28/05/2010
The EU’s Dublin-based European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions does a large-scale survey of European workers at five-yearly intervals. The last survey, done in 2005, quizzed around 30,000 workers in 31 countries* about their working conditions.

In a report published in late March, the Dublin Foundation tries to gauge what impact its 2005 Working Conditions Survey has had on European employment and social policies. Nottingham University’s Professor John Morley took a critical look at the survey methodology. The Survey’s detractors, especially employers, criticise it as lacking credibility because it is based purely on the necessarily subjective replies given by workers.

The report’s author begs to differ, noting that the Survey aims to identify long-term structural shifts rather than firm point-in-time indicators. John Morley argues that actually, the Survey “clearly addresses many of their real concerns, with questions chosen in order to attempt to elicit relevant answers”.

The author emphasizes that “the EWCS is a unique source of information" and "particularly valuable" for countries that do not have their own national survey. "Without the EWCS there would be an enormous gap in our knowledge of working conditions in the EU" he writes.

However, Morley argues that the survey’s potential impact is lessened by government policy agendas: "The survey is particularly strong in relation to workplace-based developments, which are extremely important, but do not figure highly on the EU agenda of governments”.

• The report (PDF)