SECTORAL SOCIAL DIALOGUE IN NEW MEMBER STATES AND CANDIDATE COUNTRIES Achievements and challenges in postal services, telecommunications, construction, tourism, metal, energy and chemistry industries Mario Svigir

Report on Sectoral Social Dialogue in EU 12 and Candidate Countries - the Framework Commission adopted the Decision of 20 May 1998, dealing specifically with the sectoral dimension of European social dialogue and creating European sectoral social dialogue committees (hereafter: ‘committees’). These committees are an arena for relationship-building, information sharing, discussion, consultation, negotiation and joint actions The accession of 12 new Member States in 2004 and 2007 has increased the variety of industrial relations systems within the EU as there is little tradition of social partnership and autonomous, bipartite collective bargaining in the EU-12. European sectoral social partners have been working with their new members in the EU-12 and the candidate countries for many years. Projects, technical seminars, round tables and the development of tools for capacity building increased over the last two years.

Research -outlook, methodology, expected outcome.. Report as a focused follow-up to the previous experience with the European Industry Federations (EIF) Analyses employed : current bipartite and tripartite social dialogue structures and practices, membership tendencies of sectoral trade unions in EU 12 and CC and their capacity for iimplementation of i.e. European sectoral social dialogue texts in their own domestic agenda Primary data collection through online survey questionnaire – in- depth structured questionnaire is developed and sent to trade unions organizing TU members in the focused sectors. The final report was also based on input from two workshops organised by ILO ITC in Turin and Zagreb Sectors covered: postal services, telecommunications, construction, tourism, metal, energy, chemistry Countries involved: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Romania, Malta, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Turkey, Macedonia

General information and trends in surveyed trade unions - membership trends The majority of the surveyed trade unions (41,7 %) have reported the decline in membership (ranging from 5 to 20 %) as the dominant trend in TU membership 18,8 % have reported a severe decline in membership 16, 7 % of the surveyed parties have reported stable membership Only 4.2 % of the surveyed parties have reported increase in membership (on average 10 % reported increase chemistry, toursim, energy) keep in mind that there is no clear cut trend for any of the sectors; some trade unions within the same sector are increasing in members while others are losing them

Sectors with the above average percentage of women members are: tourism, telecommunications and postal services. Sectors with below average percentage of women members are construction and energy. Telecommunications and chemistry are sectors with the highest percentage of youth members. Construction and postal services are sectors with reported lowers percentage of youth members.

Sector level trade union scene – co-operation/non- cooperation situations 25 % of the surveyed selected sectors trade unions have reported that they operate as single sector level trade union in their countries (for example energy (41,7%) and metal (30,8%) Only 8 % has reported that there is no cooperation between sector level trade unions in their countries in the situations where there is more than one sector trade union (more than average: tourism, chemistry metal and construction ) 12.5 % have reported that the established cooperation enabled them to develop joint positions in regards to ESD

Key economic features for the future of the sector Telecommunications Energy Metal Tourism Postal Construction Chemistry Other Privatisation and subcontracting025028,6057,1020,8 Changes in technology, resulting in lower and more specialized demand for workers033,346,228,60037,520,8 Changes in work organization resulting in making working conditions (wage, working time) and employment relationships more flexible and work related negotiations more individual066,753,857,15057,187,566,7 Changes in global production, delocalisation and outsourcing10041,761,514,310042,937,520,8 Changes in consumption market/ consumers preferences buying less of the sector's products /services508,323,142,95042,912,520,8

Levels of collective bargaining in sectors /affiliation to national confederations/involvement wiht EWC 70.5 % of the trade unions have reported that company level collective bargaining was the dominant level of collective bargaining in their countries. National level collective bargaining has been reported as a very prominent mode of collective bargaining by trade unions in tourism (33.3%) 98.3 % of the surveyed trade unions have replied that they are affiliated to their national trade union confederations 57 % of the surveyed trade unions have replied that they have a representative at some European works council ( telecommunications, tourism and construction more that 80 % -involved with EWC)

National social dialogue and ESD Majority (52 % )of surveyed trade unions have reported that both tripartite social dialogue and bipartite social dialogue in their countries is more of the formality and not a real way of managing economic changes and sector level restructuring Governments in their countries only formally consulted with them, before taking new initiatives in the areas of: social affairs dealing with the ESD Yet, (60%) of surveyed trade unions have reported that they find, from their experience, that ESD gives impetus to national cooperation- ESD is reported as a powerful vehicle to boost national level social dialogue 30 % have reported that their governments have been supportive in fostering ESD At the sector level, trade unions from chemistry, construction and metal have reported more positive links between government support in fostering ESD, legislative empowering of trade unions and ESD potential to give impetus to national cooperation

M ain problems related to the national implementation of sector level ESD, recommendations or application of developed joint standards and principles an overall low level of social dialogue and industrial relations (including the disrespect for the existing collective bargaining agreements) poorly designed institutional framework with weak labour and social dialogue institutions ( labour administration, social dialogue secretariats) inappropriate or non existing representation rules ESD implementation processes being lengthy and complicated, which requires close cooperation and target oriented common actions of the social partners at national or sector level

