Portuguese tripartite joint declaration for EU jobs summit

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In November 1997, a declaration was adopted by Portugal's tripartite Standing Committee for Social Concertation, prior to the special EU "jobs summit" in Luxembourg. The declaration covers growth and employment, the strengthening of policies of economic and social cohesion, and national-level social priorities.

A joint declaration was concluded by the tripartite Standing Committee for Social Concertation on 17 November 1997, in advance of the special European Council Jobs Summit being held in Luxembourg on 20-21 November. The declaration was signed by: the Portuguese Government; the two trade union confederations - the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores Portugueses, CGTP) and the General Workers' Union (União Geral de Trabalhadores, UGT); and the three employers' confederations - the Confederation of Portuguese Industry (Confederação da Indústria Portuguesa, CIP), the Confederation of Portuguese Commerce (Confederação do Comércio e Serviços de Portugal, CCP) and the Confederation of Portuguese Farmers (Confederação dos Agricultores de Portugal, CAP). The declaration represents a tripartite minimum platform for understanding at a time when the Portuguese system of social concertation has been the target of criticism by some of the social partners.

The declaration stresses that the Government and the social partners agree that guidelines should be set, at the European level, to establish priorities to combat unemployment, without losing sight of the particular conditions of each Member State. This analysis is in harmony with the coordinated employment policy strategy approved by the European Council in Luxembourg.

The Portuguese tripartite declaration also stresses that greater growth in job opportunities should be fostered, based on support for small and medium-sized companies, new product and service innovation and the creation of new jobs aimed at satisfying social needs. It underlines the importance of renewing the "European social model" so that it can be centred around values, including job security based on qualifications and employability to be achieved through training, incentives for job-seekers, greater job opportunities, individual adaptability stemming from ongoing personal improvement, equal opportunities, social integration and the enhancement of management expertise.

The joint declaration warns of the risk of increasing social and regional inequality now facing the European political project. In the light of this, it comes out strongly in favour of reinforcing economic and social cohesion policies. It states that these policies should be instrumental in overcoming shortcomings in infrastructures, management development, education and job training.

The text adds that, in order to uphold employability, it is imperative that all European citizens should have access to continuing education and training throughout their lives. This implies that citizens should possess a good basic level of education. This point is of vital importance for the convergence of Portugal with its European partners, especially since the domestic workforce is seriously underqualified. The fact that all the social partners were aware of this shortcoming made it easier for them to reach a consensus that was embodied in the joint declaration.

Such shared viewpoints helped in ensuring the presence of the two major union confederations (CGTP and UGT) at a demonstration in Luxembourg, organised by the European Trade Union Confederation to coincide with the summit. Delegations from both confederations took part in the march which was organised by country. The two marched a short distance away from each other, however, which expresses the differences that still separate them - in particular differences of opinion over the creation of a common currency and the overall profile of the construction of Europe.