CELEX: 51974PC2119
Language: en
Date: 1974-12-19
Title: Draft REGULATION (EEG) OF THE COUNCIL relating to the organisation of a survey of wages in industry (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (74) 2119
Vol. 1974/0350
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 ---pagebreak--- OMMÏ5SION OS THE EUROEBAN COMMUNITIES
                                                           COM(74)2119 final
                                                           Brussels , 19 December 1974
                                       Draft
                          «coi. . -g
          relating "to the organisation of a survey of wages in industry
                  ( submitted to the Council by the Commission)
 C0ÎI( 74) 2119 final
 ---pagebreak---                                  anato:
The Commission cauiot carry out certain tasks assigned to" it by the Treaty
establishing the European Economic Community, in particular with respect
to the implementation of Articles 2,3 , 117 , 118 , 120 and 122, without access
to valid data, comparable for the different countries , on the cost of labour
and on the incomes of wage–earners in the Community#
The Commission has therefore already organized two series of three annual
surveys on the payloads of undertakings and workers' incomes , which, in
accordance with Regulations 10, 14, 28 and 151 of the Council ( l ), covered
the accounts for the years 1959       1964 in 14 , 3 and 13 branches of industry
respectively, and also three more extensive surveys of labour costs which ,
in accordance with Regulations lOl/66/EEC , I899/68/EEC and 2259/7I/EEC ( 2 ),
covered all sectors of industry on the basis of the accounts for the years
1966 , I969 and 1972 .   These surveys were carried out by the Statistical Office
of the European Communities in Collaboration with the national institutes
of statistics, and the ministries of labour of Member States .     The results of
the previous surveys were published in the "Social Statistics " series issued
by the Statistical Office of the European Communities ( 3 ). The initial results
of the 1972 survey were publsshed in Ho . 3/1974 of the same series . (4 )
The results of the surveys of wages carried out so far have provided
representative data , which are greatly appreciated by governments and economic
and social circles .
( 1 ) Official Journal No . 56 dated 31 August i960, p. 1199/60
      Official Journal No . 55 dated 16 August I96I , p. 1054/61
      Official Journal No . 41 dated 28 May 1962 , p. 1277/62
      Official Journal No . 133 dated 13 December 1962, p. 2841/62
( 2 ) Official Journal No . 134 dated 22 July 1966, p. 2540/66 . .
      Official Journal No . L 289 dated 28 November 19 68 , p. 4
      Official Journal No . L 238 dated 23 October 1971 , P - 1
( 3) No. 3/1961, 3/1962, 1/1963, 2/1964, 5/1964, 6/1965, 5/1966, 4/1969 ,
      6/1970 and 3/1971 , and in the 1968 supplement of "Statistical studies
      and surveys".
(4) On the initiative of the Commission a broadly analogous survey has also been
      effected for 1973 in the United Kingdom and Denmark ; its results will
      be published at an early date .
 ---pagebreak---                                       - 2 -
IJhile the first six surveys , covering the accounts of undertakings for the
years 1959 "to 19 64 * were restricted to a limited number of branches of activity,
those for the years I966 , 1969 and 1972 provided a complete picture of the
level and structure of labour costs for all branches of industry .
The activities of the Commission in the various sectors make it necessary ,
however , that the most recent possible figures on payloads should be available
at all times .  In collaboration with the competent authorities in Member States,
the Statistical Office has , therefore , developed methods of updating the
results of surveys of labour costs . In view of the fact that expenditure on
wages and related costs is subject to substantial change , as has been shown
by the results of previous surveys , the technique of updating can only provide
results valid for the first few years following a survey ; thereafter , the
survey must be repeated . It was in this connection that the Working Party
on "Survey of wages in industry", comprising representatives of governments
(ministries of labour and national institutes of statistics ) and of employers
and labour , came to the conclusion that it would be necessary to repeat the
surveys of labour costs at three-yearly intervals : this view was shared by
the Commission and the Council , as the years 1966 , 1969 and 1972 had been
selected so far .
During the meeting of the Working Party on 4 and 5 July 19 74 » an agreement ,
with certain reservations from the Irish and British delegations , was reached
at a technical level to the effect that the next survey of expenditure on
xjages and associated employers' contributions should be held in 1976 , on the
basis of the accounts for the year 1975 *
So that the survey should not constitute too heavy a burden on the undertakings
and on the budget of the European Communities , it is not intended that it
should involve exhaustive returns from all undertakings , but that it should
be based on a representative sample . The technical basis for the survey ,
i.e. the basic questionnaire , the survey methods , the programme for the
 ---pagebreak---                                       - 3 -
processing of the results and the arrangements for passsing on the data, has
been agreed with experts from the national statistical services , in order
to ensure the comparability of the results and to derive the maximum of
information from the survey.
As in 1972 , the survey field covers companies employing at least 10 wage-
earners . The comparability of the survey with that of 1972 and with other
Community wage statistics (harmonized statistics on earnings and statistics
on the structure and distribution of wages ) covering the same field is thus
ensured .
The survey envisaged would provide detailed statistical information on
expenditure on wages and related costs by establishments and on the incomes
of workers in all branches of industry , including the electricity, water and
construction industries ( l ). It is intended tha,t the results of this survey
should be used as a nev; basis for the updating which is carried out regularly
during intervening years .
Both government experts and the representatives of professional organisations
for employers and workers have pressed that the decision to undertake this
survey should be taken as quickly as possible , so that the undertakings
forming part of the sample should be in a position at the beginning of 1975
to take the necessary measures for collecting the accounting data to complete
the questionnaire .
V/ith this in view, the Commission submits to the Council for its approval , the
attached draft regulation.
