Yes to strengthened social dialogue - but in an inclusive way

According to a Communication published earlier today, the European Commission plans, most notably:

• to further foster regular cross-sector tripartite exchanges with the Council of Ministers’ consultative Employment Committee (EMCO) and Social Protection Committee (SPC).
• to expand EU cross-sector Social Dialogue Committee meetings on labour market-relevant topics such as skills shortages or just transitions.
• to specifically consult cross-sector social partners on their policy priorities before the European Commission’s annual work programmes are being drawn up.
• to concentrate mandatory policy consultations prescribed by the EU Treaties even more in cross-sector social partner structures, at the expense of independent sectoral social partners.
• provide further funding “to improve awareness of EU policies and labour market institutions” among social partner member organisations.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger noted: “The European cross-sector social partners and their national members are already supported and consulted in almost countless fora, including the European Semester, the Triparte Social Summits, the Macroeconomic Dialogue and so-called Dedicated Hearings. They are also already heard in the Social Dialogue Committee, EMCO and SPC. Rather than focussing even more on cross-sector social partners, a better inclusion of independent sectoral social partners and their national members could actually bring added value to policy making and social dialogue.”

He added: “We welcome announced plans to review the methodology of representativeness studies, which is in several ways biased towards established, majoritarian social partner organisations and does not give equal scope to further or new actors in economic sectors. A new approach could pave the way to more refined conclusions of studies and ensure that their findings will also be reflected in the composition and representativeness of committees.”

Klaus Heeger concluded: “We appreciate a commitment by the European Commission to help increase the representativeness of sectoral social dialogue committees. The Commission rightly notes that an increased representativeness in a social dialogue committee equals an increased legitimacy of that committee. However, here, as financier and organiser of the European social dialogue, clear moves are required from the side of the European Commission where established sectoral social partners block the entry of other representative union organisations for purely vested interests.”