Publications

Ferreira, M.C. (in collaboration with Sara Payssé)
Vocational Training in Mercosur

Montevideo: Cinterfor, 2002
179p.

 

(Full text only available in Spanish)

 

All processes of regional integration that reach a certain degree of development generally end up developing a social dimension, despite being initially oriented to commercial or economic issues. Vocational training is, at the same time and inevitably, a fundamental part - though not the only one - in such dimension.

These theoretical hypotheses, which had once been devised by doctrine - including some publications by Cinterfor/ILO and by this author - have found confirmation within the current stage of development of Mercosur (Southern Cone Common Market). Indeed, this environment of regional integration has not only set up a number of bodies and labour regulations, but it has also enabled vocational training to take the lead in a series of activities carried out by these bodies, and to influence the content of such regulations. It is therefore an emerging and unfinished process, as well as an existing and important one. This could be verified in the fact that vocational training plays a major role within the group of fundamental rights proclaimed by Mercosur Declaration on Social and Labour matters. It was also the object of one of the first statements made by Mercosur Commission on Social and Labour matters, which was, in turn, included in a resolution by the Council of the Common Market. This body has just given shape to a Repertoire of Practical Recommendations on Vocational Training, a tripartite production designed within the heart of Working Subgroup No. 10. Vocational training is one of the issues dealt with in the first regional collective bargaining of Mercusor so far.

In consequence, it is relevant to assess the current state of the issue through the valuable contributions made by María Carmen Ferreira who encouraged the development process of the labour dimension in Mercosur, in addition to her teaching background and her experience as a researcher on the subject.

Cinterfor/ILO is proud to publish this volume whose first chapters describe the process of acknowledging the social dimension of Mercosur, its organic structure and the main labour regulations approved. The following chapters analyse the presence of vocational training and its role in this regional bloc, the regulations which particularly focus on training, as well as the ongoing projects and initiatives on the issue. An independent chapter is devoted to social dialogue on training in Mercosur and another one, the last one, seeks to evaluate the process and to draw some conclusions.

Mercosur general weaknesses and strengths are dealt with in this last part as well as those considered from its social perspective, together with an outline of a future social and labour agenda.

Pedro D. Weinberg
Director of Cinterfor/ILO

 

INDEX

Presentation

Chapter I
VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN MERCOSUR

1. BACKGROUND

1.2. The background of the social dimension in integration processes
1.3. Integration impact on national realities
1.4. The role of vocational training in integration processes

2. REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN THE SOUTHERN CONE: MERCOSUR

2.1. Treaty of Asuncion
2.2. The action taken by Ministers of Labour
2.3. Integration impact on social affairs in Mercosur

3. VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN MERCOSUR

3.1. The basis of the role played by vocational training in regional integration in Mercosur
3.2. Regional trends on vocational training

Chapter II
THE INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE OF MERCOSUR

1. THE ORGANIC STRUCTURE OF MERCOSUR
2.THE MAIN BODIES OF MERCOSUR

2.1. Council of the Common Market (CMC, in Spanish)
2.2. Common Market Group (GMC, in Spanish)
2.3. Mercosur Trade Commission (CCM, in Spanish)
2.4. Joint Parliamentary Commission (CPC, in Spanish)
2.5. Social-Economic Advisory Forum (FCES, in Spanish)
2.6. Mercosur Administrative Secretariat (SAM, in Spanish)

3. MERCOSUR AUXILIARY BODIES

3.1. Bodies with competence in labour issues
3.1.1. Working Subgroup No.10 on "Labour relationships, Employment and Social Welfare"
3.1.2. The Social and Labour Commission
3.1.3. Meetings of Ministers of Labour
3.2. Bodies with competence beyond labour issues
3.2.1. Meetings of Ministers of Education
3.2.2. Meetings of Social Development Ministers
3.2.3. Service Group (GS, in Spanish)
3.2.4. Specialised Meeting on Women Affairs (REM, in Spanish)

