Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

_**it**_ ***** **COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES**

**Brussels, 16.04.1997**
**COM(97)** **128 final**

##### **GREEN PAPER** **PARTNERSHIP FOR A NEW ORGANISATION OF WORK**

**(presented by the Commission)**

##### **TABLE OF CONTENTS**

**EXECUTIVE SUMMARY** **'** **ill**

**INTRODUCTION** **1**

**1 : TOWARDS A NEW ORGANISATION OF WORK WHY AND HOW ?** **3**

Mass production 3

Step-by-step improvements 3

The flexible firm 3

A new organisation of work, a demanding change 4

A great potential for Europe 4

Flexibility and security 5

**2 : POLICY CHALLENGES AND NEW PARTNERSHIPS** **7**

The labour market context 7

Modernising the legal, contractual and policy framework 7

Education and training : lifelong learning 7

Labour law and industrial relations 8

Wage systems 9

Working time : a new approach 9

Taxation 11

Social security 11

Health and safety at work 11

Environmental issues 12

Mainstreaming equal opportunities policies 12

Integration of people with disabilities 12

Labour market policies 13

Modernisation of public sector 13

Telework 14

Building a partnership for a new organisation of work 15

The challenge to the social partners 15

The challenge to policy makers 15

**3 : THE CONSULTATION PROCESS** **16**

**/|«t**

### **Executive S\**

###### **Why a Green Paper?**

This Green Paper is about the scope for improving employment and competitiveness through a better organisation of work at the workplace, based on high skJl», high trust and high quality. !t is about
the will and ability of management and workers to take initiatives, to improve the quality of goods
and services, to make innovations and to develop the production process and consumer relations.

The purpose of the Green Paper is to stimulate a European debate on new forms of organisation of
work tc release this potential. The Green Paper is focused on three questions:

c why £ new organisation of work - and how?
G what are the policy challenges of new forms of work organisation?
c is it possible to establish a new partnership for a mere productive, participative and ie&ming organisation cf work?

###### TcwereSs a new organisation of work - why and how?

The traditional organisation of work, based on the ideas of industrial mass production, has been
questioned more and more during the last 20 to 30 years. A number of organisational changes have
been tried in order to improve productivity, quality and working conditions (quality circles, just-intime systems, team work).

In parallel with these many different trends there is now a more fundamental change in the organisation of work, a shift from fixed systems of production to a flexible, open-ended process of organisational development. This new concept of a process of continuous change is sometimes described
as "the flexible firm" and the workplaces as high trust and high skill workplaces. There is no one
model, but an infinite variety of models, which are constantly being adapted to the circumstances
of the individual firm and its workers.

The transformation can be explained by three factors, representing change: human resources, markets and technology.

There are already a number of case studies demonstrating the potential for productivity and prosperity of a new organisation of work. However, the great majority of firms - and public authorities

- are stilf in the traditional form of work organisation. The diffusion of new practices seems to be
slow.

###### **The policy challenges**

The policy challenges could be summarized in one question: how to reconcile security for workers
with the flexibility which firms need? This raises a number of issues for the public authorities and the
social partners across the spectrum of employment, education and social policy areas:

- how to organise the necessary training and retraining, so that the workforce can meet the increasing needs for skills and competence

- how to adapt social législation to take account of new employment trends

- how to change wage systems along with the organisational structures on which they are based

- how to adapt working time arrangements in the light of the new situation

- how to take advantage of the new employment trends with regard to equal opportunities

- how to develop more flexible organisations in the public services

- how to provide adequate support to firms, in particular small firms, who wish to change, but lack
the resources or expertise to do so.

_**Ah**_

###### **Building a partnership for a new organisation of work**

The Green Paper invites the social partners and public authorities to seek to build a partnership for
the development of a new framework for the modernisation of work. Such a partnership could
make a significant contribution to achieving the objective of a productive, learning and participa-'
tive organisation of work.

The word framework should be given a broad interpretation. It could include everything from the
creation of a common understanding of the importance of new forms of work organisation, through
joint declarations, to binding contractual or legal initiatives. The level and content of such a framework has to be clarified through discussions in the social dialogue.

The Commission would like all interested to develop their views on how these objectives could be
reached and how all policies, whether they are public policies or policies for which the social partners are responsible, could be mobilized to create a new framework to modernise work and the
economy.

_**At**_

#### **INTRODUCTION : WHAT ARE THE AIMS OF THE GREEN PAPER ?**

1. This Green Paper is about the scope for improving employment and competitiveness
through a better organisation of work at the
workplace. This _need_ to improve the employment situation by increasing competitiveness has
been at the heart of EU policy and was given added impetus with the publication of the White
Paper on Growth, Competitiveness arid Employment in 1993. It has been a main theme at all the
meetings of the European Council since then and
is a central element in the Commission's Pact for
Confidence in Employment. In the course of the
discussions on the Pact, the Commission sent a
questionnaire to the social partners and prepared
a synthesis of the responses received [1] . More recently the European Council in Dublin emphasised the importance of adequate benchmarking.

2. This Green Paper has also to be situated in
the wider context of the various Community initiatives related to employment, competitiveness
and new technologies, for example, the Monti
Group on taxation, the social security initiatives,
initiatives in the area of new technologies, and
the Davignon group on workers' involvement in
Europe.

3. The European employment strategy calls for
an integrated approach, whereby all the relevant policies, including macro-economic and
structural policies, contribute and support each
other in the fight against unemployment. Improvements in flexibility of work have been
highlighted as essential elements of this strategy.
For example, the European Council meeting in
Essen in 1994 stressed the need to increase the
employment intensity of growth, in particular by
a "more flexible organisation of work in a way
which fulfils both the wishes of employees and
the requirements of competition". But while
much has been written about the need for flexibility of the labour market and its regulation,
much less has been said about the need for flexibility and security in the organisation of work at
the workplace.

4. One of the main aims of this document is to
redress this balance by concentrating on this aspect of the wider employment debate. An improved organisation of work will not of itself
solve the unemployment problem, but it can
make a valuable contribution, firstly, to the competitiveness of European firms, and secondly, to
the improvement of the quality of working life
and the employability of the workforce.

5. Research has demonstrated that a renewal of
the organisation of work is of fundamental importance for improved productivity. The White
Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment [2] highlighted organisational capacity as
one of the key components of a firm's competitiveness. The Commission's First Action Plan for
Innovation in Europe [3] also stressed the importance of organisational innovation for growth in
employment.

