YORKSHIRE business people say they know next to nothing - and understand even less - about the implications of terms and conditions of work under the European Social Chapter, according to a new survey by management consultants Deloitte & Touche.

In spite of the Labour Government's commitment to the European Social Chapter, a very high number of local companies consider themselves uninformed on the issue.

The survey comes as York prepares itself for next month's Ecofin conference of European finance ministers who will explore ways of committing Europe to monetary as well as social unity.

Nearly 40 per cent of respondents from small to medium-sized companies and organisations said they were either not very well or not at all informed on the social chapter. Another 55 per cent considered themselves only reasonably well informed.

Kevin Steele, a consulting partner at the Leeds office of Deloitte & Touche described as "alarming" the lack of understanding of measures bound to have a major impact on the way all companies manage the terms and conditions of their employees in future.

"There are various aspects of employment that may affect us, such as a minimum wage, restrictions in hours of work, pension rights for both permanent and part-time employees and holiday entitlements", he said, adding that people were crying out for unbiased information. What they had received was tainted by political bias.

Most respondents - 97 per cent - agreed that the social contract would impact upon their business in some way and 14 per cent acknowledged that the impact would be "significant".

Nearly two thirds - 58 per cent - considered themselves to be either not very well prepared, or "totally unprepared for its introduction and effects".

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.