey in Table 10). 

No information is 
available on their 
coverage in terms 
of companies and 
workers, but the 
collective 
agreements signed 
by these trade 
unions are likely to 
be significantly less 
relevant than the 
agreements signed 
by the major trade 
unions and 
employer 
organisations for 
which information 
was provided. 

There is no 
information on its 
membership and 
activities in the 
food and drink 
sector, or on the 
types of members it 
represents. It is also 
not formally part of 
the VCP (a trade 
union for 
professionals, not 
active in the food 
and drink sector).  

 151 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Abbreviation 
in national 
language 

MS 

SinCESAHT 

Sindces 

PT 

Sitemaq 

Fiequimetal 

Full name in 
national 
language 
Sindicato dos 
Trabalhadores 
do Comércio, 
Escritórios, 
Serviços, 
Alimentação, 
Hotelaria e 
Turismo 
Sindicato 
Democrático do 
Comércio, 
Escritórios e 
Serviços 
Sindicato da 
Marinha 
Mercante, 
Indústrias e 
Energia 
Federação 
Intersindical das 
Indústrias 
Metalúrgicas, 
Químicas, 
Eléctricas, 
Farmacêutica, 
Celulose, Papel, 
Gráfica, 
Imprensa, 
Energia e Mina 

Full name in 
English 

Trade Union of 
Workers in 
Offices, 
Services, Food, 
Hospitality and 
Tourism 

Democratic 
Trade Union, 
Offices and 
Services 

Union of 
Merchant 
Marine, 
Manufacturing 
and Energy 

Federation of 
Metallurgical, 
Chemical, 
Electrical, 
Pharmaceutical, 
Pulp, Paper, 
Printing, Press, 
Energy and 
Mining 
Industries 

Number 
of 
members 

Involvement 
in collective 
bargaining 

Affiliation 
to EFFAT 

Reason for not 
including in main 
tables 

n.d. 

Yes 

No 

n.d. 

Yes 

No 

n.d. 

Yes 

No 

n.d. 

Yes 

No 

They have very few 
or no members in 
the sector, 
although they are 
involved in 
collective 
bargaining. They 
play only a second-
order or marginal 
role in collective 
bargaining. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

 152 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Table 52: Employer organisations not included in the analysis 

Full name in national language 

Full name in English 

Involvement 
in collective 
bargaining 

Affiliation 
to 
FoodDrink
Europe 

EO, BA or 
other 

Representative 
based on legal 
criteria or mutual 
recognition 

Reason for not 
including in main 
study (Tables 21 
and 24) 

Number of 
members 

Abbreviation 
in national 
language 

MS 

Marked grey in Table 10 

APBNB 

AMB/АМБ 

Асоциацията на производителите 
на безалкохолни напитки в 
България 

Bulgarian Soft Drinks 
Association  

Асоциацията на 
месопреработвателите в 
България 

Association of Meat 
Processors in Bulgaria  

NBSHS/НБСХС  

Националният браншови съюз на 
хлебарите и сладкарите 

National Branch Union of 
Bakers and Confectioners  

BG 

OOPAB/ 
АПМСБ 

Сдружението на 
производителите на растителни 
масла и маслопродукти в 
България 

Oilseed Oil Producers 
Association Bulgaria  

18  No 

No 

85  No 

1,115  No 

No 

No 

Branch 
organisation 

Legal  

Branch 
organisation 

Legal  

Branch 
organisation 

Legal  

20  No 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

UBM/СБМ 

Съюз На Българските Мелничари  Union of Bulgarian Mills  

18  No 

UBB/СБМ 

Съюз на животновъдите в 
България 

Union of Animal Breeders 
in Bulgaria 

n.d.  n.d. 

No 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

ABCSSCM 

CY 

Ένωση Βιομηχανιών Βιομηχανιών 
Μπισκότων, Σοκολάτας, Σνακ και 
Ζαχαροπλαστικής 

CAFFM 

Κυπριακός Σύνδεσμος Παραγωγών 
Κατεψυγμένων Τροφίμων 

Association of Biscuit, 
Chocolate, Snack and 
Sugar Confectionery 
Manufacturers 

Cyprus Association of 
Frozen Foods 
Manufacturers 

6  No 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

13  n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Organisations are 
not involved in 
collective 
bargaining and not 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope – 
they are of minor 
relevance to the 
sector. 

