1) To discuss with workers representatives the impact of restructuring and re-organisation- positive as welle as negative effects and how these have been dealt with through information and consultation .

2) To consider the same question regarding technological and health and safety implications and how these interact with European directives on these issues.

3) To look at how improvements in information and consultation could be used to tackle and improve co-ordination on these issues.

4) To examine and improve, at the European Level, information concerning various training and competency requirement imposed at the national level for those involved in the industry.

The first day of the conference was dedicated to presentations of experts and discussions based on these presentations.

The presentations concerned EWC directive, Health and safety issues, vocational training, certication, the regulatory framework of safe work on lifts, enlargement and the future of the lift industry (see attached program of the conference). Both the presentations and the discussions served well the above mentioned aims of the project.

The second day was dedicated to the impact of restructuring issues have been dealt with by EWC’s .
The personnel EWC representative from each big four lift companies reported the work of EWC and after the presentation there was a panel discussion.

Representatives of the North American International Union of Elevator Workers (IUEC) presented the work of their Union and the situation in the elevator industry in USA and Canada.
IUEC invited a group of European trade union representatives ( 4-5 persons) to visit their Union in the USA.
It was agreed that the small working group will selected the representatives who will visit IUEC.

1-The lif group will continue its work.

2-Co-ordination between the EWC’s of different companies will be increased, but the small and medium size firms in the sector will not forgotten.

3- Acommon view concerning the safe work on lifts must be formed and that view will be forwarded by influencing EU and national legislation.

4- Outsourcing and restructuring in the lift sector have to be influenced through industrial policy.

5- We must try to raise the vocational training requirements in the lift sector by introducing vocational license for lift workers . In others words we have to try to get to a situation where a worker working in the lift sector has a certificate of adequate vocational skills.

6- The small working group ( EWC chairpersons or secretaries) will continue its activity together with EMF. The working group will have the next meeting on the 15th of January 2004, where it will be agreed the future work in detail.

7- A small group of technical experts will be formed. This group tries to influence the authorities that prepare the technical regulations and laws in the lift sector. The working group will be a contact group between EMF lift group and the technical bodies in the lift sector.

8- Co-operation with the European Lift Association (ELA) will be developed. In the first phase we try to increase co-operation in the educational and health and safety issues. We try to develop with the ELA. It’s not a question of social dialogue at the moment. The small working group will contact ELA in the near future.

9- It was decided that EMF will send a support letter to Italian metal industry trade unions on behalf of the conference. The reason for this was KONE Spa had tried to restrict its workforce’s right to strike on the grounds of the rules in existence for essential public utility services.
This endeavour was condemned by the court as in illegal action against trade union activities.