European Social Dialogue in the Chemical Industry

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European Social Dialoguein the Chemical Industry

• Reinhard Reibsch
• Secretary General
• EMCEF

ITC Workshop on European sectoral social dialogue for EMCEF affiliates in New Member States and Candidate Countries Turin, 02-06 Feb 2009
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Legal and political background of the European SD

• Social dialogue mechanism is fixed in the
  Maastricht- (1993) and Amsterdam Treaty (1997) as
  a part of the Social Protocol
• Background was deadlock of social issue in
  preparing of the European Single Market in the
  late 80th
• Jacques Delors, President of EU-Commission a that
  time understood the SD-mechanismen as a way to
  solve the deficit in European social policy, but
  also to promote and establish European Labour
  relations

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Social Dialogue and EU Social Policy
Legislation Mobility - Gender equality Health and
Safety
EU Social Policy Agenda
European Social Dialogue
European Social Funds
Open Method of Coordination Employment Social
protection
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European Social Dialogues

• Cross-industry social dialogue
• Cross-industry social dialogue covers the whole
  economy and labour market.
• Stakeholders ETUC, Eurocadres/CEC,
  BusinessEurope, UEAPME, CEEP,
• Sectoral social dialogue
• 36 SD recognized
• 2 applications submitted (automotive and non
  ferrous metal)

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Mechanism of the SD

• Legal bases of the European Social Dialogue is
  Art. 139 TEC
• 3 levels of agreements
• Common position
• Recomendation
• Binding agreement, that can lead in place of the
  legislative procedure to lawful rulings

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EU- transposed agreements according to Art. 139
II TEC

• Agreements transposed by Council decission
• Implementation by Council decision, monitoring by
  EU Commission
• Frameagreement on parental leave (1995)
• Frameagreement on part-time work (1997)
• Frameagreement on fixed-term working contract
  (1999)
• European agreement on working time of sailors
  (1998)
• European agreement on employment system for
  flying workforce in the civil aviation (2000)
• Agreement on certain aspects of working
  conditions of mobile railway employees which
  operate in cross-border services (2004)

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EU- transposed agreements according to Art. 139
II TEC

• Autonomos agreements, which are implemented in
  respect of the practise of the social partners
  and the member states
• Implementation and monitoring by social partners
• Frame agreement on teleworking (2002)
• Frame agreement on stress at workplace (2004)
• Agreement on European driver licence for
  locomotive drivers who operate in cross-border
  services (2004)

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European Social Dialog in the Chemical Industry

• The European Social Dialogue in the chemical
  industry is recognised since December 2004
• The social partners
• EMCEF, the European Trade Union Federation for
  Chemicals, Energy and Mining
• ECEG, the European Chemical Employers Group

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Preparation of the social partners in chemical
industry for SD

• Since 2000 several activites on issues of common
  interest had been aranged to discuss and evaluate
  issues for SD
• Issues were qualification (Milano 2001, Madrid
  2002, Helsinki 2004), industrial policy (Berlin
  2001, Madrid 2002, Paris 2003) and Health and
  Safety (Madrid 2002, Helsinki 2004)
• Since 2003 these conferences had been organised
  by ECEG and EMCEF, before they had taken place on
  invitation of national social partners

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Precondition and role of the Social partners and
the EU Commission

• Social partners have to be/have
• representative for the sector
• organized at European level
• the capacity to negotiate agreements
• Only the SP decide on the working program, rules
  and agendas
• EU Commission offers consultation and
  administrative support

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Biannual Working Plans

• 1st Working plan 2005/06
• Education/ Training / Lifelong Learning
• Responsible Care
• Reach and HS Management in Chemical and
  Downstream Users Industries
• Follow-up of the EU enlargement in 2004 and
  preparations for possible next steps of
  enlargement
• 2nd Working plan 2007/08
• 1st working plan was continued with the addition
  of
• Industrial Policy, Competitiveness and Employment

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The working structure of the European SD Chemical
Industry

• 1 Plenary of the European Social Partners
• 3 WG with 4 meetings/year
• WG Responsible Care, HS
• WG Education, Life Long Learning
• WG Industrial Policy, Competitiveness and
  Employment
• Projects
• REACH HS at workplace Restructuring CITIES
  Prisme 2
• EU Commission supports projects

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Project REACH

• REACH was the first project of the SD
• REACH as part of European industrial policy
  background and importance for the Chemical
  Industry in Europe
• Common position adopted by the third Plenary
  Meeting on 15 September 2005 in London.
• Social Partners clarified their position on the
  suggested legislation
• Engagement for the improvement of HS conditions
  while handling chemical substances in the
  Chemical Industry

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Project HS at workplace

• Improvement of Health and Safety at the workplace
  as target for Social Dialogues
• "Going beyond REACH - Health and Safety a
  responsibility for social Partners
• Main objectives of the project
• strengthen the SD in the Member States with
  particular attention to new Member States
• Best practices
• Encourage cross-sector cooperation of Social
  Dialogues.
• Contribution to the Lisbon Strategy of the EU by
  developing recommendations to enhance the quality
  of employment conditions in the chemical and
  downstream industries.

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Project HS Outcome

• Final Report Occupational and Health Protection
  at the workplace in respect to chemical
  substances in the European Union
• CD-ROM and website
• Translation in 7 languages available
  (CZ,DE,EN,ES,FR,HU,IT,PL)
• A contribution on occupational HS issues

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Project HS Follow-up

• First follow-up meeting was held on 3 April 2008
• Other projects are under consideration with
  downstream user industries and services
• Building and Construction
• Agriculture
• Hairdressers Beauty

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EMCEF activities in SD

• EMCEF has 4 sectoral SD 2 in preparation
• Chemistry (2004), Gas (2006), Electricity (2002)
  and Extractive Industry (2000)
• Glas and paper in preparation
• NEPSI (cross-sectoral SD)
• EMCEF statutory SD Committee
• Our understanding National and European level
  need to contribute to improvement of social
  standards

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Challanges for the future

• In the view of the new Reform Treaty, the
  consultations with the social partners will get
  more important and ambitious
• Negotiations on company level
• Extension of social dialogues even on national
  level
• Strengthen of social dialogue

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Thank youfor yourattention