Recent Employers’ activities
by Jean-Marie Standaert
Senior Specialist, Employers' Activities
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVIN
A Workshop on making and keeping members
The employers’ organizations of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina – UPFBiH and SP RS – organized a workshop on making and keeping members on 28–29 May 2003, with Mr Erik Van Vooren, director of the Direct Marketing Institute, and Mr Georges Van Nevel. The workshop was held with the support of the SRO Budapest and ACT/EMP.
The workshop was attended by about 30 delegates of the 10 cantons of the Federation of Bosnia Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska. The lectures were alternated with practical exercises.
MOLDOVA
Foundation of the Federation of Employers of the Agriculture and Food Industry
The founding assembly of the new Federation of Employers of the Agriculture and Food Industry of the Republic of Moldova (FNPAIA) took place in Chisinau on 28 March 2003. Mr Valeriu Bulgari was elected president of the federation, while Mr Alexandru Slusari was appointed executive director.
The decision to found the new federation was taken during a meeting of industry employers in January 2003, in preparation for a tripartite seminar on ILO Convention No. 184 regarding occupational safety and health in agriculture. Mr Standaert represented the Budapest SRO at the meeting.
MONTENEGRO
Conference on the informal economy
The Union of Employers of Montenegro (UPCG) organized an important conference on the informal economy in Podgorica on 9 April 2003, with widespread participation by employers and experts. The Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of Montenegro, Mr Slavoljub Stijepovic, opened the conference on behalf of the Prime Minister, Mr Djukanovic.
Three papers prepared by the Faculty of Economy of Montenegro introduced the discussion on the informal economy. The conclusions of the discussions were that:
- the informal economy is driven by a lack of information and education on new initiatives from the government,
- providers of public services need to change their mentality and behaviour in order to become more “customer-friendly”.
Mr Standaert presented the conclusions of the ILO Commission on Decent Work and the Informal Economy.
To close the conference, the president of the Union of Employers of Montenegro (UPCG), Mr Ivan Mitrovic, presented a position paper on the informal economy, in which UPCG insisted on treatment by the government on an equal footing as a social partner. The conference was followed by a press conference.
Conference on pension reform
The UPCG, with the support of the ILO SRO-Budapest, organized a conference for employers on 1 July 2003 regarding pension contribution requirements in Montenegro and measures to improve their collection.
Ms Elaine Fultz, senior specialist for social security, presented first a regional overview of pension reform, followed by a presentation on two possible models for pension reform in Central Europe. Other contributions were by Mr Dusko Lalicevic, director of PIO (the pension fund of Montenegro), with an overview of the Montenegrin pension fund and plans for reform, and by Mr Peter Ivanovic, from the Faculty of Economy, about possibilities for the development of a second and third pillar in Montenegro.
Mr Ivan Mitrovic, president of UPCG, closed the conference with a presentation regarding the UPCG position on pension reform. He insisted on more transparency in the public management of the pension system in Montenegro, with the involvement of the social partners, and on the responsibility of state-owned companies to pay their dues.
WESTERN BALKANS
Workshop on capacity building for employers’ organizations
ITC/EMPACT organized a workshop on capacity building for the employers’ organizations of the Western Balkans in Ohrid, Macedonia, on 6–8 May 2003.
Mr Standaert of ILO Budapest was invited to make a presentation entitled “How to raise funds for your organization?”. The discussion that followed came to the following conclusions:
- Each organization needs to appoint a treasurer within its board, who will be responsible for the budget and financial reporting.
- A yearly budget must be prepared for the coming activities.
- Employers’ organizations have to cover their costs by developing new services for their members.
CROATIA
10th anniversary of the Croatian Employers’ Association HUP
The Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP) celebrated its tenth anniversary in Zagreb on 18 May 2003. The morning saw a reception for international guests by the President of the Republic, Mr Stjepan Mesic, in his residence. In the evening, an impressive gathering was organized in the Congress Hall of Zagreb, with more than 1000 guests and a presentation of a nice video about HUP, as well as speeches by the HUP’s secretary general and president.
ACT/EMP was represented by Mr JeanFrançois Retournard, director, while Mr Standaert represented the SRO Budapest.
ROMANIA
Workshop on collective bargaining
The Romanian employers’ association CPR organized a workshop for all industry organizations of Romanian employers on the subject of collective bargaining on 18 June, with the support of SRO Budapest and ACT/EMP.
The workshop started with a presentation of cases by three negotiators on industry-level collective agreements in Romania. This was followed by a presentation by Mr Gabriel Delporte, secretary general of the Confederation of the Belgian Construction Industry, about collective bargaining in his sector.
A third presentation was given by Mr Standaert about how to prepare a collective agreement, with a special attention to the “unique collective agreement in Romania”.
MACEDONIA
Tripartite national workshop on ILS and the ILO Declaration
ITC organized a tripartite national workshop on International Labour Standards, Constitutional Procedures and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work on 25–28 August in Ohrid, Macedonia.
Mr Standaert delivered a presentation on the rights of organizations in the transition process, where he underlined the principles of freedom of association for trade unions as well as employers’ organizations. He also stressed the principles of voluntary collective bargaining.
LATVIA
Tripartite workshop on Social Dialogue
The ITC, in cooperation with the Flemish Community of Belgium, organized a workshop entitled “Strategic planning for trade unions and employers’ organizations” in Riga on 12–14 March 2003. J.M. Standaert, senior specialist for employers’ activities, participated as resource person on behalf of the Budapest Subregional Office.
During the group sessions, the employers’ association LDDK presented its plans for new services to its members. The workshop was part of a one-year programme of the ITC, coordinated with the PHARE twinning project promoting bipartite Social Dialogue in Latvia.
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| ILO Film |
| Fully fit at work |
Film about the advantages of employing persons with disabilities. As this ILO film (Fully Fit at Work) shows, not only may people with disabilities be more productive, they may actually be more skilled in some jobs than non-disabled people. Produced for the ILO by the Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing.
Watch the film online in Polish with English subtitles. Duration: 21 min 11 sec
If the video is not displayed, download the free RealPlayer™
Press release in English and
Polish |
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A package for social and economic progress
The Albanian pilot of the One UN Programme will make use of the experiences of the International Labour Organization (ILO) gained in the field. As the only tripartite organisation within the United Nations system, the ILO plays a key role in involving social partners in the recently launched UN reform process.
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