An increase in collective bargaining coverage of 10 percent was associated with a reduction in in-work poverty of 0.5 percent, according to the report.

The Commission considers that social partner organizations themselves need to be strong and must build a relationship based on trust. That is why the EU has substantially increased the support to social partners through the European Social Fund, in particular in the new members that have joined the EU since 2004.

At European level, the report highlighted that social partners throughout Europe had not only demonstrated that their European federations could negotiate autonomous framework agreements at EU-level but that they could also put them into practice.

The European social partners agreed in 2006 on minimum rules for dealing with violence and harassment at work. They have also presented the results of how previous agreements on telework and work-related stress were implemented.

EU-wide social dialogue at sectoral level has been extended to contract catering and professional football.

(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2009)