CELEX: 51977PC0716
Language: en
Date: 1978-01-02
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) relating to the organization of a survey of earnings in industry, wholesale and retail distribution, banking and insurance (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (77) 716
Vol. 1977/0224
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In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Economic
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In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom 1.
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI. L 43 vom 15.2.1983,
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 ---pagebreak---   • -*                      •-                                                    ,
       COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                           COM ( 77 ) 716 final .
                                                        •   Brussels , 2 January 1973 .
                                      Proposal for a
                                COUNCIL REGULATIOH (ESC )
                    relating to the organization of a survey of earnings
              in industry , wholesale and retail distribution , "banking and
                                       insurance
                         ( submitted to the Council by the Commission )
C0M(77 ) 716 final .
 ---pagebreak---                               Explanatoïy Mémorandum
The Commission cannot accomplish certain tasks allotted to it by the Treaty
establishing the European Economic Community, particularly where the imple­
mentation of Artioles 2 , 3 , 117 ,. 118 , 1 19r 1 20 and 122 is concerned , unless
it has data which are valid and comparable from one Community bountry to
another pn the structure and distribution of earnings .
For this reason , and in implementation of Council regulations , three specific .
Community surveys have been conducted on this subject since 1 966 in industry
( 1 ) and in wholesale and retail distribution , banking and insurance ( 2).
These surveys were conducted by the Statistical Office of the European Com­
munities in collaboration with the National Statistical Institutes and liinis-
tries of Labour of the Member States . The results were published in the
series " Social Statistics" of the Statistical Office of the European Commu­
nities ( 3 );  they were greatly appreciated by most governments and in most
economic and social circles .
The main purpose of the surveys on the structure and distribution of earn­
ings is to establish the statistical relationships between earnings and cer­
tain characteristics of the employees ( sex, occupational status , age, working
system, length of service in the company, etc . ) or of the establishment or
company employing them { type of activity , size , geographical location ).
These surveys supply information on the distribution of individual earnings
and on the differences in earnings between the various categories of employ­
ees ;   they can help to explain to what extent the differences in earnings
levels observed in different branches of activity and in different countries
can be attributed to differences in the structure of the labour force .         They
are particularly useful in assessing differences between men 's and women 's
earnings .
( 1 ) Regulation No 188/64/feEC (OJ No 214 , 24.12.1964 , p. 3634/64).
      Regulation (EEC ) No 2395/71 (OJ No L 249 , 10.11.1971 , p . 52 ).
(2) Regulation (EEC ) No 178/74 (OJ No L 21 , 25.1.1974 , p. 2).
(3 ) Structure of earnings in industry in 1966 ( special series , 8 volumes ).
      Structure of earnings in industry in 1972 ( special series , 13 volumes ).
      Structure of earnings in wholesale and retail distribution , banking and
      insurance in 1974 (special series , 10 volumes , to be published shortly).
 ---pagebreak---                                        - 2 -
Due to the gradual changes which occur in the structure of the labour force ,
the survey needs to be repeated after a certain period . Furthermore , in
order to rationalize and simplify procedures , the Commission has examined
the possibility of combining in one and the same survey the investigations
hitherto carried out separately in industry on the one hand and wholesale
and retail distribution , banking and insurance on the other. This proposal
was approved in principle by the enlarged Conference of Directors-General of
the National Statistical Institutes on 8 , $ and 10 December 1976 . The Con­
ference also agreed that the first combined survey of this type could be
conducted in 1979 /1980 on the basis of data relating to 1978 or 1979 *
In order to prevent this survey from being top great a burden on the under­
takings and budgets of the European Communities and Member States , it will
be carried out on a sample basis .                            -
The Working Party on Earnings . Statistics , comprising representatives of the
national governments and the employers' and employees * organizations , met in
Luxemburg on 4 , 5 » 6 and 11 , 12 , 13 July 1977 in order to agree on the tech­
nicalities of the survey ( reference questionnaire, scope , methods , transmis­
sion of results , etc .) which will ensure that the results are comparable and
that the survey will yield as much Community information as possible .
The survey will cover establishments or companies with at least ten employees .
This will ensure comparability with previous surveys and other Community earn­
ings statistics (harmonized statistic^ on earnings and statistics on labour
costs ) covering the same field .
Both the government experts and the representatives of the employers 1 and
employees' organizations emphasized that the decision to conduce this survey
should be taken as soon as possible , so that right at the beginning of 1978
the undertakings and establishments to be included in the sample would be «
able to start taking the measures necessary to enable them to oomplete the
questionnaire as accurately as possible .
 ---pagebreak---                                       3
To this end , the Commission submits to the Couficil , for its approval , the
following draft regulation .
In accordance with Article 7 ot this regulation , a flat–rate contribution
per employee surveyed will be charged to the sum earmarked for this purpose
in the budget of the European Communities .  Based on the experience of pre­
vious surveys , the total cost of the survey can be estimated at 2,400,000
units of account (on the basis of 0.6 unit of account per tcage earner), an
amount which can be spread over three financial years .
                       ê     •.