Organisations are 
not involved in 
collective 
bargaining and not 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope – 
they are of minor 

153 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Abbreviation 
in national 
language 

MS 

Full name in national language 

Full name in English 

CAIPAPS 

Κυπριακός Σύνδεσμος 
Βιομηχανικών Συσκευασιών 
Αγροτικών Προϊόντων και Αλατιού 

Camafarm 

Κυπριακός Σύνδεσμος Παραγωγών 
και Προμηθευτών Ζωοτροφών, 
Πρόσθετων και Πρώτων Υλών 

Cyprus Association of 
Industrialised Packing of 
Agricultural Products and 
Salt 

Cyprus Association of 
Manufacturers and 
Suppliers of Feedstuffs, 
Additives and Raw 
Materials 

Involvement 
in collective 
bargaining 

Affiliation 
to 
FoodDrink
Europe 

EO, BA or 
other 

Representative 
based on legal 
criteria or mutual 
recognition 

Reason for not 
including in main 
study (Tables 21 
and 24) 

Number of 
members 

7  n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

relevance to the 
sector. 

23  n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

CBA 

Σύνδεσμος Αρτοποιών Κύπρου 

Cyprus Bakers Association 

22  n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

CCFJMA 

CDPMA 

CFMA 

Σύνδεσμος Κατασκευαστών 
Κονσερβοποιών και Χυμών 
Φρούτων Κύπρου 

Cyprus Canners and Fruit 
Juice Manufacturers 
Association 

Κυπριακός Σύνδεσμος Βιομηχανών 
Γαλακτοκομικών Προϊόντων 

Cyprus Dairy Products 
Manufacturers Association 

Κυπριακός Σύνδεσμος 
Αλευροποιών 

CICMA 

Σύνδεσμος Παγωτοποιών Κύπρου 

Cyprus Flour 
Manufacturers Association 

Cyprus Ice Cream 
Manufacturers Association 

CMMA 

CMPA 

COMOA 

Σύνδεσμος Κατασκευαστών 
Μακαρονιών Κύπρου 

Cyprus Macaroni 
Manufacturers Association 

Κυπριακός Σύνδεσμος Προϊόντων 
Κρέατος Σύνδεσμος Ιδιοκτητών 
Ελαιοτριβείων Κύπρου 

Cyprus Meat Products 
Association 

Σύνδεσμος Ιδιοκτητών 
Ελαιοτριβείων Κύπρου 

Cyprus Olive Mills Owners 
Association 

154 

2  n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

24  n.d. 

4  n.d. 

13  n.d. 

4  n.d. 

No 

No 

No 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

5  n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

23  n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Abbreviation 
in national 
language 

MS 

PADNP 

CAWB 

Full name in national language 

Full name in English 

Κυπριακός Σύνδεσμος Εμφιαλωτών 
Νερού 

Pancyprian Association of 
Dry Nut Processors 

Κυπριακός Σύνδεσμος Εμφιαλωτών 
Νερού 

Cyprus Association of 
Water Bottlers 

CBA 

Κυπριακός Σύνδεσμος Ζυθοποιών 

Cyprus Breweries 
Association 

CWA 

Σύνδεσμος Οινοποιών Κύπρου 
Kypriakós Sýndesmos Emfialotón 

Cyprus Wineries 
Association 

Involvement 
in collective 
bargaining 

Affiliation 
to 
FoodDrink
Europe 

EO, BA or 
other 

Representative 
based on legal 
criteria or mutual 
recognition 

Reason for not 
including in main 
study (Tables 21 
and 24) 

Number of 
members 

2  n.d. 

6  n.d. 

2  n.d. 

17  n.d. 

No 

No 

No 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

DK 

DLF 

Dansk Landbrug og Fødevarer 

Danish Agriculture and 
Food Council 

<400  No 

No 

BA 

Mutual recognition 

EPKK 

Eesti Põllumajandus-
Kaubanduskoda 

Estonian Chamber of 
Agriculture and 
Commerce  

30+  No 

No 

BA 

EE 

TKL 

Eestimaa Talupidajate Keskliit 

Central Union of Estonian 
Farmers 

300  No 

No 

BA 

There are no 
representativeness 
criteria in Estonia. 
It is a respected BA 
in the sector. 

There are no 
representativeness 
criteria in Estonia. 
It is a respected BA 
in the sector. 

155 

This organisation is 
not involved in 
collective 
bargaining and not 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope – 
it is of minor 
relevance to the 
sector. 

