1209 interim project reportsosffproject · industry – on focus balkan region countries –...

INTERIM PROJECT REPORT Reported period covered: 15 December 2011 – 30 April 2012

Applicant organization: TRADE UNION “METALICY”KNSB Project supported by

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

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BUDGET HEADIND – 04.03.03.01 Industrial relation and social dialogue

Project VS/2011/0422

Letter of support from




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In this interim technical implementation report we describe how the project “S.O.S. - Support and Opportunities for Social dialogue in metal industry – on focus Balkan Region countries – Bulgaria, Romania, FYR of Macedonia, Croatia” has been carried out and what results have been reached until the moment. Introduction The common goal of the project is to give support to the social partners in metal industry and national governments in the process of development and enforcement of a regulatory framework for conducting of fruitful social dialogue at many levels- sector, national, European, and promotion of debates on a range topics which are of common interest between the organizations involved in the project relating to social dialogue in metal industry, such as collective bargaining policies and techniques, negotiation skills, active and responsible social partnership, the model of European social dialogue and the transfer of best practice on how to use social dialogue as a tool for adaptation to changes in employment and work. Project specific aims: The aims of the activities in the framework of the project are : - To promote and popularize the use of social dialogue as an instrument for consensus building and democratic involvement among the main stakeholders in the world of work. - To contribute to the dissemination of the values of the European social model and dialogue and support their implementation in two candidate countries- FYR of Macedonia and Croatia. - To support the establishment of social dialogue as an element of the national policies for coping with economic and employment challenges and thus giving opportunities for its development not only at company and sector level, but also as a mechanism for proper harmonization of national legislations in the accession process (particularly in FYR of Macedonia and Croatia) and for proper anticipation and management of change on the labour




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markets in the Balkan Region countries – Bulgaria, Romania, FYR of Macedonia, Croatia. Institutional participation and support This project is being implemented with the participation of: - 6 national trade unions in metal industry- direct partners in the project (TU “Metalicy- Bulgaria, FSS ”METAROM”, FSLI ‘METAL’, FNS Solidaritatea Metal - Romania , SIER- Macedonia, SMH-IS – Croatia ) - 1 national employers’ organization (BAMI – Bulgaria ) - with the support of the European Metalworkers’ federation. The 7 project partners are located in 2 EU Member States (Bulgaria and Romania) and in 2 candidate countries (FYR of Macedonia and Croatia) and represent social partner organizations in metal industry. Country Logo Name Acronym BG

Trade Union “Metalicy” TU METALICY

BG

BULGARIAN ASSOCIATION OF METALLURGICAL

INDUSTRY

BAMI

RO

Trade Union Federation of Steel Workers

METAROM FSS METAROM

RO

FNS Solidaritatea Metal FNS Solidaritatea Metal

RO

FSLI-Metal FSLI-Metal

MK

Trade Union of Industry, Energy and Mining of

Macedonia SIER

CR

Metalworkers' Trade Union of Croatia -

Industrial Trade Union SMH-IS




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The EUROPEAN COMMISSION - DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, issued the grant for this project under Budget Heading: Industrial relation and Social dialogue. The project started on December 15th 2011. How was the project carried out? To reach the above-mentioned objectives, Trade Union “Metalicy” organised three international events and information campaign until the moment: – Kick-off meeting in Bulgaria - First project Conference in FYR of Macedonia - Second project Conference in Croatia - First stage of research - questionnaire - Publications about the project via website and through an information brochure and poster. All activities were implemented with wide international participation in the spirit of the declared partnership. The project is implemented in several stages where the focus is put on the national context in the development of social dialogue as a factor for innovative solutions for job creation, combating exclusion and improving quality of life and work at local level. Conference 1 sought to identify a number of common traits and differences in the development of social dialogue in the Balkan region. Conference 2 focused on the issues of collective bargaining in Balkan Region countries – Bulgaria, Romania, FYR of Macedonia, Croatia. One of the main challenges that new Member States and candidate countries are facing and will continue to face in the coming years is that of need to adjust their economic and social systems to the European requirements and expectations. This process cannot be managed equitably and efficiently without social dialogue among the main stakeholders. Through the implementation of the planned project activities the project partners have achieved the following: - Support tripartism and social dialogue at all levels (company, sector, national) and contribution to their recognition as integral components of decent work and essential channels for achieving it.




