CELEX: 51973PC1233
Language: en
Date: 1973-07-25
Title: DRAFT REGULATION (EEC) OF THE COUNCIL relating to the organisation of the survey of the structure and distribution of wages in commerce, and insurance companies (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

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COM (73) 1233
Vol. 1973/0230
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OP THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                          COM(73)1233 final
                                                         Brussels , 25 July 1973
                                       DRAFT
                        REGULATION ( ESC) OF THE COUNCIL
        relating to the organisation of the survey of the structure
                 and distribution of wages in commerce , and
                              insurance companies
                 ( submitted to the Council by the Commission)
  COM(73 ) 1233 final
 ---pagebreak---                                                                          Annex 1
                               Explanatory Memorandum
With regard . to wage statistics , since 1964 the Commission has had
available standardized statistics of industrial workers' wages .              Up
to now it has also organized two series of three annual surveys on
                                                                          f .
companies' pay loads and workers' incomes which , in accordance with
Regulations No . 10 , 14 , 28 and 151 of the Council 0 ), covered the
accounts for the years 1959 to 1964 in 14 , 8 and 13 branches of indus­
try respectively , and also three larger' surveys of labour costs which ,
in accordance with the Regulations No . 101/66/EEC , 1899/68/EEC and
( EEC ) 2259/71 ( 2),' covered all sectors of industry based on the
accounts for the years 1966 , 1969 and 1972 .
In addition , a survey of labour costs , in accordance with Regulation
( EEC ) No . 2053/69 ( 3 ), covered the retail trade , banks and insurance
companies based on the accounts for the year 1970 .            Another such sur­
vey for 1.974 extended to the wholesale trade is now planned , and a
draft regulation to this effect is being submitted to the Council .
But , despite all this information the Commission cannot accomplish
some of the ; tasks allotted to it by the Treaty establishing the Euro­
pean, Economic Community , particularly where the implementing of
Articles 2 , 3 , 117 , 1 1 8 , 119 , 120 and 122 is concerned , without also
having available valid' and comparable data ori the structure and distri­
bution of wages within - the Community countries .               '
( 1 ) Official  Journal   No .  56 dated 31.8.1960 , p. 1199/60
      Official  Journal   No .  55 dated 16.8.1961 , p. 1054/61
      Official  Journal   No .  41 dated 28.5.1962 , p. 1277/62
      Official  Journal   No .  133-dated 13*12.1962 , p. 2841 /62
( 2 ) Official  Journal   No .  134 dated 22.7-1966 , p. 2540/66
      Official  Jouranl   No .  L 289 dated 29.11.1968 , p. 4 / '
      Official  Journal   No .  L 238 dated 23 . 10.1 971 , p. 1
( 3 ) Official  Journal   No .  L 263 dated 21.10.1969 , p * 8
 ---pagebreak--- In fact , all the surveys mentioned so far supply very useful results
but they are generally only average values . Only a knowledge of the
statistical relationship / between wages and the personal characteris­
tics of the wage earners ( sex , age , professional qualifications ,
length of service in the company , etc .) could help to further the
analysis and to explain in particular how far the different levels
observed in different fields of activity in different countries can
be put down to the differences in the structure of the labour force .
Surveys of the structure and distribution of salaries are aimed pre­
cisely at making this analysis possible . They also provide important
information on the distribution of individual wages .
This is why for the industrial sector the Commission has already
organized two surveys on the structure and distribution of wages ,
which , in accordance with the Council Regulations No . 188/64/EEC and
( EEC ) No . 2395/71 ( 1 ), have gone into the data for 1966 and 1972 .
The results of the first survey concerning workers alone have been
published in the series "Social Statistics " of the Statistical Office
of the European Communities ( 2 ); those of the second survey , which
covers all categories of wage earners in industry , are at the moment
being analysed and will be published during the year 197^-.