Chapter III
THE MAIN SOCIAL AND LABOUR REGULATIONS IN MERCOSUR

1. INTRODUCTION: THE LEGAL ORDER IN MERCOSUR
2. MAIN REGULATIONS OF MERCUSOR IN THE SOCIAL AND LABOUR AREA

2.1 Characteristics and objectives
2.2. Labour regulations in Mercosur
2.2.1. Social and Labour Declaration of Mercusor
2.2.2. Multilateral Agreement on Social Welfare
2.2.3. Presidential Declaration on the Elimination of Child Labour
2.2.4. Carta de Buenos Aires on social commitment of Mercosur, Bolivia and Chile

3. LABOUR REGULATIONS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

3.1. Tripartite social and labour agreements subject to decision
3.1.1. Proposals made by SGT 10 brought before the GMC
3.1.2. Proposals made by CSL brought before the GMC
3.2. Social and labour proposals subject to tripartite agreement

4. REGIONAL COLLECTIVE AUTONOMY

Chapter IV
THE PRESENCE OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN MERCOSUR

1.1. In Working Subgroup No. 11
1.2. In Working Subgroup No. 10

2. VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN THE SOCIAL AND LABOUR DECLARATION OF MERCOSUR
3. VOCATIONAL TRAINING SINCE THE SOCIAL AND LABOUR DECLARATION OF MERCOSUR: NEW DEVELOPMENT OF REGULATIONS

3.1. Vocational training in the declaration made by the Social and Labour Commission of Mercosur
3.2. Vocational training in the declaration made by SGT No. 10
3.2.1 The Repertoire of Practical Recommendations on Vocational Training

Basic principles on vocational training in Mercosur
- Vocational training as an instrument for active employment policies
- Participative vocational training
- Vocational training and its articulation with the educational system
- Flexible, comprehensive and quality vocational training
- Territorially and economically decentralized vocational training
- Equality vocational training
- Vocational training as a factor for integration and social development

The Repertoire of Practical Recommendations and the GMC
Compared evaluation of the Recommendation and the Repertoire

3.3. Vocational training in Carta de Buenos Aires on social commitment
3.4. Vocational training in the statement made by the Economic and Social Advisory Forum
3.5. Vocational training in the statement made by the Joint Parliamentary Commission

Chapter V
OTHER VOCATIONAL TRAINING INITIATIVES IN MERCOSUR

1. IN WORKING SUBGROUP No. 10

1.1. The Labour Market Observatory
1.2. The comparative matrix of vocational training National Systems
1.3. Vocational training glossary
1.4. Labour competencies

2. IN MERCOSUR EDUCATIONAL SECTOR

2.1. The Meeting of Ministers of Education and their dependent Bodies

Chapter VI
SOCIAL DIALOGUE AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING

1. INTEGRATION AND SOCIAL DIALOGUE
2. SOCIAL DIALOGUE, DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL PEACE
3. SOCIAL DIALOGUE IN MERCOSUR

3.1. In the Protocol of Ushuaia
3.2. In the institutions of Mercosur
3.3. In the elaboration of regulations
3.4. In the guaranty of the fundamental rights
3.5. In the Social and Labour Declaration of Mercosur
3.6 . Social dialogue and gender in the Social and Labour Mercosur

4. SOCIAL DIALOGUE AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING
5. BIPARTITE SOCIAL DIALOGUE: SUPRA NATIONAL COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
6. TOWARDS SOCIAL PEACE

Chapter VII
EVALUATION AND CONCLUSIONS

1. MERCOSUR, WEAKNESSES AND POTENTIALITIES

1.1. Lack of supra nationality
1.2. Lack of effective representation of the civil society
1.3. Deficiency in the system of decision-making
1.4. Lack of full effectiveness of integration regulations
1.5. Lack of regional and permanent Courts of Justice
1.6. Proposals to revert weaknesses

2. WEAKNESSES AND POTENTIALITIES OF THE LABOUR DIMENSION OF MERCOSUR

2.1. The conquests
2.2. The weaknesses

3. VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN MERCOSUR: AN ASSESSMENT OF ITS IMPROVEMENT
4. AN OUTLINE FOR A FUTURE SOCIAL AND LABOUR AGENDA
5. COMMITMENTS AND CHALLENGES

 

 

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