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MWBU ‘’NEZAVISNOST’’ HOST OF THE SEMINAR ENTITLED ‘’INTENSIFYING SOCIAL DIALOGUE IN METAL INDUSTRY OF SOUTH-EAST EUROPE’’, WITHIN ‘’TAIEX’’ PROGRAM

SOCIAL DIALOGUE HAS NO ALTERNATIVE




Belgrade, April 2008

The EMF representatives, Tony Janssen, Rene Johansen and Alicia Masievic, representatives of the European Commission, Francois Ziegler, as well as representatives of National Metal Workers Trade Unions ‘’Solidaritatea’’ from Rumania, Aurel Adrian, Metal Workers Trade Union from Bulgaria ‘’Podkrepa’’, Ludmil Pavlov, Danish Metal Workers Union ‘’Co Industri Jens Budvand’’, Belgian Trade Union ‘’CCMB’’, Tony Janssen, representative of ‘’ETUI-REHS’’, Grigor Gradev, delegation of the Autonomous Metal Workers Trade Union of Montenegro headed by the President Dragan Mijanovic, as well as colleagues of the AMWTUS headed by the President Zoran Vujovic and representatives of MWBU ‘’Nezavisnost’’ which were the hosts of the Seminar participants, discussed about a very important subject for trade unions – social dialogue.

The participants presented the legal framework and examples from their countries and explained the effects of social dialogue on the level of European Union. The ‘’TAIEX’’ Program is implemented by the Department for EU expanding in member countries, associated members of EU and those following this path, and gives support in the integration process. The Seminar in Belgrade is the first in a series and can be called ‘’pilot program’’, and the other two Seminars have been planned to be held in Sarajevo and Skoplje.

The objective of the Seminar is upgrading of social dialogue in South-East Europe, that different experience is shared and national legal framework regulating social dialogue explained. The structure of social dialogue for promoting democratic ‘’mechanisms’’ was especially stressed with special emphasis on creating social dialogue system on the level of nations. The sphere of social dialogue was also treated in the metal industry sector.

The necessity of cooperation between social partners on the level of States and organizations of social partners on European level was indicated. The target group of the comprehensive project are unionists and their organizations on government and regional level, being members of the EMF, partner organizations in Croatia, Macedonia, B & H, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania.

All the participants stated their experience and views, and G. Gradev’s presentation was interesting and comprehensive. He spoke about the potentials of intensifying social dialogue in South-East Europe, especially calling attention to identification of major challenges borne by social dialogue, trade unions role, as well as the role of EU, employers’ organization and national governments in using and developing social dialogue institutions.

Parts of the conclusions of the research team of ‘’Swiss Labor Assistance’’ of the project titled ‘’Support to social dialogue in Serbia – Social Dialogue Actors: capacities and employee views of transition and social dialogue’’ were presented in respect of the social dialogue status in Serbia. The president of MWBU “Nezavisnost”, Dragan Matic presented the status of social dialogue in Serbia, who pointed out that: “Developed capacities of social dialogue in Serbia are inadequate and the need for social dialogue enormous. The use of social dialogue in Serbia has neither a tradition nor it is a part of Serbian behavior model as in the society, so also in the economy. Reference to arguments, as well as laws, is not sufficient, because non–observance of the law is usual.

Employers and trade unions have not reached the necessary level of cooperation and mutual respect. Credibility, representation and status of all participants in social dialogue on an equal footing are the basic reason that social dialogue has not satisfied the requirements regarding time and Serbian citizens.

The legal framework, regulated by the Socio-Economic Council of the Republic of Serbia, has not fulfilled the projected expectations regarding its application. The Socio-Economic Council is considered, by political parties, as a framework of political power distribution.

There is no readiness for conducting social dialogue, for equality, mutual tolerance and trust of participants in the dialogue, respect of interests and status of other participants in the social dialogue.

Much has been written and spoken about social dialogue in Serbia, but some organizations performing the analysis of social dialogue results in Serbia indicate that citizens are dissatisfied, results poor, and there is almost no hope of social dialogue acceptance in this country. Many times social dialogue was a means for settlement of crisis, preserving power and obtaining political support. The State is not interested in developing strong institutions of social dialogue, and participants and citizens are uneducated and uninformed of the potentials and targets that can be reached by means of social dialogue.

A dialogue, not only social dialogue, is insufficiently present in Serbia, and for this reason we have so much conflicts and misunderstanding. The results of social dialogue in Serbia, instead of agreement, have, as a consequence, a greater split and creating hostile situations among those who used social dialogue.

The future of social dialogue is in long-term arguments and patient harmonization, the result of which should be a high level of trust and mutual interests that social dialogue can produce.

The participants in the Seminar left this manifestation with improved knowledge and experience, and they have been encouraged that social dialogue could be an effective and persistent way of solving problems with full respect of social partners’ interests.

 
     
 
 
 
 
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