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- Support the building of sound institutions in the candidate countries with a growing recognition of the important role of social dialogue in social and economic policy areas. - Promotion and popularization of social dialogue as a tool for minimization of the risk of industrial and social conflicts. - Strengthening the capacity of workers’ and employers’ organizations for successful and fruitful social partnership in accordance with the European legislation and standards in two candidate countries- FYR of Macedonia and Croatia. - Reinforcing the relations and cooperation between social partners in metal industry for better understanding and effective use of social dialogue at local, regional, national and European level. - Support transnational cooperation between social partners within Europe for achievement of social cohesion through effective social dialogue and partnership at all levels. - Strengthening the knowledge and awareness of social partners in metal industry to ensure decent working conditions through improvement of the quality of labour legislation in four Balkan region countries: Bulgaria, Romania, FYR of Macedonia and Croatia. Short description of the activities: – Kick-off meeting in Bulgaria- January 12th 2012, Sofia - Trade Union “Metalicy ” and BAMI hosted this event. At this meeting the project partners developed the outline for the following activities. They discussed the technical organisation and content of the events in details; the dates were determined and the tasks were assigned to each partner. 27 participants participated in Kick-off meeting in Bulgaria coming from the following Organizations/Institutions and countries:




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Trade Unions (no. 19): Confederation of independent trade unions in Bulgaria, TU „Metalicy”, SIER – FYR of Macedonia , FSS”METAROM”, FSL ‘METAL’, FNS Solidaritatea Metal - Romania, SMH-IS – Croatia) Employers’ Organization (no. 2); BAMI Interpreters (no. 6) The event was held in Bulgaria with simultaneous interpretation in Bulgarian, Romanian, Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian. The aim of the event was to present the actors in the metal industry who are involved in social dialogue and are factors in the transfer of the EU values and practices at national level. At the same time the discussions during the event have created favorable conditions for better understanding of social and economic developments in the countries concerned. Conference 1 in FYR of Macedonia March 23th -24th 2012, Ohrid The Macedonian Trade Union partner SIER hosted this event. The selection of the invited participants took into consideration the need for ensuring a high level of representation, including knowledgeable and appropriate representatives from the Government and social partners. The Conference 1 sought to identify a number of common traits and differences in the development of social dialogue in the Balkan region. 34 participants participated in the Conference 1 coming from the following Organizations/Institutions and countries. Government (no. 1); Ministry of Labour of Romania , Department “Collective bargaining” Employers’ Organizations (no. 1): BAMI Trade Unions (no. 26); TU “Metalicy”, FSS ”METAROM”, FSLI ‘METAL’, FNS Solidaritatea Metal, SIER – FYR of Macedonia, SMH-IS – Croatia)




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Interpreters (no 6) The Conference was held in FYR of Macedonia with simultaneous interpretation into Bulgarian, Romanian, Macedonian, and Serbo-Croatian. The presented and discussed papers and the addressed topics (social dialogue in the metal industry in Bulgaria, Romania, FYR of Macedonia and Croatia - presentations of the social partners, national legislation, possible solutions - examples of success and failure, the impact of economic crisis on jobs in the metal industry, presentation of the EU social dialogue policy and social dialogue from the employers’ perspective) during the event represented also a starting point and a model for the following activities. Exchange of experience and increased knowledge about social dialogue are the main objectives of the project event in order to create a network between the partners from the Balkan region and at European level. Important contributions and discussions on the presentations have been made by all participants. The debates and discussions that occurred as a result of the presentations have revealed that is necessary more time to understand the importance of the European social dialogue and the connection between the two levels: national and European. Conference 2 in Croatia April 20-21 2012, Zagreb The Croatian Trade Union partner SMH-IS hosted this event. The selection of the invited participants took into consideration the need for ensuring a high level of representation, including knowledgeable and appropriate representatives from the Government and social partners. The Conference 2 focused on the issues of collective bargaining in the Balkan Region countries – Bulgaria, Romania, FYR of Macedonia, and Croatia. 34 participants participated in the Conference 2 coming from the following Organizations/Institutions and countries: Employers’ Organizations (no. 1): BAMI




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Trade Unions (no. 26); TU “Metalicy”, FSS ”METAROM”, FSLI ‘METAL’, FNS Solidaritatea Metal, SIER – FYR of Macedonia, SMH-IS – Croatia Interpreters (no 6 ) The Conference was held in Croatia with simultaneous interpretation in Bulgarian, Romanian, Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian. The participants who attended the event had the opportunity to improve their knowledge on the discussed topics during the event and the possibility to develop new cooperation relationships between their organizations. However, what the participants noted during the Conference was that the received information on the European social dialogue has been extremely helpful and that there is a need for future discussions to deepen their knowledge and understanding. Without social dialogue the relations between the social partners can not exist. Therefore, the social dialogue is an instrument of work to achieve the objectives of both- trade unions and employers, having the aim to lead to the improvement of the industrial relations. Also, the vital importance of the social dialogue issues was stressed in terms of the efforts that the trade unions from FYR of Macedonia and Croatia have to make in order to align the country's legislation with the acquis, in view of the upcoming EU accession. Research (QUESTIONNAIRE ): The mission of the project partners is to make a comparative analysis on: - How social dialogue can best be utilized in the process of preparation for EU membership. - How social dialogue can generate economic growth in conjunction with the employment and social standards and adequate Europeanization of the industrial relations in the candidate countries. The questionnaire is addressed to the social partners (management representatives and workers’ representatives), as well as to workers and attendants in undertakings in the metal industry. In the framework of this research 20 questions have been asked.




