Social dialogue in the candidate countries

Social dialogue and EMU in Cyprus, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia - Workshop

Vienna, 26-28 May 2003

Speech abstract - Timo Kauppinen and Christian Welz

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

Social dialogue and EMU in the candidate countries: the background of the project

In 2002 the Foundation and the Swedish Work Life and EU Enlargement Project launched a joint project on Social Dialogue and EMU in the candidate countries. The project 'The role of social dialogue in the preparation for Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in the Candidate Countries' was carried out in Estonia, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovenia. This year it is extended to cover Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

The purpose of the project is to gather employers, trade unions, governments and researchers in order to investigate and to assess how social dialogue can best be utilised in the preparation process for EMU in order to generate economic growth in harmony with employment and social protection in the candidate countries.

The main outcomes of the 2002 workshop

In May 2002 the project management organised a conference in Vienna, during which all the participating countries drafted national development projects. These tripartite national teams consisted of two representatives from the governments, as well as from trade unions and employers' organisations. National researchers wrote background papers on the economic, political and industrial relations situations in their country of origin. Taking into account today's situation and future challenges the national groups drafted the following development plans resulting from the Vienna conference:

• Estonia: Towards tackling youth unemployment by social dialogue

• Hungary: Towards EMU and social convergence by social dialogue

• Malta: Towards a culture of trust within the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development

• Poland: Towards a social pact for the young by social dialogue

• Slovenia: Towards EMU via a social agreement by social dialogue

In October 2002 these reports were discussed at national seminars with a wider audience consisting of employers', trade union and government representatives. There was a generally shared view in all participating countries that the Vienna draft programmes were of great relevance to the five candidate countries. The issues dealt with in the papers were considered to be important ones for the medium term, when these future Member States are to adjust their economies to the EMU criteria. There was a common view that social dialogue was a valuable tool in tackling difficult national problems, even if plenty of effort still needs to be made in developing efficient structures for social dialogue.

The five candidate countries' reports were presented at the Danish Presidency Conference on 'Tripartism in an enlarged Europe' in Elsinore on 29-30 October 2002. These national development plans will be forwarded later to the National Ministers of Labour as well as to the respective tripartite bodies to consider an eventual implementation and the mechanisms thereof.

Project plan for 2003

February–May: kick-off meetings at national level

• February: Latvia and Lithuania

• March: Czech Republic and Slovak Republic

• May: Cyprus

March–May: preparation of the national reports on social dialogue and EMU National experts prepare national reports, which cover

• the economic situation

• the political situation

• the industrial relations situation

• a summary

The reports should reflect these topics from the EMU perspective.

May 26-28, Vienna workshop: Social dialogue and EMU

• Government representatives, 2 per country

• Employers' representatives, 2 per country

• Trade union representatives, 2 per country

• Researchers, 1 per country

Expected outcome of the workshop: national development plans towards EMU via social dialogue

Autumn: national seminars with wider social partners fora: towards EMU via social dialogue