Recent developments of the process within the national working groups
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. Eight 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.
This page will be updated following all developements at national level. Summaries are already consultables for:
Lithuania
In Lithuania, a bipartite national working group has been set up, composed of all the ETUCE Lithuanians member organisations on the unions’ side (LEETU, LMPS and CTUEW) while the employers are represented by the Lithuanian Association of Directors of pre-school institutions, the Lithuanian Association of Heads of Education Departments of Municipalities and the Ministry of Education and Science of Lithuania. One of the aims of the working group is to become soon recognized at national level as a bipartite sectoral committee with the ability to carry out negotiations and to reach agreements. A request has already been sent to the Lithuanian Government in that regard. In parallel, the Lithuanian employers are currently setting up a delegation procedure for the coming European Sectoral Committee for the Education sector, whereas the unions’ side have already achieved this step of the process.
Slovakian Republic
Further to discussions held in the ETUCE regional seminar in Bled (Slovenia) in November 2006, the Slovakian players in the education sector are setting up their national working group, also aimed at acting both at national and European level. The unions’ side will be represented by the ETUCE member organisations in Slovakia. The fisrt step successfully carried out by the working group regarding was to clearly identify the national employers. The following employers’ bodies have all been invited to participate in the national working group:
Ministry of Education of SR
Slovak Rectors’ Conference
Association of cities and municipalities of Slovakia
Union of cities of Slovakia
Regional School authorities (offices)
Self governmental counties (Higher Territorial Units)
Conference of bishops of Slovakia
Association of headmasters of Catholic schools
Union of school associations of SR
Association of self governing schools of Slovakia
Association of managing workers of private schools of Slovakia
A first meeting was held in March 2007, in which the following bodies participated: The Ministry of Education, the Higher Territorial Units, the Country State Offices, the Association of cities and municipalities, the Union of Cities, the organisations of managing workers of primary and secondary schools as well as the Slovakian teachers’ unions (ZPSaV NKOS and OZ PSaV KOZ). The participants agreed to create a permanent national working group to prepare and implement the Sectoral Dialogue at EU level. The players will is also to see this working group recognised at national level as a bipartite sectoral committee and to launch the technical discussions on the European prospect of social dialogue in Education.
A calendar and a distribution of tasks between all social partners were set up in order to move forward with the elaboration of the working group statutes and the organisation of a second meeting in October 2007.
Slovenia
The ETUCE member organisation and the Slovenian Ministry of Education and Sports have agreed on the principle of a national working group. Several meetings are already planned to outline the shape of the working group, its work plan and the European perspective.
Estonia
A national working group of Education Social Partners has been set-up in Estonia. Its current members are:
-Association of Estonian Cities
Association of Estonian Cities -Association of Municipalities of Estonia
Association of Municipalities of Estonia-Ministry of Education and Resarch of Estonia
Ministry of Education and Resarch of Estonia-EEPU (Estonian Education Personals Union)
EEPU (Estonian Education Personals Union) Some members of this group take already part in negotiations at cross-sectoral level.
Poland
In the continuity of the ETUCE regional seminar in Bled in November 2006, a large part of the education players in Poland met in January 2007 to discuss the implementation of a national working groups. The following bodies were represented at this first meeting:
•Ministry of National Education
Ministry of National Education•Ministry of Science and Higher Education
Ministry of Science and Higher Education •National Science Section NSZZ “Solidarność
National Science Section NSZZ “Solidarność •National Education Section NSZZ “Solidarność”
National Education Section NSZZ “Solidarność” •The Polish Principles' Association
The Polish Principles' Association •Union of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland
Union of Rural Communes of the Republic of Poland •Union of Polish Counties
Union of Polish Counties A second meeting was held on 21 March 2007, gathering 36 people, including notably representatives from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Council of University Rectors. Polish players are currently organising a large national event on the topic, which should be held in Autumn 2007.
An important step in the national Polish process would be the set-up of a national employers’ representative body. Other employers’ institutions, potentially part of this national employers group, have been identified since the first meeting:
-The National association of management staff in Education
The National association of management staff in Education-The Association of Polish cities
The Association of Polish cities -Union of the Voivodeships of the Republic of Poland
Union of the Voivodeships of the Republic of Poland Romania
A national report from ETUCE member FNS Alma Mater (higher education sector) states that the unions’ side in at this level of the education sector is currently taking contact with the employers’ representative body, the National Council of University’s Rectors in order to create a national working group.
Denmark
Both employers representatives organs (the State government and KL, which represents the local governments) have accepted the principle of a permanent national working group. Ms Nanna Abildstrøm, Chief negotiator for KL, made a remarkable speech at the ETUCE Status Conference on the EU Social Dialogue in Education, in which she encouraged her peers in the other EU countries to join the process
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France
The ETUCE member UNSA-Education reported that a National working group has not been created yet in France. The single employers’ representative body (Ministry of Education) is clearly identified for the country. Due to the electoral period, the real process for the establishment of a national working group will probably not start before September 2007.
