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.

Speech abstract - Malek Zdenek

CMKOS Vice-President, Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions

Brief information on Tripartism in the Czech Republic (CR)

The tripartism - in the sense of concertations and consultations between representatives of employees, employers and public authorities - (National Council of Economic and Social Agreement - RHSD) was established in the CR in October 1990. It is now chaired by the Prime Minister of the CR. The RHSD has 19 working teams and groups, among them the Working Team for European Integration, accountable to the regular RHSD plenary sessions.

The example of the RHSD was followed in some regions in the country (with adequate structures to match their needs). The phenomenon of tripartism came as a dire need to safeguard economic and social stability in transforming the former command economy into the market economy and in securing the necessary social dimension of this process as well as of that of the accession of the CR into the EU.

To be stressed in this respect is that nowhere does the tripartite system replace the autonomous role of social partners when it comes to collective bargaining, whether at sectoral or enterprise level.

From this point of view, the CMKOS supports the ETUC initiatives to establish the European Social Partners Council. It also supports changing some of the present European structures into a tripartite concertation committee/Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment. This would act as a forum for consultation between the social partners and public authorities in the overall European strategy defined at the Lisbon European Council.

CMKOS as a member of tripartite structures - social inclusion

All of the above mentioned narrowly concerns the overall Danish Presidency programme with respect to employment and social policy "Social inclusion - through social dialogue". It is worth stressing again that it is employment that is the key to combating poverty and social exclusion, concretely through:

• adequate education/training;

• formal labour market;

• income;

• social integration.

In other words, it is the social capital that is at stake.

In this context the European Strategy for Social Inclusion is highly relevant for the candidate countries, among them the CR. The CMKOS views social inclusion as a process of bringing into the mainstream of our economic and social life individuals or groups previously marginalised and excluded. The main common EU strategy objectives strongly appeal to us - to facilitate participation and access, to prevent the risks of exclusion, to help the most vulnerable and to mobilise all relevant actors.

That is also the reason why the CMKOS welcomed a twinning programme that has now started in this respect in our country. The proper analysis of this problem - based on the already achieved methodology and practice in the EU countries and reflected in the subsequent national plans - will be very helpful.

The CMKOS contribution may especially be useful in areas that may be treated through sectoral and enterprise collective bargaining and through the active participation in the national and regional tripartite concertations - all of them being important instruments in fighting poverty, social exclusion and discrimination.

To name some of the areas:

• Poverty and social exclusion caused by unemployment, long-term low income, phenomenon of so-called black wages, lack of motivation to work, low qualification levels;

• Socially vulnerable groups and ethnic minorities;

• Equality;

• Education facilities, adequate structure of education, life long learning vis-à-vis labour market;

• Social policy at the enterprise level;

• Problems related to housing, health, social protection and other policies.

To be appreciated is the EU assistance aimed at enhancing social partners' structures and organisational capacity, singling out especially the ongoing Consensus programme led by theDanish twinning programme focused on social dialogue in our country.

Social dialogue development and genuine social and industrial relations are a key factor of democratic society and a pillar of the European social model. To this end, more integrated programmes of EU technical assistance for social partners in the candidate countries are still needed.

The same applies for candidate countries social partners to be - as observers - involved in the respective EU consultative bodies in order to further and in time enhance their knowledge, ability and culture of social dialogue as a common denominator and value of the future united Europe.

Sincere thanks go to the Danish Presidency for inviting social partners from candidate countries to this important event as well as for its generous hospitality.

1st October 2002