6. Work organisation itself is a broad subject,
including, as it does, most aspects of the way
work is organised in and between firms, the relation between the social partners, the organisation of the labeur market, the relationship
between work and the organisation of society.
There is an intensive debate about the role of
work in the future and there are many ongoing
research projects that will further improve our
understanding of the new working life.

7. In particular, the Commission's Green Paper
on "Living and Working in the Information Society: People First", covered a wide range of issues
related to the introduction of new technology
and the organisation of work, some of which are
developed further in this Green Paper. At the
same time there are issues dealt with in the
present Green Paper, which are not related to
new technologies and the Information Society,
notably those related to the evolution of the
workforce and of consumer requirements.

8. The present Green Paper does not seek to
cover all aspects of this vast area. Instead it seeks
to concentrate on developments in work organisation in firms and public bodies _in_ the context
of the economic and social environment. Thus in
this paper, work organisation is taken to mean
the way in which the production of goods and
services are organised at the workplace. The focus is on a new organisation of work. While
there is no one model, this concept implies, in
particular, the replacement of hierarchical and
rigid structures by more innovative and flexible
structures based on high skill, high trust and increased involvement of employees. The focus is
emphatically not on short-term cost-cutting

measures.

9. It should be emphasised that this Green
Paper is concerned with the organisation of
work in all types of workplace and in all sectors
of activity. Though much of the language, much

_1_ _This_ _summary_ _was_ _distributed on the_ _occasion_ _of the Round_ _Table_ _organised by the_ _Commission_ _with the social_
_partners on 30 April_ _1996_ _on the_ _Pact_ _of_ _Confidence_ _for Employment_

_2_ _Growth,_ _Competitiveness,_ _Employment: The_ _Challenges_ _&_ _Ways_ _forward into the 21st Century (Chapter_ _2.3_ _(b))_

_3_ _The First_ _Action Plan for Innovation in Europe: Innovation for Growth and Employment_ _(COM(96)_ _589 final)_

1

_**AX**_

of the experience and many of the examples relate to large firms in manufacturing industry, the
new innovative and flexible structures are often
just as appropriate in small firms as in large, and
in services, including public services such as
health, education and environmental services.
The development of naw forms of work organisation in SMEs, in particular, is of central importance, given that they are the main source of
new jobs.

10. The modernisation of the organisation of
work can only be achieved by the firms themselves, involving management and workers - and
their representatives - and taking into account
the diverse nature of the situation in each sector,
company or organisation and the speed of
change.

11. 3ut the new organisation of work also poses
challenges to policy makers - whether they be
public authorities, social partners or nonGovernmental organisations - and at all levels: lo

cal, national and European. In particular the challenge is how to develop or adapt policies which
support, rather than hinder, fundamental organisational renewal and how to strike a productive
balance between the interests of business and
the interests of workers, thereby facilitating the
modernisation of working life. An essential objective is to achieve such a balance between flexibility and security throughout Europe.

12. Ail Member States are facing similar challenges both with regard to labour productivity,
competitiveness and employment and with regard to achieving the right balance between
flexibility and security of employment. There is
much to learn from progress made in other companies and in other Member States. The Commission hopes that this Green Paper will further
stimulate the debate at European and national
level on the organisation of work among all the
actors involved and that the outcome of this debate will be a new framework for the modernisation of working life based on partnership.

_"A_ _co-operative approach to a different organisation of work within the firm will improve indus-_
_trial relations, allow greater worker participation in decisions and potentially lead to a better_
_product quality. The latter in fact_ _represents_ _an essential component in any strengthening of the_
_competitiveness of the European_ _economy._ _" - Ciampi report._

### **1 : TOWARDS A NEW ORGANISATION OF WORK - WHY** **AND HOW?**

13. For almost a century the organisation of
work was usually founded on the same basic
principle: a hierarchical top-down organisation
with a high degree of specialisation and simple,
often repetitive, jobs.

##### **Mass Production**

14. This type of organisation was developed as a
tool for the emerging industrial society, the
transformation of the economy from handicraft
via manufacturing to industrial mass production.
Europe can be described as the cradle of the
manufacturing society and the US as the cradle
of the mass production system. The ideas were
developed originally in the US car industry,
which became the role model for successful industries.

15. During the 20th century, this type of work organisation spread all over the industrialised
world. The rebuilding of European industry during the post-war period was based on the concept of the mass production system. This production system contributed for several decades to
an unprecedented growth in productivity and
prosperity.

##### **Step-by-step improvements**

16. However, during the last 20-30 years, the limitations of this way of organising work have become evident. One major problem has been that
under the traditional system the work is split up
into narrow functions with short, repetitive work
cycles. The way work is done is prescribed in detail. The system does not give sufficient room for
a process of upgrading and innovation. For continuous improvement to be possible, it is important to involve the workers themselves and in order to be involved they must have the possibility
of exercising judgement, developing social contacts and learning. These are the points where
the traditional mass production system becomes
too much of a hindrance. The workplace has to
be opened up: to flows of ideas, to suggestions,
to learning, to improvement. Initially, this was
done through the introduction of a parallel development organisation, such as quality circles.
The idea was to make step-by-step improvements, day by day, to get visible results over
time, instead of waiting for a crisis to occur.

17. The need for such improvements has been
more apparent the more the service sector has

grown and the more services are integrated into the traditional production of goods. As a consequence, both management and workers have
been looking for new ways of improving productivity and working conditions. We have seen a
number of efforts and experiments : new forms
of team-work, just-in-time production systems,
lean production, "kaizen" (continuous improvement), total quality management, ecomanagement, benchmarking, etc.

##### **The flexible firm**

18. Both the traditional form of organisation
and that based on step-by-step improvements
still exist and will continue to do so for many
years. But in parallel, a more fundamental
change in the organisation of work is emerging,
a shift from fixed systems of production to a flexible, open-ended process of organisational development, a process that offers new opportunities for learning, innovation, improvement and
thereby increased productivity.

19. This new concept of a process of continuous
change is sometimes described as "the flexible
firm" and the workplaces as high trust and high
skill workplaces. There is no one model, but an infinite variety of models, which are constantly being adapted to the circumstances of the individual firm and its workers. The transformation can be
explained by three factors, representing change:
human resources, markets and technology.

 - _**Human**_ _**Resources,**_ in traditional economic
thinking, labour is a factor of production similar
to land and capital - a cost to be reduced. In a
knowledge based economy, however, people
represent a key resource. Organisations are valued not only on the basis of their products or
machines but primarily on the knowledgecreating capacity of the workforce, the people
who work for them, how they work, what work
means to them. The rate of innovation and
change _in_ products and technologies is so rapid
that the competitive advantages of companies
and countries will be the capacity of the workforce to create knowledge. The European workforce of the 1990s, especially the younger age
group, Is much better educated and trained than
any earlier generation. About 70 per cent of this
young European workforce have an upper secondary level education and about 20 per cent
have a university degree.

