| Series Title | European Voice |
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| Series Details | Vol.9, No.30, 18.9.03, p23 |
| Publication Date | 18/09/2003 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date:18/09/03 COMPANY bosses are warning the European Commission to keep out of national affairs that do not concern it as the EU executive bids to clamp down on barriers that hit the pension rights of people changing jobs. The warning comes as the Commission launches a six-week round of consultations with companies and unions. The aim is to reach a binding Europe-wide deal to tackle problems that can make workers decide to stay put in their current jobs for fear of losing much of their occupational pension entitlements. Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou says too many pensions barriers exist, making the EU labour market less competitive than the US. These include rules forcing workers to stay with the same company for five-year, or more, "vesting periods" before they are entitled to a company pension, and the lack of indexing or "inflation-proofing" of dormant pension funds left over when a worker moves to another firm. But experts at European employers association UNICE warn that negotiations between the so-called social partners should focus solely on barriers to cross-border movement of workers. UNICE's Lorena Ionita said: "You can't come up with a one-size-fits-all solution." The European Commission published a consultation paper on 15 September 2003 asking unions and employers to adapt occupational pension schemes under their responsibility in such a way that workers who change jobs or interrupt their careers do not suffer undue losses of occupational pension rights. In response come company bosses have warned the Commission to stay out of national affairs. |
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| Subject Categories | Employment and Social Affairs |
