EU-level social dialogue progresses in chemicals sector

In September 2004, the EU-level social partners in the chemicals sector stated that they will ask the European Commission to create a formal social dialogue committee for this industry. This follows a period of cooperation between the partners, which has most recently resulted in a joint position paper on education, vocational training and lifelong learning.

The EU-level social partners in the chemicals industry - the European Mine Chemical and Energy Workers’ Federation (EMCEF) for trade unions and the European Chemical Employers’ Group (ECEG) for employers - held a social dialogue conference in Helsinki on 10 September 2004, at which they stated their intention of proposing to the European Commission that it establish a formalised sectoral social dialogue committee for the European chemicals industry. The announcement was made by the EMCEF president, Hubertus Schmoldt, and the ECEG president, Hans Paul Frey, to an audience of over 100 representatives of employers and unions in the chemicals industry.

At present, 30 sectoral social dialogue committees exist and their dialogue has produced a range of joint texts (TN0403107F). The European chemicals industry employs around 2 million people and is the second largest industrial sector in Europe. If a formal social dialogue committee is established in this sector, this will be the first large European industrial sector to begin formal social dialogue at European level. In a joint press release, EMCEF and ECEG state that they want to use the European social dialogue process 'in the interest of both the chemical industry and its workforce to create development initiatives for the European chemical sector'.

This development is being viewed as the latest step in a gradual process of ever closer collaboration between EMCEF and ECEG in recent years. This has included events such as bilateral social partner conferences, while in November 2003 a joint declaration was signed on the new EU chemicals policy, REACH (EU0312202N).

At the September 2004 Helsinki conference, EMCEF and ECEG also concluded a new joint position paper entitled Education, vocational training and lifelong learning in the European chemical industry. In this document, they make a commitment to create a joint working group that will, as a first step, make an in-depth analysis of current skills and qualification levels, vocational training and lifelong learning across the chemicals sector. The second step will be a best-practice comparison and exchange of information between the different national systems, as a basis for supporting further development. The joint paper also examines issues such as how to: improve the image of the chemicals industry; ensure that support for science teaching in schools is given; and enhance education, training and lifelong learning for all employees throughout their careers in the chemicals industry.