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Social dialogue in the hospital sector at EU level

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  • Jane Lethbridge

Abstract

The increasing presence of the private sector in public health care systems has made social partners question the effectiveness of existing national social dialogue arrangements. The emergence of issues such as patient mobility, workers' mobility and cross-border health care, which all required action at European level, led social partners at European level to build an informal process of social dialogue. This article examines the process of developing an informal sectoral social dialogue committee for the hospital sector at EU level, from 2000 until 2006, drawing on an analysis of documents, key informant interviews and participant-observer reflections. The findings show that developing the content of social dialogue is as important as the process itself and adequate representation is central to success. The most outstanding achievement of the informal process of social dialogue was that partners became more articulate about developing shared positions and gradually gained access to European institutions. La présence grandissante du secteur privé dans les systèmes publics de soins de santé a conduit les partenaires sociaux à s'interroger sur l’efficacité des accords de dialogue social existant au niveau national. L’émergence de questions telles que la mobilité des patients, la mobilité des travailleurs et les soins de santé transfrontaliers, qui toutes exigent une action au niveau européen, a conduit les partenaires sociaux à construire un processus informel de dialogue social au niveau européen. Cet article examine le processus de développement, entre 2000 et 2006, d’un comité sectoriel informel pour le dialogue social dans le secteur hospitalier au niveau de l’UE. Il se base sur une analyse des documents, des entretiens avec des informateurs clés et des réflexions en tant que participant/observateur. Il montre que le développement du contenu du dialogue social est aussi important que le processus lui-même, et qu’une représentation adéquate est un facteur clé de succès. Le résultat le plus frappant de ce processus informel de dialogue social est que les partenaires sont devenus plus enclins à développer des positions communes et qu’ils ont obtenu progressivement accès aux institutions européennes. Angesichts der zunehmenden Präsenz privater Leistungsanbieter in den öffentlichen Gesund-heitsversorgungssystemen haben die Sozialpartner die Wirksamkeit der bestehenden Regelungen für den sozialen Dialog auf nationaler Ebene hinterfragt. Das Aufkommen von Themen wie Patientenmobilität, Arbeitnehmermobilität und grenzüberschreitende Gesundheitsversorgung, die auf europäischer Ebene angegangen werden mussten, brachte die Sozialpartner dazu, auf europäischer Ebene einen informellen Prozess für den sozialen Dialog einzurichten. Dieser Beitrag untersucht anhand von Dokumenten, Interviews und Beobachtungen von Teilnehmern, wie der Ausschuss für den informellen sozialen Dialog im Krankenhaussektor auf europäischer Ebene im Zeitraum 2000 bis 2006 aufgebaut und entwickelt wurde. Diese Untersuchung zeigt, dass die inhaltliche Entwicklung des sozialen Dialogs ebenso wichtig ist wie der Aufbauprozess selbst und dass die Frage der angemessenen Interessensvertretung eine maßgebliche Rolle für den Erfolg dieses Dialogs spielt. Die wichtigste Errungenschaft des informellen sozialen Dialogs besteht darin, dass die Partner sich deutlicher für die Entwicklung gemeinsamer Positionen eingesetzt und schrittweise Zugang zu den europäischen Institutionen erlangt haben.

Suggested Citation

  • Jane Lethbridge, 2011. "Social dialogue in the hospital sector at EU level," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 17(4), pages 501-513, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:treure:v:17:y:2011:i:4:p:501-513
    DOI: 10.1177/1024258911419763
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hyman, Richard, 2005. "Trade unions and the politics of the European social model," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 753, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Anne Dufresne & C. Degryse & P. Pochet, 2006. "The European Sectoral Social Dialogue: Actors, developments and challenges," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/47217, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
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    2. Manuela Galetto & Sabrina Weber & Bengt Larsson & Barbara Bechter & Thomas Prosser, 2023. "‘You see similarities more than differences after a while’. Communities of Practice in European industrial relations. The case of the hospital European Sectoral Social Dialogue," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 167-185, March.

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