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How has the operation met the objectives of the budget heading? The project is addressed to the needs of social partners in the metal industry and aims to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding about social dialogue and industrial relations; to show them examples of how to deal with their own personal employment situation. It aims to support trade unions, companies, workers, all concerned in the process of coping with the change driven by the globalization of markets and new face of the relations between the workforce and business. Transnational dimension of the operation As a whole the events, research and information campaign which have been implemented in the framework of the project are a joint initiative of the project partners not only for exchange of information, experience and good practices, but also for dissemination of an innovative policy for monitoring the role of social partners in the different stages of social dialogue and at different levels- European, national, sector. What contribution was made by the partners? BG -partners: Design of the overall concept; organization, holding and execution of all events, including all working materials; recording the minutes from the meetings, hosting and technical organisation of the Kick off meeting - January 12th 2012, Sofia; participation in first and second project Conferences, participation in the research and in the dissemination of information about the project- an information brochure and web publications– www.metalicy-bg.com; www.labor-capital.org, participation in the project implementation with coordinators and experts. MK- partner: hosting and technical organisation of the first project Conference in FYR of Macedonia, March 23th -24th 2012, Ohrid, participation in the Kick off meeting, in the second project Conference and in the research; participation in the project implementation with a coordinator and expert. CR-partner: hosting and technical organisation of the second project Conference in Croatia – April 20-21 2012, Zagreb; participation in the Kick off meeting, in the first project Conference and in the research; participation in the project implementation with a coordinator.




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What added value has the project contributed? 1. Continuation of the work on capacity building for social partners in an enlarged European Union. 2. Application of the principles of the European Social Dialogue in the new Member States and Candidate Countries is leading to the improvement of social dialogue at national level. Conclusions Bulgaria and Romania became EU Member States in 2007 and therefore, are still concerned by the adaptation to the European standards. Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, as Candidate Countries, have made important commitments in the social policy field. Promotion of the Social Dialogue and EU standards and implementation of the European principles and values are essential for fulfillment of these commitments. There are common problems and challenges before the social partners regarding the realization of social dialogue and collective bargaining. 1. The social dialogue and collective bargaining still have limited impact on the labor market. 2. Employers do not understand well the importance of social policies for improvement of work motivation and productivity, and unions do not realize sufficiently that the old answers to the new questions are not working. 3. Unions still do not respond to the challenges associated with the relocation of businesses, social dumping, and protection of migrant and posted workers. 4. The new workforce- young people, workers from the new industrial sectors, self-employed, workers in small and medium enterprises don’t seek the unions’ help, not because they don’t need protection, but because the institutions and trade unions don’t respond to the current problems in the trade policies. Unions and employers should seek, through social dialogue and collective bargaining new policies to solve problems that have arisen, such as: - Promotion of equal opportunities for men and women




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- Solution for problems in different age groups, including young people and employees in retirement. - Improvement of training, lifelong learning and career opportunities. - Solutions for problems regarding re-training in case of restructuring, including „green" restructuring. - Preventing the increase of working time out of the regulated hours. - Improvement of the relationship between personal and professional life. - Solutions for problems regarding workers with atypical forms of employment. The Balkan region countries should use all necessary ways of improving social dialogue for the benefit of developing coherent and effective social policies.The European social partners will also further develop their common understanding of the various instruments resulting from their negotiations, determine their impact on the various levels of social dialogue, further co-ordinate the various levels of social dialogue and negotiations. How were the operations publicized and how were the results disseminated? In the framework of this activity an information brochure has been worked out, issued and disseminated in which the project aims, the structure of the project activities, information about the partners’ organizations and the team responsible for the management and implementation of the project activities, are presented. The information brochure has been disseminated among all project partners and the information it contains is translated into the national languages of the project countries which makes it more accessible to a wider range of trade unionists. The information brochure is printed in circulation of 1 500 copies and thus the proposal of all partners for large-scale dissemination of the information about the project and its aims has been realized which gave an opportunity for future dissemination of the project results in other sectors. Until the moment the meetings involved 95 participants from 4 countries and 7 organizations participating in the project activities.




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The research, being carried out through a questionnaire, has involved until the moment 150 participants from 4 countries and 7 organizations participating in the project activities.

1209 interim project reportsosffproject · industry – on focus balkan region countries –...

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