EU: Social partners contribute to tackling employment crisis

The EU institutions have taken steps during February and March 2009 to involve European-level trade union and employers' organisations more closely in formulating responses to the mounting employment problems resulting from the economic crisis.

On 25 February, the European Commission took the unprecedented step of holding a meeting between the full College of Commissioners and representatives of the EU-level social partners - the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), BusinessEurope (private sector employers), Ueapme (small and medium-sized enterprises) and Ceep (public sector services employers).