A series of regional seminars with teachers' unions and employers
(published the 19th December 2006)
In October 2006, the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) has launched a series of eight sub-regional seminars on social dialogue which take place during the autumn of 2006 and the spring of 2007. Grouping three to five countries each, the seminars bring together teacher unions and employer representatives to joint discussions on the prospects of setting up a sectoral social dialogue committee in education at EU level.
At EU level, social dialogue between trade unions and employers has been steadily developing since 1985, when the first possibilities for an autonomous dialogue between the European Social Partners at cross-industry level became a reality. In 1998, the EU social dialogue underwent an important development, as the European Commission decided to allow for the establishment of sectoral social dialogue committees. Until now, 33 sectoral committees have been established, but none of these are directly involved in the area of education.
The series of bipartite regional seminars in 2006/2007 aims to enable in-depth discussions between teachers and employers representatives in education at national level on the possibilities inherent in establishing an EU level dialogue in education, its implications at national level, the influence to be gained at EU level, as well as how an EU-level dialogue in turn can strengthen the social dialogue in education at national level.
A high-level representative from the European public employers’ organisation CEEP is participating in all the regional seminars in order to present the views on a Euro-level sectoral dialogue from the employers’ perspective. In early June 2007, the series of regional seminars will be followed by a Status Conference inviting teachers unions and employers representatives to jointly discuss the further steps to be taken. The regional seminars build on the extensive knowledge about social dialogue obtained through the two surveys undertaken by ETUCE in 2005 and 2006 concerning the status of social dialogue in education in Europe, and the status and role of employers in education.
Dates and venue for the regional seminars in 2006:-2007
13 October, Bucharest (Romania) : Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania
24 October, Vilnius (Lithuania) : Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania
15 November, Ljubljana (Slovenia): Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland
1 March, Copenhagen (Denmark) : Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden
19 March Brussels (Belgium) : Belgium, France, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Switzerland
20 April, Malta : Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Malta, Greece
23 April, Berlin (Germany) : Austria, Germany, Ireland, The United Kingdom
Towards a European Sectoral Social Dialogue in Education
Recent developments of the process within the national working groups
(published on 14 March 2007)
As the ETUCE series of regional seminars continues (see the seminars calender), the process towards a European Sectoral Social Dialogue in Education is already concretely ongoing in most of the countries where such a seminar already took place.
Further to the regional seminars organised in autumn 2006 within the CEE countries, the ETUCE has asked national players to produce a report on the developments of the process towards a European Sectoral Social Dialogue in Education. Five countries reported encouraging news regarding the process developments at national level. On the basis of the work done in the context of the regional seminars, these countries have set up (or are about to set up) a bipartite national working groups aimed at being facilitating structures for Social Dialogue in Education, both at national and European level.
Report of the autumn regional seminars with teachers' unions and employers
(published on 26 January 2007)
A first report, covering the three regional seminars organised by ETUCE in the Central and Eastern European Countries (see below for details) is now available on edu-dialogue.eu. You can download it in a word format here.
Participants lists from the seminars are also available for download :Bucarest (13 Oct. 06); Vilnius (24 Oct. 06) and Ljubljana (15 Nov. 06)
The series of sub-regional seminars organised by the ETUCE on the theme « towards a European sectoral social dialogue in education » ended with the last seminar taking place in Berlin on 23 April. These seminars have gathered teacher unions and employers representatives from most of the EU members states. Following the discussions in national bipartite groups during the seminars, the vast majorities of the countries represented at the seminars have committed to continue the process at national level. Social partners in education in the majority of countries will create (or have already created) a national working group that will prepare and follow-up on the European sectoral social dialogue in education.
The upcoming meeting for all players involved in the process is the status conference to be held in Brussels on 4 and 5 June 2007. This status conference will be an opportunity to take stock of the process so far and prepare the way for the following steps to be taken in the process, notably:
To consider the representation of the employers and teacher trade unions to a Sectoral Dialogue in Education at EU level,
To consider the scope and content of the dialogue
To consider elements and directions for the future work on the statutes and work plan of the Sectoral Committee
You can download the draft programme of the 4-5 June conference here.
All the information on the process’ developments country by country is available on this page and will be updated regularly.
The Report from the series of sub-regional seminars organised by the ETUCE is now available. You can download its English version here and its French version here.
Broad participation of all Social Partners at the Status Conference
The Status Conference towards establishing a European Sectoral Social Dialogue in Education was held by ETUCE in Brussels on 4 and 5 June 2007. It welcomed 120 participants from 29 countries. The education sector was broadly represented with 23 bipartite delegations gathering employers' representatives and teachers' unions. The Status Conference represented an important step further towards the set up of a Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Education at EU level.
You will find on this page a complete report and all the information about the Status Conference.
Update of the national developments page
(20 June 2007)
The edu-dialogue.eu page devoted to the recents developments of the process within the national working groups has been updated with new summaries of national reports.