Organisations are 
not involved in 
collective 
bargaining and not 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope – 
they are of minor 
relevance to the 
sector. 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Abbreviation 
in national 
language 

MS 

Full name in national language 

Full name in English 

Involvement 
in collective 
bargaining 

Affiliation 
to 
FoodDrink
Europe 

EO, BA or 
other 

Representative 
based on legal 
criteria or mutual 
recognition 

Reason for not 
including in main 
study (Tables 21 
and 24) 

Number of 
members 

EÕL 

Eesti Õlletootjate Liit 

AML  

Alkoholitootjate ja Maaletoojate 
Liit 

EL  

Eesti Leivaliit 

TML 

Talumeiereide Liit 

Estonian Beer 
Manufacturers Association 

Association of Estonian 
Alcohol Producers and 
Importers  

Estonian Association of 
Bakeries 

Estonian Association of 
Farm Dairies 

<15  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

Eesti Kalaliit 

Estonian Fish Association 

21  n.d. 

2  n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

12  n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

EKL 

EJL 

KTL 

EVL 

Eesti Juustuliit 

Karastusjookide Tootjate Liit 

Eesti Väikepruulijate Liit 

ENEAP 

n.d. 

EL 

SEAOP 

n.d. 

Estonian Cheese 
Association 

Estonian Association of 
Soft Drink Producers 

Estonian Association of 
Small Brewers 

Hellenic Association of 
Drinks Distributors 

13  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

46  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

Greek Federation of Spirits 
Producers 

n.d.  n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

ES 

CdE 

Cerveceros de España 

Brewers of Spain 

43  No 

No 

BA 

Legal 

156 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Both organisations 
are advisory, not 
involved in 
collective 
bargaining and not 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope. 

Organisations are 
not involved in 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Abbreviation 
in national 
language 

MS 

Full name in national language 

Full name in English 

Involvement 
in collective 
bargaining 

Affiliation 
to 
FoodDrink
Europe 

EO, BA or 
other 

Representative 
based on legal 
criteria or mutual 
recognition 

Reason for not 
including in main 
study (Tables 21 
and 24) 

Number of 
members 

AEFH  

n.d. 

TUMA  

n.d. 

ASEPRHU  

n.d. 

UNIADE  

n.d. 

AEFPA  

n.d. 

National Association of Ice 
Cream Manufacturers 

National Association of 
Nougat Candy and 
Marzipan Manufacturers 

Spanish Association of 
Eggs Manufacturers 

Association of Spanish 
Rice Millers  

Spanish Association of 
Pasta Manufacturers  

AEG  

LFBGF 

SPCM 

Association des entreprises des 
glaces 

Ice Companies Association 

8  n.d. 

Les Fabricants de biscuits et 
gâteaux de France 

Biscuit and Cake 
Manufacturers of France 

Syndicat de la panification 
croustillante et moelleuse 

Crunchy and Soft Bread 
Syndicate 

FR 

SAC 

Syndicat des apéritifs à croquer 

Appetizers Union 

SFNS 

SFCPd 

Syndicat français de la nutrition 
spécialisée 

French Union of 
Specialised Nutrition 

Syndicat français des céréales petit 
déjeuner 

French Breakfast Cereals 
Union 

SFCafe 

Syndicat français du café 

French Coffee Union 

n.d.  n.d. 

157 

n.d.  n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

collective 
bargaining and not 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope – 
they are of minor 
relevance to the 
sector. CdE is 
affiliated to FIAB. 

Organisations are 
not involved in 
collective 
bargaining and not 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope – 
they are of minor 
relevance to the 
sector. All 
organisations are 
affiliated to ANIA. 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Abbreviation 
in national 
language 

MS 

Full name in national language 

Full name in English 

Involvement 
in collective 
bargaining 

Affiliation 
to 
FoodDrink
Europe 

EO, BA or 
other 

Representative 
based on legal 
criteria or mutual 
recognition 

Reason for not 
including in main 
study (Tables 21 
and 24) 

Number of 
members 

SFChocolat 

Syndicat français du chocolat 

French Chocolate Union 

n.d.  n.d. 

MPSZ 

Magyar Pékszövetség 

Hungarian Bakers’ 
Association 

320  No 

No 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Professional 
organisation 

Not applicable  

MGTSZ 

Magyar Gabonafeldolgozók, 
Takarmánygyártók és Kereskedők 
Szövetsége  

MHSZ 

Magyar Húsiparosok Szövetsége 

HU 

Magyüsz 

Magyar Ásványvíz, Gyümölcslé és 
Üdítőital Szövetség  

MA-HAL 

Magyar Akvakultúra és Halászati 
Szakmaközi Szervezet  

LMP 

Lietuvos maisto pramonė 

Hungarian Grain and Feed 
Association 

Hungarian Meat Industry 
Federation 

Hungarian Mineral Water, 
Fruit Juice and Soft Drink 
Association 

Hungarian Aquaculture 
and Fisheries Inter-Branch 
Organisation 

Lithuanian Food Industry 
Association 

LGPA 

Lietuvos grūdų perdirbėjų 
asociacija  

Lithuanian Grain 
Processors’ Association 

LT 

LPAPC 

Lietuvos pienininkų asociacija 
„Pieno centras” 

Association of Lithuanian 
Milkmen ‘Milk Centre’ 

LMPA 

Lietuvos mėsos perdirbėjų 
asociacija  

Lithuanian Meat 
Processors’ Association 

LAG 

Lietuvos aludarių gildija  

Guild of Lithuanian Beer 
Producers 

35  No 

No 

BA 

Mutual recognition 

21  No 

No 

BA 

Mutual recognition 

28  n.d. 

