Conference on tripartism

EU Presidency Conference on Tripartism in an enlarged European Union

Co-organised by the Danish Ministry of Employment and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions

Hotel Comwell, Elsinore, Denmark

29-30 October 2002

• Introduction

• Background

• Programme

• Venue & contact details

See also conference information from the Danish Ministry of Employment.

Statement by Claus Hjort Frederiksen

Minister for Employment, Denmark

Tripartism in an enlarged EU

Dear Minister, Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen

On behalf of the European Foundation and the Danish Presidency I welcome you to this Conference on tripartism in an enlarged European Union.

Introduction: Challenges in light of the theme of the Conference

Today, Europe is facing a wide variety of huge challenges and these are the basis for this Conference.

• We must create a competitive, knowledge-based society with room for everyone.

• We must ensure continued economic growth.

• And furthermore, we must ensure that this growth will benefit all countries and populations.

• We must build a coherent Europe, combat social exclusion, and create equal opportunities for all people.

With the forthcoming enlargement of the European Union with up to ten countries whose economies deviate in a number of areas from those of the present EU countries, these challenges will be even greater.

Indeed, the EU enlargement is not only a challenge. It paves the way for entirely new possibilities in the form of increased intra-community trading and division of labour. From the point of view of the Danish Presidency, the EU enlargement certainly constitutes an inflow of new and strong resources. If these resources are fully utilised the potential for growth and welfare will be much greater.

The employment policy is an extremely important tool in this connection. Prosperity is created through workplaces. We combat social exclusion by giving people jobs. As an example, integration of immigrants into European societies will only become a success if the immigrants work with the country's own citizens at a workplace and share the community of the life of work.

Social dialogue and partnership

The task of creating a harmonic, competitive and inclusive Europe is a huge one and is best solved by co-operating through social dialogue and partnership.

On the basis of this, the Danish Presidency has chosen "Social Inclusion - through Social Dialogue and Partnership" as the overall theme for our EU Presidency in the employment and social field.

This Conference is an important part of this theme. The co-operation between authorities, employers and employees is necessary to achieve the goals of a future enlarged, harmonious EU. The co-operation between these players is also a vital element of the European social model.

Tripartism is based on the fundamental idea of authorities and the social partners jointly formulating stronger and more sustainable solutions to the challenges of the welfare society than if they are working alone and separately.

Tripartism may be shaped in various ways and may be implemented at many levels: from very general discussions of social developments to the basic development and implementation of labour policy instruments.

In the view of many EU countries, tripartism is as natural as breathing. The social partners are consulted when new policies are formulated and play an important role when the policies become a reality in areas such as employment, safety and health at work, vocational training and integration of refugees and immigrants

Through regular consultations and via committees with equal representation of the parties at central and regional levels, public authorities and the social partners have a close day-to-day dialogue on the development, prioritisation and implementation of employment policy initiatives.

In the "new European jargon" this process is what is called a win-win situation. The social partners gain influence and are at the same time extremely important resources in relation to getting the various policies to work in the real world. Labour market policies based on tripartism are working because people with good contacts to the real world have participated and therefore feel an ownership relation to the policy pursu

The special challenge which lies in a strengthening of the social dialogue of the candidate countries is emphasised by the fact that the social partners have gained more influence in the EU. According to the EU Treaty the social partners at European level have a right to conclude agreements and to be consulted in questions concerning their field of interest.

The prerequisite for new member countries participating in the work on an equal footing with the present Member States is simply to strengthen the social dialogue.

Tripartism in the civil society

In these years the focus is on the development of a civil society, which is to build bridges between the authorities and the market forces. The authorities cannot solve the problems of our welfare society alone and neither can the market. In this connection the social partners are an important part of the civil society.

In other words, tripartism gives civil society a voice and ensures a framework for active participation and responsibilities of the central players in the labour market.

At this Conference we are going to discuss how to develop and strengthen tripartite co-operation in an enlarged European Union. Let me make it absolutely clear: All countries have their own traditions and special circumstances in this area. All countries must find solutions that will function in relation to the special conditions which apply in their respective countries. But this does not mean that we cannot inspire one another, learn from one another, and perhaps jointly submit proposals for a strengthening of tripartism in Europe and at the European level.

Several EU countries have via the so-called PHARE-Twinning programmes established a co-operation with several Central and Eastern-European countries on the development of tripartism and social dialogue. The example I know best is from Denmark where the Ministry of Employment and representatives from employees' and employers' organisations have formed a consortium which, based on the situation of the individual countries, offers advice on the opportunities and pitfalls of tripartism.

In my opinion, to ensure a well-functioning tripartite co-operation the following prerequisites must be fulfilled:

Firstly, there must be concrete frames for how the co-operation is going to work. There must be a clear definition of the tasks for the various forms of tripartism, indicating the competence which the tripartite co-operation has in the individual cases, that is whether it is consultative or has a decision-making function.

Secondly, the participating organisations must be legitimate in the eyes of the people they represent.

Thirdly, the influence must be real and not a pseudo democracy.

At the same time it is important to democracy that we insist on the right to disagree in connection with tripartism. There should be room for conflicts and compromises. Naturally, employers' and employees' organisations must maintain their rights to declare strikes and lock-outs and, as democratically elected governments, we must be able to insist on solutions which the parties may not be immediately cheerful about.

Disputes and conflicting interests are unavoidable - and that is not a bad thing. Absence of political conflicts and disputes is only found in totalitarian regimes. However, diversity is what makes sound democracies. But we must strengthen tripartism so that the differences have better and more constructive framework conditions.

I hope that you, at this Conference, will discuss tripartism both in general terms and more specifically. The most fortunate aspect would be if we, after the Conference, were more prepared to find the answers for some of the following questions:

• Firstly: Which approaches should be initiated to strengthen organisations and authorities in the new EU countries with a view to establishing a well-functioning tripartite co-operation?

• Secondly: What does falling union density mean for the development of social dialogue and tripartism?

• Thirdly: Where and how can the new and old EU countries co-operate on the development of tripartism; and in this connection what role are the authorities and the social partners, respectively, going to play

I hope that we will have a good and fruitful Conference so once again - I welcome you all to this Conference.