Local and regional governments as employers

How are municipalities reforming their public services to respond to the challenges facing them? And to what extent dialogue between employers and employees can play a role in that process? These are the main questions.addressed in the new study "Reform of public services: what role for social dialogue?" produced by the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR).

 

The first section of the publication sets out the main drivers for change in services delivery in the local and regional government sector. These drivers include financial pressures resulting from low economic growth since the 1970s; EU policies on internal market, procurement and state aids; increasing pressure on municipalities to deliver more and better services; as well as demographic changes and ageing populations.

 

The report also features a set of 10 case studies to illustrate how municipalities and regions have modified their public services to adapt themselves to new trends and developments in services delivery. They represent a reasonable range of services and different approaches to the reform process. They all show that social dialogue can play an important role in the modernisation of public services.

 

The study has been carried out by the Working Lives Research Institute on behalf of EPSU and CEMR, the main representatives of local and regional government and public service unions.

 

The publication is available in English, French and German.

 

The EPSU and CEMR websites