No 

BA 

Mutual recognition 

<100  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

n.d.  n.d. 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

Branch 
organisation 

Legal 

BA 

BA 

BA 

BA 

BA 

Legal 

Legal 

Legal 

Legal 

Legal 

Organisations are 
not involved in 
collective 
bargaining and not 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope – 
they are of minor 
relevance to the 
sector.  

Organisations are 
not involved in 
collective 
bargaining and not 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope – 
they are of minor 
relevance to the 
sector.  

158 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Abbreviation 
in national 
language 

MS 

Full name in national language 

Full name in English 

Involvement 
in collective 
bargaining 

Affiliation 
to 
FoodDrink
Europe 

EO, BA or 
other 

Representative 
based on legal 
criteria or mutual 
recognition 

Reason for not 
including in main 
study (Tables 21 
and 24) 

Number of 
members 

LV 

LPUF 

Latvijas 
Pārtikasuzņēmumufederācija 

Latvian Federation of Food 
Companies 

Approx. 60% 
of members 

No 

No 

BA 

Legal 

Nederlandse 
Bouwers 

Nederlandse Bouwers 

Dutch Brewers 

14  No 

No 

BA 

Both 

NL 

VAVI 

Vereniging voor de 
Aardappelverwerkende Industrie 

Association for the Potato 
Processing Industry 

6  No 

No 

BA 

Mutual recognition  

PZPPS 

Polski Związek Pracodawców 
Przemysłu Spożywczego  

Polish Association of Food 
Industry Employers 

n.d.  n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

PL 

ZPPP-BP 

Związek Pracodawców Przemysłu 
Piwowarskiego – Browary Polskie  

Association of Brewing 
Industry Employers – 
Polish Breweries 

3  n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

This organisation is 
not involved in 
collective 
bargaining and not 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope – 
it is of minor 
relevance to the 
sector.  

Organisations are 
not involved in 
collective 
bargaining and not 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope – 
they are of minor 
relevance to the 
sector. Both are 
affiliated to FNLI. 

Organisations are 
not involved in 
collective 
bargaining and not 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope – 
they are of minor 
relevance to the 
sector.  

159 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Abbreviation 
in national 
language 

MS 

Full name in national language 

Full name in English 

Involvement 
in collective 
bargaining 

Affiliation 
to 
FoodDrink
Europe 

EO, BA or 
other 

Representative 
based on legal 
criteria or mutual 
recognition 

Reason for not 
including in main 
study (Tables 21 
and 24) 

Number of 
members 

SK 

SPKK 

Slovenska polnohospodarska a 
potravinarska komora 

Slovak Agriculture and 
Food Chamber 

313  No 

No 

BA 

Legal 

Not mentioned in any tables; see explanation in Chapter 2 

IT 

For Italy 

n.d. 

AIC 

FAGRI 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Assotec Fagri 

n.d. 

Imprenditori & 
Imprese 

Confederazion
e Coinar 

CIFA 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Fedarcom CIFA  n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

160 

This organisation is 
not involved in 
collective 
bargaining and not 
affiliated to 
FoodDrinkEurope – 
it is of minor 
relevance to the 
sector.  

They are involved in 
collective 
bargaining through 
signing minor 
agreements. 
However, such 
agreements are 
significantly less 
relevant than those 
signed by the major 
TUs and EOs for 
which fact sheets 
were provided. 

 
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Abbreviation 
in national 
language 

MS 

Full name in national language 

Full name in English 

Involvement 
in collective 
bargaining 

Affiliation 
to 
FoodDrink
Europe 

EO, BA or 
other 

Representative 
based on legal 
criteria or mutual 
recognition 

Reason for not 
including in main 
study (Tables 21 
and 24) 

Number of 
members 

Unimpresa 

n.d. 

Unimpresa 
Agricoltura 

CIDEC 

CEPA A 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

Esaarco 

n.d. 