ETUCE and CEEP to keep on the process in 2008
(January 2008)
Reinforced with a financial support provided by the European Commission, the ETUCE launched in December 2007 its fourth project “Towards a European Sectoral Social Dialogue in Education”, which received the formal support from the European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP). This project aims to lead towards the implementation of a Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Education at European level. The project notably includes :
Informal meetings with the education sector’s social partners in EU countries;
A seminar gathering teachers’ unions specifically devoted to the sub-sectoral dimension of the dialogue;
An employers’ seminar aimed at shaping the forthcoming European representative body for employers in education;
A final bipartite seminar intended to jointly establish the basis for the European social dialogue e.g. the committee statutes and a draft joint work programme.
Fell free to contact us for further information regarding this key phase of the process towards a European Sectoral Social Dialogue in Education.
The ETUCE also encourages its members to send to the secretariat any relevant information regarding the national developments of the process.
ETUCE member organisations confirm the sub-sectoral scope of the dialogue
(April 2008)
The process towards a sectoral social dialogue in education at the European level continues to make good progress. The ETUCE member organisations gathered in Brussels on the 8th April to discuss in-depth the sub-sectoral dimension of the dialogue. The whole education spectrum was well represented and the outcome from the seminar very positive. The sectoral social dialogue committee that will be created for education will cover the whole sector : pre-primary, primary, secondary, higher education as well as vocational education and training.
A full report from the sub-sectoral seminar is available for download on this website in English (download, PDF file) and French (download).
Notable progress for the process towards a European Social Dialogue for Education
(June 2008)
The process leading to the establishment of a European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Education, started four years from today, has recorded notable progress during the last months.
On the 8 April 2008, the Teachers’ Trade Unions side decided what will be the scope of their representation at European level and confirmed their capacity and will to cover the whole spectrum of Education, from pre-primary to higher education, including vocational education and training (see the previous news).
On the 20th May, national employers from 17 EU member states were represented in a seminar organised by the ETUCE and animated by the CEEP in Brussels. The employers confirmed their interest for a social dialogue in education at EU level and set-up their own calendar for the creation of their European representative organisation. A working group of employers will meet again in early July and continue their deliberations in more detail. The employers from all EU countries will then be invited for a new plenary meeting on 22nd September.
As and when the employers launch a European representative organisation, the way would be clear for a joint application by both ETUCE and the employers to send an application to the European Commission for a sectoral social dialogue committee. In the meantime it would be possible for other related activities to be carried out both for the employers and the teachers' unions.
Process is by principle to be achieved within 2009
(December 2008)
The social partners in the education sector are entering in 2009 the last phase of the process leading to the creation of a Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee at EU level for education.
Substantial progresses have been made on the employers’ side towards the set-up of their own European representative organisation. National employers in education met several times in 2008 and confirmed their interest for a dialogue with the teachers at EU level. The European Federation of Employers in Education (EFEE) will hold its first official meeting in early 2009.
In parallel, several bipartite activities will be carried out in 2009 by the social partners in education aiming at setting-up the basis for the statutes of the Sectoral Committee as well as its first work programme.
By principle, the joint application EFEE/ETUCE to the European Commission to a create Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee should be written and sent before the end 2009.
Creation of a European Federation of Employers in Education
(March 2009)
National employers in education from 19 EU member states gathered in Brussels on 26th of February 2009 for the first meeting of the European Federation of Employers in Education (EFEE). The participants in the meeting represented 75% of the EU population. The variety of employers’ organisations was also well represented with 8 Ministries of Education, 4 associations of local governments and 7 public agencies, all of them being nationally recognized as employers in education.
18 organisations from 15 countries decided to become founders of the EFEE. It is hoped that the other organisations represented at the meeting will decide to join EFEE later after complementary decisions have been taken nationally. An Interim Secretariat as well as an Executive Committee were appointed.
The 26th of February 2009 will remain an important date in the overall process leading to a European Sectoral Social Dialogue in Education. The ETUCE is no longer dealing with individual employers but has now a full partner at EU level to dialogue with. The ETUCE and the EFEE are now engaging discussions about the statutes of the European Sectoral Committee for Education and its first work programme.
The joint application to create the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Education is expected to be be sent to the European Commission by September 2009.
Success of the social partners in education’s joint European conference
(September 2009)
The ETUCE and the European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE) held a joint conference on 29th of September in Brussels. This event came as the latest step in a process initiated by the ETUCE five years ago. During the conference, the two organisations signed up a joint application letter to create a European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Education, in conformity with Articles 138-139 of the EC Treaty. The application was sent on the 30th of September. It includes as annexes draft versions of the Rules of Procedures for the Committee and of its first two-year work programme, as the social partners agreed upon in April of this year. The European Social Dialogue in Education is expected to start in early 2010.
The ETUCE and the EFEE both expressed their mutual recognition as well as their congratulations and thanks to each other for their commitment in the process, that has led to this successful outcome.
