ABSTRACT

Employer organisations following the various international initiatives were always conscious of the linkage between them. The instruments of both the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Labour Office espouse principles which are common to systems of industrial relations in the countries concerned and otherwise refer to national legislation and practice. Employers contest the appropriateness of a Vredeling-type Community initiative which, although it is presented as a harmonising measure, would hardly lead to the harmonisation of industrial relations, since it would apply identical rules and regulations to incomparable national arrangements. The proposed Directive gives no consideration to the subtle equilibria which already exist between the rights and duties of employers and employees within the various national systems. As for the observations relative to a new type of enterprise, it should be pointed out that employers have by no means forgotten that dialogue with employees is an important element in management.