In 2004, Romanian employer [1] s were represented through 12 organisations recognised as representative in the terms of Law no. 130/1996, regarding collective agreements.[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/employer
Employer organisation mergers attempts have resulted in autumn 2008 in the creation of a new alliance. On 6 October 2008, the Alliance of Employers’ Confederations of Romania (Alianţa Confederaţiilor Patronale din România, ACPR), an umbrella for seven national employer organisations and for other four business people’s associations, together with the General Union of Romanian Industrialists 1903 (Uniunea Generală a Industriaşilor din România 1903_, UGIR 1903), and the National Council of Private Small and Medium Enterprises (Consiliul Naţional al Întreprinderilor Private Mici şi Mijlocii din România, CNIPMMR) signed an agreement establishing the Alliance of the Confederations of Industrialists, Entrepreneurs and Employers from the Public Services Sector (Alianţa Confederaţiilor Industriaşilor, Întreprinzătorilor şi Angajatorilor din Servicii de Interes Public Business România, Business România)._
Employers’ previous attempts to unite
In 2004, Romanian employer s were represented through 12 organisations recognised as representative in the terms of Law no. 130/1996, regarding collective agreements.
Overall, the past decade has been characterised by employer organisations drive for unity.
In March 2004, employers formed the Alliance of the Employers Confederations of Romania (Alianţa Confederaţiilor Patronale din România, ACPR), which brings together seven employer confederations which have national representativity (RO0404101F).
In March 2007, the Union of Employers Confederations of Romania (Uniunea Confederaţiilor Patronale din România, UCPR), emerged from the association of three national employer confederations (RO0705019I) and two other organisations which, in 2007, gained national representativity: the National Union of Employers with Private Capital in Romania (Uniunea Naţională a Patronatelor cu Capital Privat din România, UNPCPR) and the Concordia Employer Confederation (Confederaţia Patronală Concordia, CP Concordia).
In addition to these two alliances, there remains the National Union of Romanian Employers (Uniunea Naţională a Patronatului Român, UNPR), which is, in fact, the first employer association that won recognition at national level.
2008 developments
By 2008, 13 employer organisations were representative at national level.
According to a press release, the Alliance of the Confederations of Industrialists, Entrepreneurs and Employers from the Public Services Sector (Alianţa Confederaţiilor Industriaşilor, Întreprinzătorilor şi Angajatorilor din Servicii de Interes Public Business România, Business România) was established in October 2008
This new alliance is formed of the ACPR, the General Union of Romanian Industrialists 1903 (Uniunea Generală a Industriaşilor din România 1903, UGIR 1903), and the National Council of Private Small and Medium Enterprises (Consiliul Naţional al Întreprinderilor Private Mici şi Mijlocii din România, CNIPMMR).
Practically, the only novelty of this alliance is UGIR 1903, because CNIPMMR had been a member of the ACPR since its establishment.
The rationale behind this new form of organisation is the fact that the ACPR umbrella has been a member of the EU employers’ organisation Business Europe since 2004, UGIR 1903 has been, since, 2000, through a sectoral federation (the National Federation of Employers in the Public Services Sector, Federaţia Naţională a Patronatelor Serviciilor Publice din România, FNPSPR), a member of the European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP), and CNIPMMR has been, since 1996, a member of the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME).
Therefore, the new alliance has secured representation to three employer organisations at European level.
To quote the leaders of the alliance, this new structure, ‘brings the strength and coherence required for a uniform representation of industrialists, service providers, and entrepreneurs of Romania’, through the ‘creation of a solid employers body that combines the necessary features to make it representative for all Romania, and to be recognised by the European Union institutions’.
The alliance will conduct its activities based on the principle of subsidiarity, and will pass resolutions by consensus.
Shortly after, in November 2008, the Romanian Industrialists Confederation (Confederaţia Patronatelor din Industria României, CONPIROM) and CP Concordia formed the the Alliance of Employer Organisations from Industry and Energy (Alianţa Patronatelor din Industrie şi Energie, APIE) (RO0811029I).
Commentary
The drive for stronger employer organisations is significant not only for the social dialogue at national level, but also for relations with European counterparts. The battle for representativeness is now fought both for the national and for the European level.
Of the many national employer organisations in Romania, the one that was left out is the UNPR. This maintains the topicality of a piece of legislation, drafted a few years ago and yet to be enacted, to clarify the representativeness criteria of employer organisations.
Luminita Chivu, Institute of National Economy, Romanian Academy
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2009), Employers unite to form new alliance, article.