 ---pagebreak---                   REGULATION (EEC ) No         OF THE COUNCIL
                  of
relating to the organization of a survey of earnings in industry, wholesale
and retail distribution , banking and insurance '
THE COUNCIL OP THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES , •
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
and in particular Article 213 thereof ;
Having regard to the draft : Regulation submitted by the Commission ;
Whereas , in order to carry out the tasks assigned to it by the Treaty , and
in particular , those set out in Artioles 2 , 3 f 1 1 7 » 118 , 119 , 120 and 122
thereof , the Commission must be kept informed of the position and trend of
earnings in the nine countries of the Community with regard , on the one hand ,
to their variations in terms of the structure of the labour force , and on the
other hand to the distribution of employees aooording to earnings level ;
Whereas the 1973 BUrvey of labour costs in industry, wholesale and retail
distribution, banking and insurance provided for by Regulation No
will supply only averages derived from general data and will provide no indi­
cation either of the relationship between earnings and the particular charac­
teristics of wage earners (age , Bex, occupational status , length of service ,
etc .) or of the distribution of earnings around the average ;
Whereas statistical information in this field is available only in certain Mem­
ber States and therefore valid comparisons cannot be mad^, and whereas , con­
sequently, surveys of the structure and distribution of earnings must be
carried out on the basis of standard definitions and according to a standard
method ;
Whereas the best method of assessing the situation as regards the struoture
                     /
and distribution of earnings is to carry out a speoifio Community survey as
was done for industry in 1966 and 1 972 ,. in implementation of Regulations No
 ---pagebreak---  188/64/feEC ( 1 ) and (EEC ) No 2395/ H ( 2 ), ar.d for wholesale and retail dis­
tribution , banking and insurance in 1974 , in implementation of Regulation
 (EEC ) No 178/74 ( 3 );
Whereas , owing to the changes which occur in the structure of the labour
force and in the distribution of earnings , the results of the latest surveys
for 1972 and 1974 can no longer be considered valid beyond a certain date ;
whereas , consequently , it would appear opportune to update these results and
to conduct a new survey based on data relating to the year 1978 or 1979 ;
Whereas, in order to '.rationalize        procedures and to lighten the burden on
undertakings and on the budget of the European Communities and the llember
States it is necessaryto obtain the required information by sampling and by
 means of a single survey of industry,' commerce , banking and insurance ,
HAS ADOPTED THIS BEGULATION :
                                      Article 1
The Commission shall undertake a survey of the structure and distribution of
the earnings of all employees (manual and non–manual including administrative
and managerial staff) in industry, wholesale and retail distribution , banking
and insurance , on the basis of statistical information relating 4o the month
of either October 1978 or April 1979 or October 1979 » and to "tk® whole of
either 1978 or 1979 *
                                      Article 2
The survey shall cover establishments or undertakings employing at least ten
  persons     of which the main activities fall within the scope of Divisions 1 ,
2, 3, 4, 5         Classes 61 , 64/65t 81 and 82 of the General Industrial Classi­
fication of Economic Activities within the European Communities (NACE ), with
the exception of Groups 651 , 652 and 811 , and , for Ireland , Glass 50 *     In '
bsjiking and insurance undertakings in Luxembourg , however , the survey shall
be conducted irrespective of the number of employees .
The survey shall be carried out by sampling .
 ( 1 ) OJ No 214, 24.12.1964 , p. 3634/64 .
 ( 2 ) OJ No h 249 , 10.11.1971 , p. 52 .
 (3 ) OJ No L 21 , 25.1.1974 , P. 2 .
 ---pagebreak---                                     Article 3
Employers shall, in respect of the undertakings , establishments and employees
included in the sample , provide the information required to determine the
structure and distribution of earnings - in the manner set out hereinafter .
                                    Article 4
The sttrvey shall obtain information for each employee concerning :
1 . gross earnings for the month of October 1979 , April 1979 or October 1979 ,
    or at least for one complete pay-period within one of these months ,
    inoluding the various bonuses paid regularly and additional payments for
    overtime , night work , week-end work and shift work and family allowances
    granted under collective agreements or voluntarily ;
2 . the total gross earnings for 1978 or 1979 ( including overtime pay and all
    bonuses and gratuities ); any bonuses and gratuities not paid systematic­
    ally with the current remuneration (quarterly, half-yearly, annually, etc .)
    shall be specified separately; however , in the case of manual workers
    only, this information may be replaced by a simple indication of the per­
    centage of gross annual earnings represented by bonuses and gratuities not
    paid systematically with the current remuneration ;
3 . the sex, age , occupational status , length of service in the company, .
    method of calculating the earnings , system of remuneration, working system,
 ; payment of wages in the oase of absence ;
4 . the number of hours paid or the weekly working hours ; .
5 . the area where the employee work> and the size of the establishment or
    undertaking which employs him. . .
      *                             Article 5
         \
The information shall be gathered by the statistioal officeB of the Member
States by means of questionnaires drawn up by the Commission in cooperation
with these offices -                                •
 ---pagebreak---                                         4
In cooperation     with the statistical offices of the Member States , the Com­
mission shall determine the detailed procedures for the conduct of the survey , and
in particular, the sampling plan. Furthermore , vender the same conditions , it
shall lay down the starting and closing dates of the survey, the time limit
for replies to the questionnaire and the procedure for transmitting the sur­
vey results to the Commission .
Persons required to supply information shall reply to the questionnaire
truthfully, oompletely, and within the time limit set .
                                    Article 6
Individual items of information supplied for purposes of the survey shall be
used for statistical purposes only. It shall be prohibited to use the infor­
mation for other purposes , particularly for taxation purposes , or to communi­
cate it to third parties .
Member States shall take appropriate measures to avoid any infringement of :
a) the obligation to supply the information referred in Article 3 ;
b) the obligation, under the first paragraph of this Article, to maintain
    confidentiality as regards the information obtained.
                                    Article 7
lleinber States shall , for the conduct of the survey, receive a flat-rate allow­
ance proportional to the number of employees surveyed . This amount shall be
entered against the appropriations provided for that 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 Brussels , 7> January 1978                          Por the Council
                                                            The President