Social Dialogue

Social Dialogue

Where are we now?

electricity gas hospitals local and regional government

national and European administration waste water social services

Progress, priorities and problems

EPSU Executive Committee 20 February 2006

Special Session on Social Dialogue

Social DialogueElectricity

Dialogue since 1995 with formal committee established in 2000

Initial focus on health and safety and training – more recently: telework, lifelong learning, equality and diversity, future of skill needs, enlargement, stress and corporate social responsibility, social dialogue in South East Europe

A major issue has been the impact of liberalisation on employment - committee convinced European Commission to undertake a detailed study of employment and the impact of restructuring (ECOTEC 2007). Joint position adopted.

Current issues include: corporate social responsibility, demographic change and skills, restructuring, social aspects of Energy Community South East Europe; 3 rd liberalisation package. Follow up on stress agreement foreseen. Endorsement of the intersectoral agreement on violence at work proposed

No agreement achieved on emissions trading or security of supply

Discussion in the Standing Committee on Follow up and Implementation of joint statements

EPSU Collective Bargaining and Social Dialogue Conference 2007

The future of European industrial relations in the public services

Social Dialogue

GasDialogue since 1998 with formal committee established in 2007

Initial focus on health and safety and training

A major issue has been the impact of liberalisation on employment – first statement adopted on the detailed Commission study of employment and the impact of restructuring (ECOTEC 2007).

Joint statement adopted on endorsing the inter-sectoral agreement on violence at work and implementation process

Current issues include: demographic change and skills, social aspects of Energy Community South East Europe; third liberalisation package

Issue of concern is low participation employers’ side.



Social Dialogue

Local and regional government

Work programme 2006-2007:

Exchange of views on demographic change and human resources management

Joint statement on social dialogue

Joint statement on Green Paper on Labour Law – link with “flexicurity” debate

Project on restructuring of local services (in-house, outsourcing/insourcing, PPPs, inter-municipal cooperation), social dialogue and impact on employment

Guidelines on gender equality plans

First discussions on third party violence at work



Social DialogueNational and European Administration

Dialogue since 1991 but formal committee still not established

Trade union representation issue resolved in 2005 via creation of TUNED

June 2007, EU ministers for public administration endorse action plan for testing formal social dialogue in 2008-2009 : Rules of procedure Work programme Evaluation under French and Swedish EU presidencies

Next steps: Adoption of the above by the EU directors General for public administration on 10-11 December 2007 & implementation of the work programme: Joint position to Commission’s initiatives impacting national administration e.g revised

Lisbon strategy on growth, employment and better regulation demographic challenges: Joint analysis focusing on recruitment/retention, training, HRM and

equality/diversity objectives Building trust in government : EU-funded social dialogue project and collection of good

practices on improving national administrations Third party violence at work: participation as observers in multisectoral negotiations



Social DialogueHospitals

informal social dialogue in the sector since the late 1990s with formal committee established in September 2006

Issues on the work programme include retention of workforce, cross-border recruitment of health care workers, new skill needs.

In addition EPSU and HOSPEEM work on a project to strengthen social dialogue in the hospital sector in the EU, with a specific focus on the new EU member states.

On the agenda are also: the EC plans for health services.

EPSU and HOSPEEM negotiated a Health services declaration confirming the principles for health care in Europe



Social Dialogue

Other sectors

No concrete progress has been made in other sectors – priority is different and lack of resources.



Social Dialogue

Other sectorsGas – with changes at top of Eurogas progress can be made and process of

establishing formal committee is underway

Waste – discussions with employers’ organisation, FEAD, foreseen for 2006 – agreed as priority in at EPSU Congress

Water – focus of activity has been very much on anti-privatisation

Social services – agreed as priority at EPSU Congress – EPSU developing its voice in the sector

Sheltered workplaces – approached by employers in sector but not seen as priority by EPSU affiliates



Social Dialogue

The Commission’s view

“As a driving force for modernisation of the European economy and the European social model, the social dialogue holds a crucial, unique position in the democratic governance of Europe.”

“It is a vehicle for core values of participation and responsibility…”

“…provides a suitable framework for managed modernisation.”



Social Dialogue

The Commission’s view

“The social dialogue is indeed a pioneering example of improved consultation and the application of subsidiarity in practice and is widely recognised as making an essential contribution to better governance, as a result of the proximity of the social partners to the realities of the workplace.”

The social partners are different from other organisations “because of their ability to take part in collective bargaining.”



Social Dialogue

Current climate Liberalisation is top of Commission agenda

Nothing substantial in social agenda

No pressure on employers to agree positive work programme

So social dialogue is not about “better governance” but more about “managing modernisation”



Social Dialogue

What is the sectoral social dialogue all about?

1. Social aspects of sectoral policy2. Sectoral aspects of social policy3. Autonomous areas4. Joint approach to Commission5. Public services6. Pushing a collective bargaining agenda

Points 1-5 are what EPSU discusses with employers while point 6 is direction in which we want to push social dialogue



Social Dialogue

…And what’s the objective?

1. Improve mutual understanding2. Process of information and consultation3. Capacity building4. Joint actions5. Agreements



Social Dialogue

Progress made?Joint statements, declarations, studies on:

• Equality and diversity

• Health and safety

• Employment

• Modernisation

• Restructuring

As well as agreeing work programmes



Social Dialogue

Coherence and co-ordination Role of Congress – assessment of progress and strategic view of

priorities for next five years

Role of executive committee – monitoring and endorsement

Role of standing committees – vital for input into social dialogue committees and feedback and action



Social Dialogue

Challenges On employers’ side:

representation participation engagement negotiating mandate procedure content



Social Dialogue

Challenges

On trade union side: resources representation participation engagement mandate the national level



Social DialogueSocial dialogue – working better

• Establish new committees, improve working of existing ones

• Push for more binding agreements – how can we pressurise employers to accept this?

• Participation and engagement in social dialogue committees and standing committees

• Better co-ordination with collective bargaining issues



Social Dialogue

Social dialogue – working better

• Keep pressure on European Commission to keep pressure on employers in terms of participation and engagement

• Build on dialogue at national level to feed into European level

• Communications - improve flow of information to membership; establish clearer identity for sectoral social dialogue; better articulation in Executive Committee

• Set clearer priorities for the social dialogue agenda



Social Dialogue

Documents

Transcript of Social Dialogue