**-** _**Markets.**_ Consumers are more demanding
than ever before and they do not accept simple
standardised products. They look for innovation,
for variety and novelty, for high quality, both in
goods and services. Competition in the marketplace forces firms to organise production in such
a way that changing consumer preferences can
be met. That creates demand for close links
between market and production, capacity for
continuous innovation and improvement, and a
high degree of flexibility in production. Competitiveness and success will more and more be
based on the innovative capacity and adaptability of firms, less and less on the traditional concept of producing more of the same at low prices. The
most innovative and flexible firms are more likely to survive and expand.

**Technology.** During the last 20-30 years a new
technological revolution has begun, based on
the introduction of information and communication technologies, (ICTs). One of the main effects
of the new ICTs has been a dramatic reduction in
the cost and time of storing, processing and
transmitting information. Such changes have a
fundamental effect on the way we organise the
production and distribution of goods and services, and thereby, on work itself. At the beginning of this technological revolution, the economic result of the introduction of new information systems was rather poor in terms of productivity growth. But, more recently there is a growing number of examples where the introduction
of ICTs has met the highest expectations. The
main message from these examples is the need
for an integrated approach, linking the introduction of ICTs with the education and training of
the workforce and with organisational renewal.

##### **A new organisation of work,** **a demanding change**

20. These three factors - human resources, markets and technology - can have a fundamental
impact on the way workplaces are organised.

21. The new flexible firm is a demanding form of
organisation of work. That goes for the introduction of a new organisation, as well as for the requirements of skills and competence and the development of industrial relations. In the new decentralised and network-oriented organisations,
workers perform a range of tasks, rather than
pass the job on from one to another. The skill
structure is changing. Good skills in numeracy
and literacy as well as with computers, the ability to interact with new technology and with environmental requirements, are becoming more
and more important. There is a need not _only_ for

higher skills but also for broader skills. That is
why continuous learning, the updating and upgrading of skills and competencies, as well as investment in human capital, are of crucial importance for the improvement of the competitive- ness and productivity of the European economy.

22. Furthermore as workers develop a wider
range of skills and become more adaptable, the
new organisation of work will further facilitate
geographical mobility. This in turn will enable
workers to exploit their potential more fully and
exercise their rights in this respect.

23. The new organisation of work will challenge
industrial relations. The old organisation is characterised by specialisation of tasks and skills and
the separation of design from the production
phase. Industrial relations will require, in a new
organisation of work, to be built on a basis of cooperation and common interest. Therefore, new
forms of industrial relations have to be developed, including, for example, greater participation by employees, since efficient production requires enhanced levels of both trust and commitment in firms.

##### **A great potential for Europe**

24. European industry, manufacturing as well as
services, has many underlying strengths. One
such strength is the Single Market, the biggest
economic entity in the world. Sixteen million
firms established in this market have a great advantage in being close to 370 million consumers.
The new way of organising work that is slowly
emerging in Europe could be another strength,
by improving the ability to adjust production to
the new market conditions of ever changing consumer preference. In this way the flexible firm
could offer a sound basis for fundamental organisational renewal built on high skill, high productivity, high quality, good environmental management - and good wages.

25. It is important to recognise that European
companies and public services have already introduced a great number of organisational innovations, which are in tune with European conditions. There are a number of case studies - some
examples are presented in the Report from the
Commission's Competitiveness Group - demonstrating the potential for productivity and prosperity of a new work organisation. The findings
confirm that these innovations in the organisation of firms lead to improved business performance, better job protection and job enrichment. The same message comes from the German
programme on Work and Technology and the

Scandinavian programmes, showing that the firms
O that have restructured their work organisation
and industrial relations have been far more successful than those that have attempted to meet
the challenges solely through the introduction of
advanced manufacturing technology. These programmes also show that trust and commitment
cen be effectively combined with sound forma!
and contractual agreements. However, many firms
   - _znd_ public authorities - are still in the age-old
work organisation: hierarchical, with a high degree of specialisation and low degree of integration and product innovation, defensive methods
of restructuring and political demands for reduced
responsibility in relation to the workforce. The diffusion of new practice seems to be slow.

26. Their traditionally informal structures,
coupled with the smaller scale of operations,
have enabled SMEs to avoid the organisational
sclerosis which has hindered the adaptation of
many large firms. However, the informal nature
of relationships in SMEs gives rise to a different
set of problems in relation to work organisation:
in particular the lack of resources necessary for
systematic organisational planning tends to
hinder long-term personnel development. As a
result, although SME's are potentially better able
to adopt flexible forms of work organisation,
further efforts need to be made if they are to
exploit fully the opportunities presented.

27. It has to be acknowledged that improvements in productivity can result in a
reduction in employment in one part of the
production chain. But improved productivity is
necessary if real wages and profits are to be
increased. Higher wages and profits lead in turn
to the craation of employment in a number of
ways: in the firm itself, in its suppliers, by
increasing demand and by creating the wealth to
pay for the employment intensive services, which
are needed in _fne_ future: in health, education,
leisure and care for the sick and elderly to name
but a few*.

28. The choice is not, in fact, between be:ng
more productive or staying as we are. It is
between remaining competitive or reiegation to
the second division. This is not an easy option.
There ara a number of obstacles to the
modernisation of firms and one such obstacle is
the lack of awareness of the possibilities and of
the potential* of a new way of organising work.
There is a _need_ for information and debate and
for initiatives that can stimulate the development of new forms of work organisation, not
least among the many SMEs.
29. Furthermore, alt change creates turbulence

and uncertainty. There are balances which have
to be struck:

- between young workers and older workers

- between the well-educated and the less welleducated
» between the need for high production levels
and the health of workers and

 - above aiJ, between flexibility and security.

##### IFbxfbiGHy and Security

30. The potential economic benefits of a newform of work organisation based on
participation and trust are substantial, with
potential gains for everyone. Public policies need
to be built on this understanding. However, it
has to be recognised that certain categories of
workers in some areas at different periods in the
economic cycle wHI have more difficulty in
adjusting to the new situation than others: these
include, in particular, older workers, younger
workers with low levels of qualification and
workers who live in areas of high unemployment
and are not mobile. Similarly while there are
considerable benefits for firms and workers
engaged in core activities, care is needed to
ensure that a!2 workers. Irrespective of their
contractual status, share in _the_ 'potential benefits
of the new work organisation.