It was necessary for a survey on the structure and distribution of
wages to be made in the commercial sector , banks and insurance ' compa­
nies which , like industry , are already undergoing a survey of labour
costs . This need was recognized and emphasised by the Council on the
19 October 1971 > at the discussion on the Regulation which was to lead
to the organisation of the second such survey of industry ; on this
occasion the Council did in fact ask the Commission to extend its
( 1 ) Official Journal No . 21    dated 2^.12.196^, p. 363^-
      Official Journal No . L 2^9 dated 10.11.1971 , p. 52
( 2 ) Special series "Survey on the structure and distribution of wages
      - 1966 " (8 volumes )
 ---pagebreak--- investigation also into the service sectors , pointing out that if it
was in fact advisable to renew the first survey of the structure and
distribution of wages in industry and to extend it to cover the cleri­
cal staff , it was all/, the more justified and also urgent to carry out
a similar survey of commerce , banks and insurance companies in- 197^
at the same time as the enquiry on labour costs already planned for
these sectors ( 1 ).
This is why the representatives of the Governments and national Statis­
tical Institutes , professional employers' and employees' organisations
examined the technicalities of carrying out such a survey during a
meeting which took place in Luxembourg from the 27 to the 29 March 1973
A sample survey will take place towards the end of 197^ and could be
continued to the beginning of the year 1975 . It will cover all compa­
nies employing at least ten wage earners in the wholesale and retail
trades , banks and insurance companies ( 2 ).
The professional employers' and employees' organisations and also the
national services responsible for the organisation of the survey have
asked that the decision relating to this survey should be taken and
all the technical details concerned should be given to them as quickly
as possible so that the companies have time to prepare . This would
help not only to improve the results of this survey from a qualitative
point of view * but would also have a favorable influence on the atmos­
phere in which it would take place .
To this end , the Commission submits to the Council for its approval ,
the following draft regulation .
( 1 ) Cf. particularly the following documents : R/1 220/3/71 ( SOC 125
      rev. 3 ); R/206V71 (SOC 195 ) ( FIN ^71 ); R/2277/71 (SOC 209 )
( 2 ) Classes 61 , 6^/65 , 81 and 82 of the General Nomenclature of Econo­
      mic Activities in the European Communities ( N.A.C.E. ), excluding
      groups 651 , 652 and 811
 ---pagebreak---                                  -Α -
In accordance with Article 6 of this draft regulation , the expenses
borne by the Member States on the occasion of the survey will be
charged to the sum provided for in the budget of the European Commu­
nities . Based on the experience of preceding surveys made in the
industrial sector , the total cost of the survey can be estimated at
1,000,000 U.A. ( just over 1,650,000 wage earners at 0.6 U.A. per wage
earner ) . .
 ---pagebreak---                                                                       Annex 2
                ' .                  DRiiPP
                     RVOOLMET (SjJC) OP         OOUETOIL
relating to the organisation of the survey of the structure and dis­
tribution of wages in commerce , banks and insurance companies .
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Commu­
nity and in particular Article 213 ,                        . .
having regard to the draft regulation submitted by the Commission ,
whereas in order to accomplish the tasks assigned to it by the Treaty ,
in particular in Articles 2 , 3 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 and 122 , the Com­
mission must know the situation , and development of wages in the nine
Community countries , with regard to , on one hand , their variations in
terms of the structure of the labour force and on the other hand the
distribution of the wage earners according to wage level ;
whereas the survey of wages which was made in accordance with Regula­
tion ( EEC ) No . 2053/69 ( 1 ), on the basis of statistical information
relating to the year 19?0 , was only able to supply averages drawn from
general data and gave no details about the relationship between wages
and personal characteristics of wage earners ( age , sex , professional ,
qualifications , length of service etc .) nor on the distribution of
salaries around the average ;
                                         ·  ,    .   .          ........
