Social dialogue & conflict resolution mechanisms

Social dialogue and conflict resolution mechanisms in the acceding countries: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia

Prague, 14-16 January 2004

Speech abstract - Timo KAUPPINEN and Christian WELZ

Research managers,
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditionsnd

GUIDELINES FOR THE DRAFTING OF THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

The purpose of the Social Dialogue and Conflict Resolution project is to use social dialogue as a tool for producing national conflict resolution development plans in order to promote social welfare and social peace in the acceding countries.

The first phase of the Prague process is to produce a national draft report on the conflict resolution system and put it into the economic, political and industrial relations perspective. A national expert will prepare this report according to the terms of reference. The government officials and the social partners will select this expert. The acceptance of the expert report will take place in the Prague workshop.

The second phase of the Prague process consists of producing national conflict resolution development projects. This will take place during the Prague workshops in October 2003 and January 2004. The workshop includes presentations, group work and panel discussions. The national Governments, employers’ associations and trade unions have appointed two representatives per group per country (i.e. six members per national delegation). The seventh participant is a national expert, who has produced the national report. The workshop’s work is organised according to the principles of an open and fair discussion, which guarantees to all participants equal possibilities for expressing their views and having an impact on the outcome of the process.

The Prague process on thinking, debating and shaping the conflict resolution will start by short presentations, which describe the conflict resolution systems in each participating countries. The objective is to get an overview as to how the conflict resolution process in the “old” EU Countries has taken place, how it has taken place in the acceding countries and how the process could be steered according to good practices.

The workshop will then be composed of four sessions:

• Today’s situation. The first session analyses conflict resolution mechanisms in the economic, political and industrial relations framework in the acceding countries based on the national reports prepared by the national experts. The outcome of this session is an acceptance of the national report and a united view on strengths and weaknesses of today’s conflict resolution.

• Tomorrow’s situation. The second session looks into the future by drafting a joint vision on the future challenges for labour and social peace. The outcome of this phase is a conflict resolution foresight for the future.

• Development project. The third session compares today’s situation to the tomorrow’s situation based on the previous workshops targeting to find topics for national development projects. The challenge is to select a topic, which can be developed and implemented by using social dialogue as the main tool. The outcomes of this phase are topics for the national development project.

• Action plan for a national development project. In the fourth session the national groups will select the most suitable and acute topic for the national development project and the group will also prepare the national action plan for the development project. The outcome is a national action plan for the national development project.

Guidelines for the national action plans of the development projects can be summarised into the following six “thumb rules”:

What?

The group has to select and precise the topic for a national development project, which can be persuaded by using social dialogue as the main tool.

Why?

The group must explain why the topic has been selected and why it is acute to be developed.

When?

The group has to elaborate a timetable for the national development project. When it will start, and what are the steps for development as well as when it is anticipated to be implemented.

Who?

The group has to tell who will take responsibility for the accomplishment of the development project and how social dialogue will be a part of the process. What is the role of social partners in the process?

Where?

The group has to tell where the project will take place, which national levels and or regions will be included into the process.

Which resources?

The group has to tell which resources, human resources and financial, are needed for the project and how they will be brought up for the implementation of the national development project.

After having achieved a consensus on the national development projects and having found answers to all “thumb rules” the national projects and action plans will be presented in the plenary session and discussed with the other participants. The national experts will act as a reporter and finalise the project.

In the third phase, in autumn 2003 – winter 2004, national workshops will be organised for the final acceptance of the national development projects in cooperation with the governments and national social partners. The outcome of the entire project will be handed to competent national Ministries and, in the case of their existence, to national tripartite bodies.

In the fourth phase, in March 2004, a joint social dialogue conference will be organised where all the partners will have the possibility to compare and to benchmark their own EMU development project as well as conflict resolution project to others.