East and Central European employers' from the Chemical industry come to Turin

In most East and Central European countries, employers’ organizations started from scratch in the 1990s. Today, despite significant positive developments, major capacity issues still face most of the employers’ organisations at sectoral level. While the situation may be different in each country, generally it appears that sectoral EOs often struggle with a vicious circle: low income due to fairly limited membership often means insufficient capacity, and this leads to additional danger of a decline in membership, representativeness and capacity to play a role as social partner and as the voice of business in general. Even if to different degrees, all sectoral EOs in the new Member States of central and eastern Europe and the current candidate countries tend to suffer from high fragmentation, insufficient financial resources and a lack of qualified human resources.

Based on this analysis, the Programme for Employers’ Activities of the International Training Centre of the ILO decided in partnership with the European Chemical Employers’ Group ECEG to design and launch an 18 month project entitled “Strengthening the capacity of ECEG affiliates for participation in sectoral social dialogue at national and European level”.

The general objective of the project is to assist EOs of the chemical sector in developing strategies, tools and the skills needed to strengthen their role in 12 target countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Croatia and Turkey) and to engage in policy development and social dialogue, both at national and EU level.

The specific objectives of the project are:
1. To train and assist employers’ representatives in the chemical sector in new and candidate countries in the effective functioning of employers’ organizations as social partners, advocacy agents and providers of services to members, and to provide them with the necessary management skills and tools needed to achieve these outcomes;
2. To introduce strategic and operational action planning in order to prepare sector-level employers’ organizations for a role as social partners and defenders of employers’ interests at national and EU level, focusing in particular on a more active role in EU and national sector-level social dialogue, especially concerning issues, agendas, joint priorities, mandates, etc.
3. To raise awareness on the framework and recent developments of social policy and social dialogue at both national and EU level and to give insights and examine experiences and cases of good practice in social dialogue at national/EU level;
4. To increase, for company leaders involved in the workshops and seminars, the interest in, and awareness of, the crucial role that they can play in general and sectoral social dialogue while taking part in sector-level employers’ organizations;
5. To improve chemical sector EOs’ participation and influence in the sectoral social dialogue at both national and EU level and to create better networks among these organizations and to enhance sub-regional cooperation;
6. To increase understanding of the challenges facing the industry and of the consequences of the various EU and national policy initiatives impacting on the sector’s competitiveness as well as to look for future proposals, including where appropriate with the trade unions.

Different capacity building activities will be organised throughout the project for the benefit of EOs representatives in the target countries.

• From 9 to 13 March 2009 – A five day training workshop “Effective Employers Organisations”
• From April to June 2009 – Three sub-regional seminars to encourage exchange of know-how and sub-regional cooperation between ECEG members and review specific policy issues impacting on the chemical sector in these countries
• In December 2009, two-day closing workshop on “Connecting to EU Level Sectoral Social Dialogue: Lessons Learned and Perspectives for the Social Partners” with the participation of representatives of other sectors and of trade unions
• Impact evaluation activities

This project benefits from the financial support of the European Commission, DG Employment and social Affairs.