whereas statistical information in this field is only available in '
some Member States and therefore valid comparisons cannot be made and
surveys of the structure and distribution of wages must be carried out
on    the basis of standard definitions and acc'ordi'xlg to a' standard
                                 T   .        .         ^ •       i •
method ;
                                   r     V- .      . .  ■         '•
( 1 ) Officiai Journal No . L 263 dated 21.10.1969 , p . 0
 ---pagebreak---                                     - 2 -
whereas the best method of assessing the situation as regards the
structure and distribution of wages is to carry out this specifically
Community survey as was done for industry in 1966 and 1972 , in accord­
ance with Regulations No . 188/64/EEC ( 1 ) and ( EEC ) No . 2395/71 ( 2 );
whereas it is important to obtain a complete picture of the structure
and distribution of wages for all the wage earners ( workers , clerical
staff , supervisory staff and executives ) and for all branches of the
wholesale and retail trades , banks and insurance companies ; whereas
it seems to be necessary , because of its scope , to carry out this
investigation by means of sampling so that it does not become too
great a burden on the companies and the budget of the European Commu­
nities ,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION :
                                  Article 1 .
The Commission shall undertake a survey of the structure and distribu­
tion of wages of all workers ( manual and non-manual including adminis­
trative and managerial staff ) in the wholesale and retail trades , banks
and insurance companies , on the basis of statistical information relat­
ing to one month in 197^, preferably October , and to the whole of 197^»
                                  Article 2
The survey shall cover all companies employing 10 or more wage earners ,
which carry out limited activities under classes 61 , 6^/65 , 81 and 82
of the General nomenclature of the economic activities in the European
Communities ( N.A.C.E. ) but with the exception of groups 651 , 652 and
811 .
( 1 ) Official Journal No . 21*t dated 2^.12.1964-, p. #3V64
( 2 ) Official Journal No . L 24-9 dated 10.11.1971 , p. 52
 ---pagebreak---  The survey shall be carried out on a sampling basis .
As far as companies and wage earners figuring the sample under the
 conditions mentioned below are concerned , employers are asked to pro­
vide the information necessary to determine the structure and distri­
bution of wages .
                                  Article 3
The survey consists of gathering information in the case of each wage
earner    on
1 . gross earnings for one month of 197^-, preferably October , including
      the various bonuses paid regularly and extra pay for overtime , night
      work and Sunday work and family allowances granted according to the
      collective agreements or voluntarily ;    ,
2 . the total gross salary for 197^1 including overtime pay , bonuses
      and gratuities ; total bonuses and gratuities which are not paid
      systematically with the normal remuneration ( quarterly , half yearly
      and annually etc .) shall be specified separately ;
3 . the sex , age , professional qualifications , length of service in the
     'company , system of remuneration , working system , payment of wages
      in case of absence ;
*f . weekly working hours ;
5 . the area where the wage earner works and the size of the company
      which employs him .
                                  Article k
The information is gathered by the . statistical services of the Member
States by means of questionnaires drawn up by the Commission in - colla­
boration with these services .
 ---pagebreak--- The Commission will determine the technical procedure of the survey ,
particularly the sampling plan , in collaboration with the statistical
services of the Member States . Similarly , it will decide on the dates
for the beginning and end of the survey , the time limit for replies
to the questionnaire and the procedure for sending the results of the
survey to the Commission .
The people requested to provide the information will reply to the
questionnaire in a truthful and complete manner within the fixed time
limit .
                               Article 5
Personal information provided within the framework of the survey shall
only be used for statistical purposes . It is forbidden to use this
information for tax purposes or to pass it on to a third person .
The Member States shall take appropriate measures to avoid any
infringement
a ) of the obligation to provide the information mentioned in article 2 ,
    last paragraph ,                                            s
b ) of the obligation to keep information secret in accordance with the
    provisions in the first paragraph in this article .
                               Article 6
Expenditure borne by the Member States for this survey will be deducted
from the sum provided for this purpose in the budget of the European
Communities .
This regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly appli­
cable in all Member States .
Done at            , on                            For the Council
                                                    The President