Working Lives Research Institute
On 22 March 2010 the Working Lives Research Institute held a successful seminar in Madrid as part of the Mapping study on trade union practices in fighting discrimination and promoting diversity, commissioned by the European Commission Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. More than 60 trade union participants from 20 EU Member States and Candidate countries had the opportunity to hear and to discuss several best practice case studies identified in the research.
The discussion covered a wide range of equal opportunities issues with strong support from participants for EU level legislation aimed at combating discrimination. For some participants the key issue was enforcement of existing laws, whereas for others the demand was for further legal regulation. There was a considerable amount of discussion on the need for more work between the social partners on equality issues and for this to be embedded within collective bargaining. While participants accepted that there was a business case for diversity, they supported the view that there was also the need to address the social consequences of discrimination and exclusion.
Many participants referred to the current economic crisis but in general the view was that this should not be an excuse to downgrade equality work. The seminar ended with a final Round Table session where employers and trade unions discussed their equality strategies and also reflected on Europe’s 2020 strategy for employment and growth, asserting that equality had to be at the heart of the strategy.