In accordance with Article 8 of this Regulation, a flat-rate contribution for each
returning establishment will be charged to the sum allocated for the purpose
in the budget of the European Communities . On the basis of the experience
of preceding surveys , the total cost of the survey of wages in industry
envisaged in the draft regulation can be estimated at 1 008 000 units of
account (84 000 companies at 12 units of account per questionnaire ).
 ( l ) Classes and groups falling under Divisions 1 to 5 of the general
       nomenclature of economic activities in the European Communities (N.A.C.E. )
 ---pagebreak---                                   Braft
                   REGULATION (EEC) 0? THE COUNCIL
  relating to the organisation of a survey of wages in industry
  THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
  having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community
  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 those set out in Articles 2 , 3 , H7 » 118 120 and 122 thereof, the
  Commission must be kept informed of the position and trend of wages and other
  labour costs in the nine Community countries , in particular as regards labour
  costs and the incomes of workers ; :                                 ■ 1   . *
" whereas in the absence of statistical information which will .. allow reliable
  comparisons to be made , in particular because of the discrepancies existing
  between the laws , regulations and administrative practices of the Member
  States , surveys are carried out and the results evaluated on the basis of
  standard definitions and by standard methods ;                         , .
  whereas the best method of assessing the level , composition and trend both
  of the cost of labour and of the incomes of workers in industry is to carry
  out specific Community surveys , as has been done since 1959 *. i*V accordance
  with Council Regulations No . 10(l ), No. 14(2 ), No. 28(3.),    151(4), -
  No. 101/66 EEC(5 ) , (EEC) No. 1899/68(6), (EEC) No. 2259/71(7 ), on the basis
  of accounting information for the years 1959-1964, 1966, I969 and 1972 ;
  (1 )  Official Journal No.  56 dated 31 August i960, p. II99/6O
  (2 )  Official Journal No.  55 dated 16 August 1961, p. 1054/61
  (3)   Official Journal No.  41 dated 28 I4ay 1962, p. 1277/62
  (4)   Official Journal No.  133 dated 13 December 1962, p. 2841/62
  ( 5)  Official Journal No.  134 dated 22 July 19 66, p. 2540/66
  ( 6 ) Official Journal No . L 289 dated 29 November I966, p.4
  (7 ) Official Journal No. L 238 dated 23 October 1971 , P»1
 ---pagebreak---   whereas , since expenditure by undertakings on rages , salaries and related
  costs is subject to substantial change , it is appropriate to carry out a
  new survey based on accounting data for the year 1975 in order to bring up
  to date the results of tho previous survey , based on data for the year
  1972 or 1973 ;
  whereas , because of the extensiveness of the survey field it is necessary to
  apply the sampling method so that the survey does not constitute too heavy a
  burden on the -undertakings and on the budget of the European Communities and
  the Member States ,
  HAS ADOPTED THIS. REGULATION :
                                    Article 1
  Within the framework of its periodic surveys relating to labour costs and the
  incomes of workers , the Commission shall in 1976 on the basis of accounting
  data for the year 1975 undertake a survey of labour costs (manual and non-manual
  workers ) and on the incomes of workers in industry.
                                    Article 2
  The survey shall cover all industrial establishments or undertakings and, x^here
  appropriate , craft companies or enterprises . It shall cover all industrial
  activities , including the electricity , water and construction industries .
  The field of the survey shall be circumscribed by Divisions 1 to 5 of the
  General nomenclature of the Economic Activities in the European Communities
  (1T.A.C.E. ). The statistical unit shall be the • undertaking, whatever its legal
  form , employing at least ten employees .
-•The survey shall be carried out on a sampling basis . .
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 3 -
Employers shall , in respect of given, undertakings which are subject to
investigation , supply the information needed to determine labour costs
(manual and non–manual workers ) and workers * income on the "basis of the
accounting data for the whole of the year 1975 » in the manner set out
hereafter .
The survey shàll covers
(a ) Costs of wages and salaries , including bonuses and allowances , and all
      incidental expenditure , in particular employers' contributions to
      social security and supplementary schemes , expenditure and other social
      payments , including the cost of vocational training of employees ;
( b ) the number of employees engaged in the undertakings ; and
( c ) the number of hours worked by the employees .
                                   Article 5
The information shall be gathered by the statistical offices of the Member
States by means of questionnaires drawn up by the Comnission in . cooperation
with these offices .                      '          :
The Commission shall , in cooperation with those offices , determine the
detailed procedure for the survey. Further, it shall lay down in the same
way the starting and closing dates of the survey and the time, limit for ■
replying to the questionnaires .
Persons pecmirecl "to supply informcrfcion sh.3.11 reply "to "the (jues"txoniiciirs
truthfully, fully and vrithin the time limit set .
 ---pagebreak---                                       - 4 -
                                    Article 6
The statistical services of ifember States shall analyse the replies to the
questionnaires .   They shall forward to the Commission the results of the
survey , excluding individual items of information , in accordance with the
evaluation programme laid down "by the Commission ; the results shall be
broken down by industrial sector , region and size category of undertaking .
                                    Article 7
Individual items of information supplied for purposes of the survey shall
be used for statistical purposes only .     It shall be prohibited to use
the information for ..taxation purposes , or to communicate it to third
parties .
The Member States shall take appropriate measures to avoid any infringement
of s
( a ) the obligation to supply the information referred to in Article 3 » and
( b ) the obligation , under the first paragraph of this Article , to maintain
      secrecy as regards the information obtained .
                                    Article 8  •
For the conduct of the survey , Member States shall receive a flat–rate sura
proportional to the number of undertakings questioned . This amount shall be
set off against the appropriations provided for this purpose in the budget
of the European Communities .
This regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in
all Member States .
Done at             , on
                                                               Por the Council
                                                               The Président