31. The key issue for workers, management, the
social partners and policy makers alike is to strike
the right balance between flexibility and
security. This balance has many aspects. The
reorganisation of work often causes uncertainty.
Workers _need_ above all to be reassured that
after the changes are _made_ they will still have _a_
job and thai this job wil! last for a reasonable
time. At the same time, once the changes are
made, the new organisation of work can offer
workers increased security through greater
involvement in their work, more job satisfaction
and the possibility of developing skills and longterm employability. This security for workers can
a!so provide emp'evsrs with increased security in
the form of a more stable, versatile and
contented labour force. Employers need greater
flexibility in order, in particular, to cope with
fluctuations in demands for their goods and
services. In particular, they are often looking for
interchangeable fxiifs and adaptable working
patterns, including working time arrangements.
Such flexible arrangements can also have
advantages for employees, provided thst they
are negotiated : vor example working time
arrangements which si:st their private or family
commitments.

_4_ _The_ _employment_ _potential in this area_ _is_ _set out in the_ _Commission's_ _report on_ _"Local_ _development and employment_
_initiatives: an investigation in the European Union"_ _(SEC/S64/9S)_

32. It is the achievement of this balance between
flexibility and security which is at the heart of
the partnership for-a new organisation of work,
which is the subject of this Green Paper. So far
we have discussed the implications for employers

_**Questions**_

and workers. But if this balance is to be achieved,
there is a need to adapt a wide range of public
policies accordingly. These policy challenges will
be discussed in the next chapter.

Do you share the views expressed above on the evolution of the organisation of work and the
main driving forces behind the new developments? Are there other factors that should be included?

What is your experience of firms that have introduced new forms of organisation of work?
Are there particular experiences in respect of small firms, which you would like to mention?

Are there examples of new business strategies, which appear more successful in dealing with such
changes?

###### **2 : POLICY CHALLENGES AND NEW PARTNERSHIPS**

###### **The labour market context**

33. There is a broad public debate about the development of labour markets and working life.
This debate is linked to new technologies, the
globalisation of our economies and to new forms
of work organisation.

34. The new forms of work organisation are associated with greater specialisation by firms,
which leads to new employment-creating opportunities for sub-contractors. However, some of
the changes that we are witnessing today are
caused not by a new organisation of work and
new technology, but by a lack of adaptation and
modernisation. The downsizing of many firms is
often the consequence of adverse macroeconomic conditions and bad management.

35. Some of the problems are caused by a failure
to integrate new technologies with changes in
the organisation of work and the upgrading of
skills and competence.

36. It is difficult to isolate these factors in statis
tics on the development of the labour market.
Therefore caution is needed when studying such
statistics in order to avoid blaming the new organisation of work for the problems created by
quite different factors.

37. A few facts can serve as a background to the
further discussion of the challenges to existing
policies and the need to modernise our policies:

 - _**employment**_ _**has**_ _**increased**_ in the Member States of the EU in 15 of the 23 years since
1973. The total increase in these years of employment growth reached 16 million jobs. However, 8
million of these jobs were lost during periods of
economic downturn, giving a net employment
growth of 8 million. This contrasts with the
growth of the working age population by nearly
28 million people over the same period. Thus,
the main problem is that job growth has not
been strong enough to absorb the growing
working age population.

39. The new forms of work organisation require
a much better educated and trained workforce,
including in particular management. The flexibility and adaptability of skills are key. Continuous
training and retraining are essential: in 10 years'
time 80% of the technology we operate today
will be obsolete, and replaced by new, more advanced technologies. By that time, 80% of the
workforce will be working on the basis of formal
education and training more than 10 years' old.

40. Europe needs to develop a new architecture
of lifelong education and training which involves
not only all parts of education and training
systems but also firms and individuals them

ficulties in returning to a working life with new
and higher skill requirements.

- _the_ _level_ _of_ _permanent_ _employment_ _remains_
_high;_ temporary jobs account for a relatively
small proportion, around 12 per cent of employees. Such jobs are often important as entry jobs;
for example, in 1995 50 per cent of the unemployed who found a job took temporary positions. A recent study, undertaken by the ILO,
shows that job tenure has not been reduced in

recent years.

 - _working time_ _has_ _become more flexible;_ about
16 per cent of employees work part-time and
such work has become more common. Only 5
per cent of men work part-time while 30 per
cent of women work part-time, mainly in the

service sector.

 - _**self-employment has been stable over**_ _the_ _last_
_20 years;_ self-employed counted for about 15
per cent of the total workforce in 1975 and that
figure has not increased at all. However, if agriculture is excluded, there is evidence of some
growth.

38. These patterns are important to recognise as
a basis for the discussions on policies supporting
flexibility and security in working life. A more
detailed description of the trends in the labour
market in the Member States is available in the
Commission's publication "Employment in Europe 1996".

###### **Modernising the legal, contractual** **and policy framework** **_Education and training:_** **_lifelong learning_**

**-** _**there**_ _**are**_ _**many more jobs requiring**_
_**higher**_ _**and**_ _**broader**_ _**skills;**_ **there** **has** **been a**
marked shift in the structure of employment towards higher-skillecf jobs that are, in general,
more stable. Professional, technical and management personnel grew by 25 per cent, while the
number of production workers decreased. Those
who have lost their old jobs have had great dif

selves. In addition, a culture of learning and
training throughout working life needs to be fully embedded. It is hardly possible to overestimate the importance of action in this area,
which has been the subject of a number of Commission initiatives. For example, the Commission's Green Paper "Living and Working in
the Information Society: People First" identified
four crucial areas:

 - Laying the best foundations: the foundations
cf our knowiedge and skills are laid during the
first years of education, and the education processes involved need to evolve with the development of new technology and with the new requirements for sustainable development. Teachers and trainers in particular must be targeted
and the quality of their initial training and continuing professional development secured.

 - From teaching to learning: education and
training institutions must be swiftly reoriented
so that learning institutions are much more responsive to changes in the skili needs of business
and industry. One of the key objectives identified
in the Commission's White Paper "Teaching and
Learning: towards the Learning Society [5] " was
the need to bring schools and the business sector
closer together to better complement each other as places of learning.

 - The learning company requires that new
forms of partnership between business, other organisations and educators are needed to ensure
that the new and changing skills required are
made available. The crux of this approach is continually to reinforce the employabiiity of the
workforce, as well as to increase the competence
of managers and decision-takers through training.

