Representatives of employers and workers at EU-level presented a report on how they have implemented their framework agreement on work-related stress. Stress is a serious work- related health problem and considered the primary cause of lost working days in Europe. The objective of the agreement is for workers and employers to work together at better identifying, preventing and managing stress.

Work-related stress is among the four most reported work-related health problems in the EU, affecting 22% of workers (in 2005). Studies suggest that between 50% and 60% of all lost working days are related to it. This represents a huge cost, both in terms of human suffering and impaired economic performance.

The agreement, concluded in October 2004, aims to raise awareness of work-related stress among employers, workers and their representatives. It provides them with a framework to identify and prevent or manage stress. At the same time, it sets out employers' and workers' responsibilities.

Mr Vladimír Špidla, Commissioner for Social Affairs, Employment and Equal Opportunities, welcomed the agreement and congratulated the social partners both for having negotiated the agreement and taken action to implement it at national level. He also urged those national social partners who have not yet launched joint actions to do so, adding that “work-related stress is one of the most serious occupational health problems across Europe. Tackling it helps both workers and businesses, creating better working environments and contributing to stronger economic performance”.

As provided for by the agreement, this report, co-signed by all the European social partners (BusinessEurope, UEAPME, CEEP and ETUC), presents the implementing measures from the Member States one year after the implementation deadline. The European Commission will analyse the implementation over the coming year and then issue its own report.

EU actions against work-related stress

The European social partners’ report presents the implementing measures from 21 Member States as well as from Norway and Iceland. But no reports were provided by Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Malta and Lithuania. The implementing measures took different forms: social partner (framework) agreements (for example joint guidelines in Sweden); national, sectoral or company collective agreements (for example in Belgium or France); national legislation (for example in the Czech Republic and Latvia); tripartite cooperation with public authorities (for example the joint promotion of the management standards for work-related stress in the UK); and complementary activities (for example tools for the measurement of stress or training).

The EU Occupational Health and Safety Strategy 2002-2006 and the subsequent social partner consultation on stress at work highlighted the need for a minimum level of protection for workers against work-related stress. The European social partners chose to deal with this through a European autonomous framework agreement as provided for by Article 139 of the EC Treaty. It is only the second time that an EU-level agreement is implemented by workers’ and employers’ representatives at the national level instead of a directive, the first being the agreement on teleworking.