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IWS Documented News Service
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Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
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European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation)

European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO)

COMPARATIVE STUDY

SMEs in the crisis: Employment, industrial relations and local partnership

June 2011

http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/studies/tn1010039s/index.htm

or

http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/studies/tn1010039s/tn1010039s.htm

or

http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/docs/eiro/tn1010039s/tn1010039s.pdf

[full-text, 50 pages]

This report examines the situation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the actions of governments and the social partners, the extent of social dialogue in SMEs, including any trends and new initiatives, and the role of local partnership as a means of maintaining employment levels during the recent economic crisis. More specifically, it examines the impact of the crisis on SMEs. It looks at a range of government initiatives aimed at helping SMEs to survive the crisis, in addition to the main social partner actions to help SMEs.

The study was compiled on the basis of individual national reports submitted by the EIRO correspondents. The text of each of these national reports is available below. The reports have not been edited or approved by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. The national reports were drawn up in response to a questionnaire and should be read in conjunction with it.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Mapping the situation of SMEs in Europe: employment and the crisis

Contractual arrangements and organisation of work in SMEs

Industrial relations developments in SMEs

SMES in the crisis: government measures and social partners’ actions

Networking and partnerships among SMEs

Main social partner views on the situation of SMEs

Commentary

Annex

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Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 262-6041               
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
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