 - Lifelong learning for all: there is a strong
need to transform passive labour market policies
into active policies for human resource investment, in line with the agreement at the Florence
Summit, whereas at present not more than 7 per
cent of the unemployed are offered training
which would help to equip them to re-enter the
labour market.

_**Questions**_

How can firms which seek to introduce new

forms of work organisation optimise their investments in human resources?

What are the obstacles, including accounting
and tax constraints, to the promotion of investment in human resources ?

###### **_Labour law and industrial_** **_relations_**

41. The new organisation of work calls into question the basic foundations upon which labour
law and industrial relations are built.

42. The concepts of work-place, firm, factory
and, in particular, the notion of employer are
undergoing a process of diversification, leading
to an erosion of traditional employment relationships. Downsizing, outsourcing, subcontracting, teleworking, net-working and joint ventures
bring new dimensions to the world of work for
which traditional labour law provisions do not
appear to have adequate answers.

43. All this raises fundamental questions concerning the balance of regulatory powers
between public authorities (legislation) and the
social partners (collective bargaining) and
between the social partners and individual employees (individual employment contracts). In
particular the possibility of derogating from legislation by collective agreements and the scope
for individual contracts versus collective agreements are central issues on today's European industrial relations agenda.

44. In this context, the likely development of labour law and industrial relations from rigid and
compulsory systems of statutory regulations to
more open and flexible legal frameworks may
pave the way for a new balance of reguiatory
powers between the State and the social partners, in particular in the areas connected with
the internal management of firms. Within this
framework the relationship between employers
and employees becomes a key factor as firms
move from traditional methods of organisation
to more flexible internal arrangements. The role
of workers in decision making and the need to
review and strengthen the existing arrangements for workers involvement in their companies will aiso become essential issues. The Com
mission will launch, in the coming weeks, consultations with the social partners on the advisability and direction of Community action in the
field of information and consultation of employees at national level.

45. The participation of employees in profits and
enterprise results could also assume greater importance. In this connection the Commission recently prepared a report [6] on the ways Member
States have promoted the participation by employees in profits and enterprise results. This
shows that in all cases profit-sharing is associated with higher productivity levels no matter

5 _"Teaching and Learning: Towards the Learning Society" (December 1995)_

_6_ _PEPPER_ _II: promotion_ _of participation_ _by employed persons in profits and enterprise results (including_ _equity_
_participation)_ _in Member States (COM (96) 697 final of_ _8.1.97)_

what methods, model specification and data are
used. Other positive effects of the schemes are
on wage flexibility, .employment and employee
involvement. The development of financial participation schemes is, however, strongly influenced by government action, in particular by the
availability of tax incentives.

_**Questions**_

How should the current legal framework be
modernised to take account of new employment trends ?

Which types of workers' involvement mechanisms could contribute to successful strategies
on technical and organisational change?

How would the development of direct worker
participation affect the role of bodies or organisations representing workers?

###### _Wage systems_

46. Pay is, of course, at the heart of the contract
between employers and workers. But some of
the pay systems in use today were developed forty or fifty years ago. Frequently they provided
only for payment for a specific job in a hierarchical organisation with a rigid division of labour.
Such wage systems are now proving an obstacle
to the introduction of more flexible company
structures. It is precisely in the most up-to-date
companies that traditional pay differentials
between manual and white collar workers,
between women and men, or between members
of the same team are no longer workable. Wage
systems are the financial expression of organisational and status structures within a company.

47. New wage systems, compatible with the flexible firm, have been introduced into many firms,
in both manufacturing and services and in large,
medium-sized and small firms. The characteristics
typical of these new payment systems are broader job descriptions and a corresponding decrease
in the number of pay grades, incentives to acquire extra qualifications, higher valuation of
new job requirements (such as co-operation, responsibility, decision-making, problem solving,
etc.), supplements to the basic wage paid according to results or for continuous improvements,
establishment of internal job equity for blue and
white-collar employees, for time and piece-rate
workers, for part-timers and full-timers and
equal pay for women and men.

**7** _**O.J.**_ _**N'**_ _**C**_ _**320 of**_ _**28.10.96**_ _**p.**_ _**97**_

_Questions_

What experience do you have of changes in
payment systems?

What innovations are taking place, in particular by means of collective bargaining?

###### _lime: a new approach_

48. Working time is at the centre of the public
debate on the organisation of work. In particular, the European Parliament adopted last year
an important resolution on a reduction and adaptation of working time [7], based on the Rocard
report. The debate is about two separate questions. One is about working time flexibility: the
adjustment of working time arrangements to
the needs of firms or the needs of individual
workers. The other question is about working
time and employment: can a shortening of working time create more jobs?

49. Many innovative working time arrangements
are being introduced in firms throughout the EU,
both on the initiative of the firm concerned, or
as the result of pressure or incentives from the
Member State. Such arrangements can take a
number of forms, including:

###### Changes in the length of the working week

50. An important development in recent years
has been the decoupling of plant operating
times _and_ shop opening hours from individual
working time. This has allowed firms to increase
the utilisation of expensive equipment, or to
meet shoppers' wishes more effectively, while reducing individual working time, often at no cost.
In this context, some research has shown that
firms may employ more workers as a result of reducing working time, provided that certain conditions outlined below (box) are met.

_J._

**Conditions which may need to be satisfied for working time reductions to have an im-**
**pact on employment**

Reductions in working hours should take place in the broader context of a better balance between
flexibility and security: reducing working hours while maintaining the same pattern of work organisation will be counter-productive.

The way work is distributed has to be planned and working time patterns have to be adapted to
the new situation.

The redistribution of working time should be accompanied by an active training policy. Otherwise
skill shortages are likely to arise. The speed with which they arise depends on the nature of the
work and the quality of the available labour force.

Barriers to recruitment should be low. In this context there is a need to look in particular at the
effects of taxation systems on working time and to make the necessary adaptations to social security systems.

Co-operation between the public authorities, trade unions and the various training bodies with
interests at plant level is important.

Working time reductions should be incorporated into long-term bargaining packages. Many
working time reductions in recent decades, for example in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, have been traded against long-term wage moderation. Such long-term packages have the
advantage of making it possible to use productivity increases to reduce working time over a period of several years, while at the same time reducing the wage increases needed to offset the reduction in working time.

**Annualisation of working time**

51. There has also been a trend in recent years
towards coping with fluctuations in demand by
calculating working time on an annual basis
rather than on a weekly basis. Agreements to
this effect usually provide, within certain limits,
for the workers to receive a regular salary, rather than one which fluctuates week by week or
month by month. It can also enable workers to
better organise their time between work and leisure. For employers it allows for greater flexibility in the organisation of production and avoids
expensive overtime premia.