FEAPI 

FEAGRI 

FIALTE 

Confimprese-
Italia 

Confimprese 
Artigianato 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

POESE 

EL 

Πανελλήνια Ομοσπονδία 
Εστιατορικών & Συναφών 
Επαγγελμάτων 

OAE 

Ομοσπονδία Αρτοποιών Ελλάδος 

Pan Hellenic Federation of 
Restaurant and Related 
Professionals 

Federation of Bakeries of 
Greece 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

161 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

They are members 
of GSEVEE, which 
represents them 
and which does not 
sign the collective 

 
 
  
  
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Abbreviation 
in national 
language 

MS 

Full name in national language 

Full name in English 

OEZE 

Ομοσπονδια 
Επαγγελματοβιοτεχνων 
Ζαχαροπλαστων Ελλαδασ 

Federation of Professional 
Confectioners of Greece 

Notes: BA, business association; EO, employer organisation; TU, trade union. 

Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents’ contributions to this study, 2020 

Involvement 
in collective 
bargaining 

Affiliation 
to 
FoodDrink
Europe 

EO, BA or 
other 

Representative 
based on legal 
criteria or mutual 
recognition 

Reason for not 
including in main 
study (Tables 21 
and 24) 

Number of 
members 

Yes 

No 

n.d. 

n.d. 

agreements signed 
by these 
organisations. 

162 

 
 
  
 
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Food and drink sector 

Annex 3: Network of Eurofound Correspondents 

Country 
Austria 
Belgium 
Bulgaria 

Croatia 

Correspondent(s) 

Bernadette Allinger 
Dries Van Herreweghe 
Ekaterina Ribarova 
Predrag Bejakovic and Irena 
Klemencic 

Cyprus 

Pavlos Kalosinatos 

Czechia 
Denmark 
Estonia 
Finland 
France 

Germany 

Greece 
Hungary 
Ireland 

Soňa Veverková 
Carsten Jorgensen 
Ingel Kadarik 
Amanda Kinnunen 
Frédéric Turlan 
Sandra Vogel 

Birgit Kraemer 

Penny Georgiadou 
Nóra Krokovay 
Colman Higgins 

Italy 

Anna Mori 

Latvia 
Lithuania 

Krišs Karnītis 
Inga Blaziene 

Luxembourg 

Franz Clément 

Malta 
Netherlands 
Poland 
Portugal 

Romania 

Slovakia 
Slovenia 

Louis Grech 
Amber van der Graaf 
Barbara Surdykowska 
Reinhard Naumann 
Simona Ghita and Alexandra 
Deliu 
Miroslava Kordošová 
Barbara Lužar 

Spain 

Oscar Molina 

Sweden 

Sirin Celik 

Organisation 

Working Life Research Centre 
HIVA Research Institute, KU Leuven 
Institute of Social and Trade Union Research 

Institute of Public Finance 

Cyprus Labour Institute – Pancyprian Federation 
of Labour 
Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs 
FAOS, University of Copenhagen 
Praxis Centre for Policy Studies 
Oxford Research AB 
IR Share 
German Economic Institute 
Institute for Economic and Social Research, Hans 
Böckler Foundation 
GSEE Labour Institute 
Kopint-Tárki Institute for Economic Research 
IRN Publishing 
Department of Social and Political Sciences, 
University of Milan 
EPC Ltd 
Lithuanian Social Research Centre 
Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic 
Research 
University of Malta  
Panteia BV 
Foundation Institute of Public Affairs 
Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Lisbon 

European Institute of Romania 

Institute for Labour and Family Research 
Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana 
Institute for Labour Studies, Autonomous 
University of Barcelona 
Oxford Research AB 

United Kingdom  Claire Evans 

Warwick Business School 

163 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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EF/21/045

 
 
This study provides information allowing for an 
assessment of the representativeness of the actors  
involved in the European sectoral social dialogue 
committee for the Food and drink sector. Their 
relative representativeness legitimises their right 
to be consulted, their role and effective 
participation in the European sectoral social 
dialogue and their capacity to negotiate 
agreements. 

The aim of Eurofound’s studies on 
representativeness is to identify the relevant 
national and European social partner 
organisations in the field of industrial relations in 
the EU Member States. This study identifies       
EFFAT – representing employees – and 
FoodDrinkEurope – representing employers –          
as the representative European-level social  
partner organisations in the food and drink sector. 

The European Foundation for the Improvement of 
Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) is a 
tripartite European Union Agency established in 
1975. Its role is to provide knowledge in the area 
of social, employment and work-related policies 
according to Regulation (EU) 2019/127.

T
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ISBN 978-92-897-2299-5 
doi:10.2806/972808