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Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

Personal services/Hairdressing - Sectoral social dialogue

Social dialogue in the personal services – hair and beauty sector - covers activities related to NACE (Rev.2) code 96.02 which include: 

  • in the hairdressing subsector: hair washing, trimming and cutting, setting, dyeing, tinting, waving, straightening and similar activities for men and women, as well as shaving and beard trimming
  • in the beauty treatment subsector: facial massage, manicure and pedicure, make-up application and so on

The sectoral social dialogue committee has been created in 1999, replacing the informal working committee previously functioning since 1998. 

The EU personal services - hair and beauty sector - employs over one million workers, including employees, self-employed, and agency workers, offering hair and beauty services to approximately 350 million potential customers (Eurofound Representativeness study, 2016). 

The sector faces the following main challenges:

  • the impact of the growth of out-of-town shopping malls at the expense of central shopping streets
  • adapting to economic uncertainties, including higher energy and supply prices
  • higher charges for water consumption and stricter regulations on waste in response to climate change
  • ensuring the attractiveness of the sector to address declining interest in the sector

Workers' organisations

Employers' organisations

Key areas

The current work programme focuses on:

  • health and safety in the hairdressing sector
  • sector attractiveness
  • equal opportunities in the sector
  • social partner capacity
  • violence and harassment at work

Activities & meetings

Check the library entries with agendas, minutes and presentations

Achievements/Joint texts

Check the social dialogue texts database