**Part-time work**

52. There are now 24 million people working
part time in the Member States. This form of
work represents both opportunities and risks.
From the employer's point of view it provides the
flexibility which is necessary to meet changing
consumer demands, especially in services. From
the worker's point of view it also provides a flexibility that makes it easier to combine work with
other responsibilities, for example studies or
housework. The problem is that conditions of
employment, for example social protection, for
part-time workers are often limited when com

pared with those for full time work. This crystallises the need for a new balance between the

interests of employers and workers, which would
have positive benefits for both sides and could
lead to the integration of part-time workers into
the labour market, in particular by making their
work less precarious. The social partners are now
negotiating at European level on the basis of the
Commission's consultation document on flexibil
ity in working time and security for workers. A
European agreement on this would make an important contribution to the development ot flexibility and security in working life.

**Flexible leave arrangements through-**
**out working life**

53. A number of interesting experiments are being undertaken in Member States and in individual firms to allow workers to take career breaks

for family, training or other reasons. The recent
framework agreement on parental leave concluded by UNICE, CEEP and the ETUC [8] is a good
example of the progress at Community level.

54. Such working lifetime policies may reduce
unemployment and improve the quality of life
by humanising the world of work and, above all,
its compatibility with private life.

_8_ _Annex to Council Directive_ _96I34IEC_ _of_ _3.6.97;_ _O.J._ _N"_ _L_ _145/4_ _of_ _19.6.96_

10

_**Questions**_ _•_ e

What contributionjdo you consider that a reduction and adaptation of working time can
make to the improvement of growth, productivity and employment?

What is the scope for agreement at sectoral
level on working time arrangements? Are other levels more appropriate?

##### _Taxation_

55. The existing taxation systems are not normally designed to cope with the new flexible work
organisation. On the contrary, taxation systems
may give employers a financial incentive to employ people in traditional work arrangements
and therefore act as a barrier to a more flexible
work organisation.

which assumes that the "normal" pattern of employment is lifelong and permanent, with retirement from the labour market taking place at the
end of the employee's working life. Benefits are
therefore predicated upon a contributory insu- ranee model and eligibility often depends upon
continuous service.

59. If, as predicted, "traditional" work structures
are to continue to change over the next few
decades, the implications for social protection
policies in the longer term are enormous. The
most frequently-advanced change scenario envisages the replacement of the 20th century linear career concept by a norm of a varied working life.

56. Taxes, including social security contributions,
falling on labour are often reiated to employees'
income levels. Some taxes may distort employers'
choices on organisation of working time as the
imposition of the taxes can give incentives to
work either more than a certain level or less than
a certain level. For example, some taxes may
_hBMe_ a ceiling which can be an incentive for employer? tc hire only one employee whose salary
exceeds the ceiling, and beyond which no additional contributions ara payable, compared tc
hiring two part-time employees whose individual salaries would be below the ceiling _and_ whose
combined contributions would be greater than
for one employee. Such ceilings may also give incentives to employers tc use overtime instead of
hiring extra people.

57. Other taxes may have a tax-free floor which
gives an incentive to employers to employ parttime workers below a cartain number of hours
per week. Some taxes are a fixed amount per employee, irrespective of the level of earnings, and
consequently give an incentive for employers to
use as small a number of employees as possible.

_Q<LB®$t§oft_

What reforms are necessary to taxation
systems, in order to avoid the disincentive effects ?

##### _Social security_

60. Such changes should not be perceived as a
threat to social security : flexible working can ba
both beneficial to European economies and attractive to individual employees. Therefore, the
latter should not be penalised for adopting such
working patterns. 7Ns means that the multitude
of different forms of employment, which employees may increasingly experience, must be
supported by appropriate social protection
systems.

61. However, it is vital that mechanisms be found
for adapting European social protection systems
to take account of these new patterns of work.
Obviously there are no easy solutions to this
complex problem. Therefore, in October "[995
the Commission launched a debate on the future
of social protection which addresses among other things the implications of changing work patterns for social protection. A Communication'
taking stock of the debate during 19S6 and proposing appropriate follow-up has recently been
published.

_**Question**_

What adaptations are necessary to social security rules to stimulate more innovative forms
of work organisation?

##### _Health and safety at work_

62. There is an important body of Community
legislation in this area, which already makes a
significant contribution to the hearth and safety
of workers' [0] . These measures may need to be
strengthened and adapted in order to take account cf changes in work organisation.

58. At present, most European social security 63. In this context it should be noted that it is the
systems are based upon a model of employment employer that has the duty of managing the pre

_9_ _Modernising and Improving_ _Social_ _Protection in the European Union_ _(COM(97) 102_ _of_ _12.3.97)_
_1G See_ _in particular Council Directive_ _89/391/EEC_ _of_ _12 June 1989_ _on the introduction of_ _measures_ _to encourage_

_improvements in the safety and heaith of workers_ _(O._ _J._ _N'_ _L 183/1 cf 29_ _June_ _1989)_ _- and subsequent individual directives_

11

venticn of occupational ill-health. The growing
importance of SME's as employers, including subcontractors, raises important health and safety
issues. Furthermore, new employers often lack
knowledge of health and safety risks, and frequently have neither the time or money to rectify this. Some initiatives have already been undertaken to address this information gap [11], but further measures may be necessary. In addition the
incorporation of health and safety within early
education and within the lifelong learning approach will be increasingly necessary to ensure
that workers are adequately trained.

###### _Environmental issues_

64. The development towards a more flexible organisation of work is likely to have effects on the
natural environment, for example by changes in
transport demand. These effects can be positive
or negative, depending, in particular, on individual working time arrangements, the transport infrastructure and the location of the work. It will

be necessary to identify the environmental impacts of new forms of work organisation more
accurately in order to develop approaches which
are compatible with sustainable development
and which are beneficial for the whole of society.

_**Question**_

What impacts, both favourable and detrimental, are the new forms of work organisation,
flexibility in working time and employment
contracts, having on the health, safety and job
environment of workers and for the management of these issues?

###### _Mainsireaming_ _equal opportunities policies_

**Women** **and men**

65. The new developments in relation to work
organisation present a challenge and an opportunity with regard to equal opportunities for
men and women. Employment is declining in
typical traditional male jobs with traditional
work organisation, such as heavy manufacturing
industries, and growing in the service sector,
where women have a stronger position and
where new ways of working are more developed. The question is whether the new organisation of work, emphasising social skills, broader
skills and multi-tasks, can contribute to the promotion of equal opportunities.

