The new private entrepreneurs that rapidly emerged in almost all the transition countries were surprisingly quick to form organisations, sometimes together with managers from state or state-owned enterprises, combines and collectives; sometimes in sharp competition with such groups and the ¥nomenklatura� interests remaining in the administration of the new regimes.

The first employers� groups and associations had rather imprecise perceptions of what strategies to pursue, faced little understanding from the emerging democratic political establishments, and were hard put to finance their activities. Often many such organisations were established, overlapping or competing or simply with ill-specified purposes, which further reduced the influence of the employer side. For instance, there exist about 60 federation-level associations in the Russian Federation, and 64 national associations in Hungary. After a few years, the situation improved as organisations closed ranks, developed more rational structures, formed viable action plans, received recognition, including the invitation to join the tripartite committees that were set up by most governments. The main problem remaining for employers in most of the transition countries is to strengthen their organisations to enable them to provide more and better services for their members and to make employers� views and positions better known to the political establishment and the general public.

In a few countries - such as Poland, Croatia and Albania - a single national-level confederate structure was, or is still in the process of being, formed, or soon became dominant as in the Czech Republic, Latvia and Slovakia. In other countries national councils or umbrella organisations covering all or the most representative employers� organisations have been formed, as in Russia, Bulgaria and Romania. These moves are improving the influence of employers on the affairs of their nations and making it easier for their organisations to become more representative, credible and capable, although many still face fiscal and other restrictions.

Most recently five of the main employers� associations in Moldova formed a confederation, commencing discussions with the remaining six about co-operation. This was supported by ILO - CEET in the form of the first Workshop for Moldovan Employers in April. In May the three most representative employers� associations on the Hungarian tripartite council signed an agreement to form a joint council for international affairs.

The development of representative and capable national confederations or other umbrella-type employers’ organisations has resulted in recognition from the International Organisation of Employers, of which the national organisations of Czech, Polish, Slovak, Latvian, Russian, Croat, Romanian and Bulgarian employers are now members, plus one Hungarian association and the employers’ organisation of Slovenia started in 1989, but officially registered only in March 1996.

The ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities has launched a three-year programme financed by the Dutch government and aimed at improving private sector development through the employers’ organisations. This Project covers Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia and aims to provide training and organisational development for their employers’ organisations. A first meeting of national co-ordinators for the Project was held in Budapest in April. Plans are being discussed for setting up a similar programme for the Baltic republics. Support for development of the employers in Russia is included in the agreement that was reached between the ILO and its Russian constituents in 1995. BG