In 2013, the European social partners in the rail sector the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) and the Community of European Railways and Infrastructure Companies (CER) organised a joint project Social aspects and the protection of staff in case of change of railway operator (the current situation).
The objective of the project was to get a general overview on whether the social elements of EU Regulation 1370/2007 (the so called “PSO Regulation”) or similar rules were implemented on the ground and how clauses to safeguard social standards and/or a transfer of staff in case of change of operator are included in tender specification and public service contracts for rail passengers services.
The report produced within the project investigates the current situation in the EU Member States and collects detailed examples from 10 countries.
An important outcome of the project is the CER-ETF Joint opinion Social aspects and the protection of staff in competitive tendering of rail public transport services and in the case of change of railway operator. In the joint opinion, the social partners acknowledge that good social standards are – both from employees’ and from employers’ view – a fundamental condition for delivering good quality services. They agree that competition should not affect the working conditions of staff and that a social level playing field shall be created.