68. Women have made great progress in the la

bour market during the last 10-20 years, but
there is still a big gender gap in employment and
persisting segregation in the labour market. The
difference in employment between men and
women is 25 million, 85 million men and 60 mil-,
lion women in work. Women's working patterns
are also sometimes different from those of men

and that may also affect the development of
work organisation. In order to realise this potential it is necessary to organise not only firms but
the whole social infrastructure to support men
and women on a more equal footing. That includes for example training, child care, transportation, gender balance in decision making, individualisation of rights and so on.

67. Mainstreaming, which is the guiding principle of the Fourth Community Action Programme
on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men
(1996-2000) [12], aims to promote the integration
of equal opportunities for women and men in
the process of preparing, implementing and
monitoring all policies and activities of the European Union and the Member States.

_**Questions**_

What more can be done to ensure that a bet
ter gender balance is achieved through the
development of a new organisation of work?

How far will the growing participation of
women in the labour market have an impact
on work organisation?

**Immigrants and ethnic minorities**

68. New developments in relation to work organisation also present risks and opportunities
for workers from immigrant or ethnic minority
backgrounds. Businesses and other organisations
are operating in an increasingly multi-cultural
environment, with customers, suppliers and employees from diverse national, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Success in the market-place increasingly depends on the ability to integrate
this potential to best effect.

###### _Integration of people with_ _disabilities_

69. A better organisation of work can improve
job opportunities of people with disabilities, in
particular it can help to ensure that workplaces
and work arrangements are adapted to their
needs. Measures involving working time organisation have aîso proved to be essential to incompany reintegration. The same consideration
applies to the effect of the introduction of new

? _1_ _See_ _"Self-Audit_ _Handbook_ _for SMEs on Safety and Health at Work", European Commission, 1995_

_12 Council Decision of 22.12.95,_ _O.J._ _N° L. 335 of 30.12.95_

12

technologies. Telewerking can expand dramatically the employment opportunities of a wide
range of people with disabilities, in that it can
overcome or remove barriers and problems relating to health conditions, safety, fatigue and
stress, the need for personal assistance, inaccessible transportation or architectural barriers. Considerable human resources, which are today nonproductive and have to rely mainly on social assistance, can be released in this way for employers and in general for the benefit of all society.

_QuesticFè_

What practical steps can be taken to ensure a
better use of the potential of all our people in
the new organisation of work?

###### **_Labour merket policies_**

70. Labour market policies play an important
role in the development of the new organisation
of work, reconciling flexibility for firms and security for workers. First of all, there are huge financial resources spent on passive policies, that
should be activated. Secondly, the new concept
of 'job rotation" offers opportunities for firms
as well as for jobseekers. Job rotation means on
the one hand upgrading the existing workforce
in order to achieve bettei quality, higher productivity and new forms of work organisation, on
the other hand a need to recruit substitutes,
while the workers are being trained. This recruitment could provide good entry jobs for young
and unemployed people. Such a shift from passive to active measures, based on the job rotation idea, is in line with the European Council
agreement on a selective restructuring of public
expenditure to stimulate growth and empk-
ment.

71. Most of the initiatives for the modernisation

of work organisation must be taken at a local or
national level. However, these initiatives can get
support from the European Union, through the
European Social Fund. Objective 4 of the Structural Funds has as its aim to "facilitate workers' ad
aptation to industrial changes and to changes in
production systems". Created for the current
programming period 1994-99, it is a new and
challenging Objective in so far as it deals primarily with people in employment as compared with
the traditional target groups of the Social Fund,
namely the unemployed. Objective 4 (together
with the ADAPT Community Initiative) carries a
budget of about 4 billion ECU, which when married with Member State and private funding
makes it a European fund for supporting indus

trial change of about 7.5 billion ECU <&\?er ths.,
five years of its operation. The actions•supported''
are to a major extent concerned with training
and re-training, but within an overall context of
organisational change within and among companies.

72. During the remaining period of current programming (1997-99), the interventions under
Objective 4 and ADAPT will be pursued with specific aims which support the process cf improving
work organisation. An improved use by the relevant bodies of the opportunities offered by Objective 4 and ADAPT will be a key demonstration
of their willingness to improve work _omzrSit-_
tien.

73. In addition the Leonardo da Vinci programme supports experiments and the launch of
particularly innovating projects in this ares-. The
Fifth Framework Programme for Research and
Development ccuid also make a contribution in
support of research on new methods of organisation of work [13] .

_Question_ I

How do you consider that the contribution of !
i the Structural Funds, and in particular Ob ; 'e- !
! ctive 4, could bsst be optimised to promote a j
, better organisation of work? j

###### **_Modernisation of the public sector_**

74. The public secte employs a significant oroportion of the E J abour force. For example over
9 million people are employed full-time in local
government alone. Within these public organisations there are increasing pressures tc get value
for money both in order to keep public expenditure in check and tc improve the quality and
flexibility of service which the public expects.
There are a number cf example; where public
sector bodies nave devefoped innovative forms
of work organisation, with the active participa
tion of trade unions, but both employers and
trade unions are conscious of the fact that more

needs to be done. Indeed in November 1996, the
social partners at European level adopted a Joint
Declaration [14] on the modernisation of public services which recognised inter alia that the reorganisation of work processes and administrative
structures is often the main instrument for

adapting to the changing environment. They
emphasised that this requires a long-term com
mitment to employment and the development
of professional skills, and that management of
change demands co-operation between man

75' _"Towards the 5th Framework Programme: Scientific and Technological Objectives"_ _(COM(97)47)_

_14 Joint_ _Declaration_ _of the CEMR Employers' Platform and the European Federation of Public Service Unions, Brussels_
_November_ _1996_

13

agement and. labour in all organisations. The
parties stressed their striving for reconciling efficiency with a high quality of working life: "In an
open and secure climate the move towards a
learning organisation may be a natural outcome
of the adaptation to the continuous change".

###### **_Telework_**

75. Telework comes in a variety of forms - homebased telework, alternating telework, multi-site
telework, freelance telework, mobile teieworking and telework from relocated back offices. Its
centra! features involve the use of telecommuni
cations and advanced information technologies
and the performance of work at a location other
than the traditional workplace.

76. Although the spread and penetration of telework remains unclear, the current numbers of
teleworkers do not seem to meet the expansive
forecasts made in the 1970s. However, the lowering cost of telecommunications, changes in
managers' and trade unions' attitudes towards
telework, as well as new practices in respect of
alternating telework, are strong indications that
the number of teleworkers will increase substan
tially in the coming years. Telework is particularly evident in industries and occupations which
are information intensive.

