Since 2007, Eurofound has been carrying out for the European Commission a set of so-called representativeness studies with a particular focus on the European sectoral social partners. A recent study now serves to confirm also – if such confirmation were necessary – the representativeness of the European cross-industry social partners ETUC (and its Liaison Committee Eurocadres/CEC), Businesseurope, UEAPME and CEEP.

Following an analysis of the national social partners’ organisations which are involved in cross-industry industrial relations within each country, including those engaged in collective bargaining as well as those which take part in consultations over economic and social policies (so-called “bottom-up” screening), and also an analysis of the member organisations of the abovementioned EU-level organisations (so-called “top-down” analysis), a total of 109 trade unions and 141 employers’ organizations in all 28 EU members states are included in the study. One conclusion is that, taken together, ETUC, EUROCADRES, CEC and BUSINESSEUROPE, UEAPME, and CEEP, cover three quarters of the national social partner organisations actively involved in cross-industry industrial relations in the EU. These European organisations also affiliate, through their national memberships, the great majority of unionised workers and firms affiliated to employer associations. Characterised by highly specific and differing features in terms of representation, these organisations are, according to the result of this study, to be regarded as the most important EU-wide representatives of labour and management at cross-industry level.

The study will soon be available at: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/representativeness.htm