More problems… Weak legal stipulations on obligations for information, consultation and participation (social dialogue is not encouraged by the government or through the legislation) Non-existence of employers’ organizations at the sector level, lack of employers interests to be involved in EU level sector projects Lack of initiative from the union side to put the pressure on the government to resolve this situation Lack of tradition in this field Lack of human resources who would be able to summarize ESD recommendations Inappropriate channels of information (ESD information does not reach the appropriate audience) Government tendency to postponing the implementation before it is not formally pressured by the EU institutions

An additional phenomenon - effects of internal trade union proliferation and fragmentation (also harmful competition) on the sectoral level internal proliferation and fragmentation of the trade union scene in EU NM and CC has harmful consequences in relation to trade unions dialoguing strength unlawful trade union competition racing trade unions to the bottom, and finally exhausting them financially and leaving them without resources and basically unable to perform their primary task in relation to labour undermines effectiveness, representativeness and credibility of trade unions, both on national plane and on the sectoral level

ESD related capacity - approach Survey has been aimed at scanning the capacities related to ESD of selected sector level trade unions in EU 12 and candidate countries. Capacity building involves surveyed information about the ESD related identity, ESD ownership and communication of ESD matters with their members: A) general understanding of ESD related content and processes B) quality of their participation in ESD, there absorption capacity and their limitations to be more actively involved in ESD C) support they have received from their EU trade unions federations D) communicative strengths and weaknesses in relation to ESD

Understanding ESD (46 %) of surveyed trade unions have a proper understanding of what does ESD stands for (58 %) knowing the difference among tripartite social dialogue, bipartite cross-sector social dialogue and bipartite sectoral social dialogue in the EU Lack of understanding, or partial understanding has been reported in relation to forms and procedures Insufficient understanding of ESD by trade unions members (81%)

Capacity limitations related to ESD

The most prominent ESD related barriers are in the field: of both external (language) and internal communication (dissemination of ESD related information to TU members) and internal capacities (insufficient knowledge about forms and processes) needed for more active involvement in ESD at the European level 69 % of trade unions replied that they both lack financial and human resources ( to be more actively involved in ESD work at the European level) 30 % have replied that they would be willing to dedicate more man/hour time to ESD related work 42 % have identified themselves as fully accepted in the ESD related processes

ESD ownership and support issue 42 % have identified themselves as fully accepted in the ESD related processes 39 % have expressed their opinion that they could have been more active in the past 65 % - appropriateness of EU trade union federation’s instruments of their involvement in ESD related processes

Implementation of the achievements of the European sectoral social dialogue to the national environment Topical areas of interests

1.) Recommendations for strengthening the capacities of the selected sectoral trade unions a set of measures should be aimed at strengthening trade unions, in general, in new EU and candidate countries in providing them with focused assistance related new recruitment campaigns focused projects for youth members on the sector level, provision of sector level trade union young leaders projects projects dealing with more powerful voice of women in trade union structures in new EU member and candidate countries regional, cross border co-operation should be established in the sectors where there is no proven history of such co-operation as for the topical areas of the most interest or the most urgency to diverse sector level trade unions, as reported by this survey, education, formal and informal should be developed, new curricula formed and subsequently education programs carried out

2.) Recommendations for supporting the internal dialoguing strenghts of sectoral trade unions sector level trade unions unity can be achieved or pursued in two ways: through structural unity (institutional setup) or through unity in action (project setup) Coordination and increased joint actions should be stimulated in the planning and the imple­mentation of EU level joint programmes for trade unions. Training activities for selected leaders/shop stewards/secretariat staff are also of particular importance in view of their potential role in the coordinating process Sectoral level trade union unity and rebuilding of their internal dialoguing strength should be realistically seen as a process. It cannot be imposed or decreed Launching models of shared resources Train the trainers and training programmes abroad through ESD travel grants are efficient way in exchanging the experiences Legislative changes are also needed that help overcome the fragmentation of trade unions (especially in countries where is no representativity rules for social partners) in developing sectoral capacities and skills, negotiation, communication, information technology (IT), language and management, legal issues, economics know how, a mentorship approach should be used to a maximum scale

3. ) Recommendations for improving the social dialogue and ESD implementation at the national level enforcing the overall social dialogue legislative and institutional context more involvement of employers in EU projects at the sectoral level enforcement of effective system of penalties for the non-compliance with ESD conducting structural reforms among sector level trade unions to empower them as social partners to be able to fully participate at national level as social partners provision of up-to-date information about ESD in national language strengthening and “forcing” the employers side to be present as partner on the sectoral level, better cooperation among all parties involved with implementation of ESD on national level – needed for better sharing of information and more dissemination of information When national social dialogue does not work EU institutions exerting more pressure on local authorities

4.) Broad based political and institutional support for TU in carring their role in ESD Support being provided from EU level trade union sector federations, EU commission ESD related bodies and ILO but also from labour related think tanks such as ETUI for the sector level trade unions could be critical ETUC should be the focal point and should take a leading role together with European Industry Federations, jointly with the ILO training veicles where there is sinergy in human resources competencies and educational delivery

5.) Focused education assistance for the sector level trade unions focused education in relation to ESD related procedures education about the topics of expressed interests (especially new areas of interests) education and assistance pilot projects aimed at strengthening their external (provision of target language trainings) communication skills education and assistance pilot projects aimed at strengthening their internal (provision of assistance to trade unions in crafting appropriate ESD related communicative channels to their members and general public) communication skills

Thank you for your attention !