77. Any consideration of telework at regional,
national or European level should be strongly influenced by the need for job creation, increasing

employment opportunities, environmental improvement and regional development. The central question here is how can we use telework
and related techniques to bring about a net increase in work opportunities for Europeans in.
such a way that the overall quality of working
life is enhanced.

78. The transnational dimension of ICTs, and in
particular the fact that electronic commerce on
the internet goes beyond geographical borders,
brings to the fore the issue of transnational teleworking, international private law and transnational industrial relations.

79. In 1996 the Commission undertook comparative research and an analysis of labour law,
health and safety and social security legislation
and collective bargaining practices in Member
States in respect of telework. As a result of this a
number of issues were identified for considera
tion by the public authorities and the social partners (see box).

80. It is necessary to assess what measures are
necessary to facilitate the development of telework, whether the existing rules are appropriate
and what are the respective roles of the different
actors. These issues will be further assessed in the
context of the follow-up to the Green Paper on
"Living and Working in the Information Society:
People First" and in relation to the development
of trans-European telecommunications networks.

###### **[5SUES CONCERNING TELEWORK PRACTICES**

Contractual status (empioyed-seif-ernployed teieworking)
Voluntarism and teleworkers' right to return to the company's premises
Written information on working conditions

Equality of treatment between on-site workers and teleworkers
Teleworkers' involvement in information, consultation, participation and negotiation
Teleworkers" training rights and skill development
Social security issues
Data protection issues
Environmental impact
Inviolability of home and the employers' access to it
Working time, availability and work load

Pay systems
Infrastructure, equipment and expenses
Teleworkers' involvement in the company's affairs
Separation of working and living environments
Health and safety issues, including isolation, stress, checking and control
Social mpiications of trans-border teieworking
Legal framework applicable to freelance teieworking, including trade union rights

**14**

##### **Building a partnership for a new** **organisation dï work**

## The challenge to the social partners ers.

81. The role of the social partners, in firms, at
sectoral, national and at European level, is crucial in the development of a new organisation of
work. But both sides face challenges.

82. For management, the challenge is to achieve
a fundamental renewal of their organisation in
such a way that they create a climate of trust and
partnership, based on the concepts of flexibility
and security. For trade unions, the challenge is to
ensure that they exercise a constructive and active roie in the innovation and modernisation
process within the firm and so achieve a sustainable balance between their social and economic
objectives.

83. In a number of Member States, the social partners have shown their readiness to adapt to profound changes taking place in organisational structures, management style and industrial relations
practices in both the private and public sectors.

84. This experience leads the Commission to invite the social partners and public authorities to
take part in a discussion about partnership. The
concept of partnership includes, first of all, workers and managers in the firm. The renewal of the
organisation of work can only be achieved by the
firms themselves, involving management and
workers and their representatives. In addition,
the social partners and the public authorities can
facilitate this work by improving awareness of
the potential of a new organisation of work.

**Questions on Section II**

85. This could lead towards a partnership for the
development of a new framework for the modernisation of the organisation of work, taking account of the interests of both business and workers. The word "framework" should be given a
broad interpretation. It could include everything
from the creation of a common understanding of
the importance of new forms of work organisation, through joint declarations, to binding contractual or legal initiatives. The level and content
of such a framework has to be clarified through
discussions, in particular in the social dialogue.

86. Such a partnership could make a significant
contribution to achieving the objective of a productive, learning and participative organisation
of work. St would be based on European values,
which combine competition between firms and
solidarity between citizens.

##### **_The challenge to polky makers_**

87. The European institutions - the Commission,
the Parliament, the Council of Ministers, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee
of Regions - can stimulate the debate, give political support and organise an exchange of information and knowledge about the introduction of
new forms of work organisation, both on the basis of the results achieved and the problems that
have arisen. However, policy makers in European
institutions, as well as in national and regional Parliaments and governments, need to understand
what is happening in firms so that they can support the public debate in a well informed way and
take these developments into account when formulating policy and modernising legislation.
Therefore, this Green Paper is also addressed to
policy makers, to increase awareness of the potential and of the need for renewal of public policies.

What actions are appropriate at the different levels: the firm, local, regional, sectoral, national and
European?
Under which conditions, which will vary from country to country, could decentralised negotiations
at firm level be developed to cover several aspects of work organisation?
How could agreement be reached at sectoral or occupational level on framework guidelines for
the organisation of work, which could be applied, at the same workplace, to workers with different types of contractual arrangements?
Which are the most appropriate ways in which this process can be supported at EU level, for example support from the Structural Funds; support for training policies and innovations in them;
dissemination of information, in particular in relation to good practice; medium-term social policy
analysis and research, adaptation of the legal framework; other action ?

How can we best mobilise our resources to realise the potential gains for both firms and workers,
which could arise from a new organisation of work?
How can we give particular support to SMEs?
What should be the respective roles of the main actors who might be involved in such a partnership, i.e. the social partners, the public authorities, NGOs in supporting the development of a productive, learning and participative organisation of work?

**15**

#### **3: THE CONSULTATION PROCESS**

88. As stated in the introduction, the main aim of
this Green Paper is to raise awareness and stimulate debate on new ways of organising work. The
Commission does not wish to pre-judge the outcome of that debate by making concrete proposals
for action, at this stage.

89. The Green Paper is being given a wide circulation and it is hoped that it will be discussed at local
and national level, as well as at European level, in
particular within the Social Dialogue.

90. The Green Paper includes questions directed to
the social partners, to the Member States' authorities and to the European Union institutions. The
Commission welcomes comments also from individ
uals and from institutions, from practitioners and

from researchers, from NGOs active in the social
and health fields, from people who have experience of new forms of work organisation as well as
from people who are preparing to step from old
forms of work organisation to new ones.

91. Written comments should be sent by 30 November 1997, to

European Commission
Directorate-General V

Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200

B - 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

92. Comments can also be sent by e-mail to:
_**DG5-PartnershipQBXL.DG5.**_ _**CEC.BE**_

[This document is accessible at the following address: internet http://europa.eu.int/](http://europa.eu.int/)
The DGV homepage is accessible through the following path:

_Welcome, Policies, Employment and Social Policies, on which page there is a link to DGV_

**16**

##### **ISSN «254-1475**

# COM(97) 128 final EN m os

### Catalogue number : CB-CO-97-154-EN-C ISBN 92-78-18671-6

**Office for Official Publications of the European Communities**

**L-2985** **Luxembourg**