Visit the website dedicated to the process at the address www.edu-dialogue.eu
The aim of the website is to provide news in real time, reports and follow-up documents
on the ongoing process leading to the set-up of a European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Education.
Basic information about European social dialogue and background documents
on the process may also be consulted at www.edu-dialogue.eu.
Strengthening European Social Dialogue in the Education Sector I, II and III
The projects Strengthening European Social Dialogue in the Education Sector I, II and III are all part of the overarching goal of developing a European sectoral Social Dialogue in Education. The three projects, of which the first began in 2004, are therefore to be seen as a continuous process towards the creation of a permanent sectoral Social Dialogue in education – a process that will continue in the coming years as it remains a key priority for the ETUCE. From the beginning of the process the overall aims were to:
•
Discuss and develop an action plan for the preparation of a sectoral social dialogue at European level in the field of education
•Identify the employers for a national social dialogue in the education sector in all EU and candidate countries. This was carried out via an expert study
•Developing and implement the ETUCE Action Plan
•Actively bringing the employers’ organisations CEEP / CEMR into the process
•Creating a permanent sectoral Social Dialogue Committee in education at European level
Strengthening European Social Dialogue in the Education Sector I
1st stage: Survey, report and seminar
The aims of this first project in social dialogue in education were to investigate the state of the social dialogue in the field of education in the EU member states. The employers’ organisations CEEP and CEMR were invited to participate in this process, where special attention was given to social dialogue in new member states that joined the European Union in 2004. A survey was carried out investigating the state of the social dialogue. This questionnaire-based survey outlined the current praxis of social dialogue in 29 European countries, and the results were presented at a seminar in Vilnius in July 2005.
2nd stage: Conference and Action plan to strengthen European social dialogue in the education sector
In the second stage of the project, a Conference in Warsaw was arranged in September 2005 in order to develop an Action Plan on how to strengthen European social dialogue in the education sector. This Action Plan was then submitted to the ETUCE Executive Board at their meeting in Luxembourg on 6-7 December 2005.
3rd stage: Setting up a Network and arranging training seminar
Thirdly, the ETUCE created an on-line network with the objectives of: sharing information on the negotiations regarding salaries, working conditions, etc. in all European countries and to promote actions in order to implement the Action Plan in each country. A training seminar took place in Lisbon, where trade unionists were introduced and trained in using the Working Conditions Network.
Strengthening European Social Dialogue in the Education Sector II
1st stage: Expert Study
During this first stage the project expert was in charge of conducting an survey with the purpose of identifying who acts as employers of teachers at different levels in the education system (i.e. primary, secondary and tertiary level, and vocational education and training), including an identification of their level of organisation – nationally, regionally and locally. The focus of the study is, contrary to the previous study under the first project, narrowed down to aspects regarding the employer, aiming to give a more in-depth picture of the employers’ status in education in different countries. The study is based on a comparative method, seeking to identify similarities and differences as well as strengths and weaknesses in the participating countries.
2nd stage: Seminar
In March 2006, a seminar in Brussels took place. The purpose of the seminar in Brussels was: A) to present the findings of the SD II study and discuss it with representatives of national teacher unions and education employers; B) to present the possibility of establishing a sectoral social dialogue in education at EU level to employer representatives C) to clarify obstacles at national level for setting up a European sectoral social dialogue; D) to clarify how a European sectoral dialogue in education can bring added value to the national social dialogue in education; and E) to decide on how different levels of education can be represented in the European educational social dialogue.
3rd stage: Status Conference
In May 2006 the Status Conference took place in Bratislava. At this conference, participants from both teachers’ unions and employers’ organisations were present. One of the main purposes was to determine how far the process towards development of a European sectoral social dialogue in education had come. Furthermore, the ETUCE expert presented the final report of the survey on “the status and role of the employers in Europe”. Some of the important issues that were discussed during the conference were: ‘The content of the European Dialogue in education’, ‘the structure of the dialogue’ and ‘relations to national social dialogue’.
Strengthening European Social Dialogue in the Education Sector III
1st stage: Seven Sub-regional Seminars with participants from 27 European countries.
Seven regional seminars were organised in the autumn of 2006 and spring of 2007, covering the entire European Union on a sub-regional basis (three to five countries per seminar). These seminars gather employers’ representatives and teachers’ unions to discuss the prospect of a European Sectoral Social Dialogue in Education. Organised by ETUCE, with the participation of a representative of CEEP, the European body for public employers, these events also aimed to be starting points for the set up of national working groups which will ensure the continuity of the process at national level.
2nd stage: Status Conference in Brussels
In June 2007, a Status Conference will take place in Brussels. This conference intends to outline the outcome from all these regional seminars and assess further steps to be taken in order to establish a European sectoral social dialogue committee for Education and this way join the more than 30 existing committees which have already been established at a European level by other sectors.
As mentioned, the three projects Strengthening European Social Dialogue in the Education Sector I, II & III should be seen as an integrated process towards a sectoral social dialogue in education. The first project has focussed on the state of the social dialogue in all EU Member States with analyses of strengths and weaknesses of the social dialogue in the education sector. In the second project, the ETUCE has put even more emphasis on the employers’ side in order to effectively engage them in the project. The third project has aimed at initiating regional cooperation through 7 regional seminars with participation from both employers and teacher unions.
Documents from seminars and conferences under the Social Dialogue projects:
Contact
ETUCE Policy Assistant: David Poissonneau
E-mail: david.poissonneau@csee-etuce.org
Telephone: + 32 2 224 06 65
