THE END OF THE TUNNEL?

Part of the front of the seminar brochure

“Changes on the labour-market: is there light at the end of the tunnel” was the title of another 2 days seminar organized by WOW, the Austrian affiliate FCG/GPA-djp, the Danish affiliate KRIFA and of course EZA, the European centre for Workers education subsidized by the European Commission. Some 45 trade union leaders and activists from 18 European countries and a delegation of the Turkish Bank and Insurance Employees Union BASS listened to 6 high level experts from different European countries, they discussed in working groups the main problems and they debated with a panel of 3 trade union leaders from 3 different European countries.

Before the official opening of the seminar we see from left to right: EZA President Bartho Pronk, EO/WOW President Guenther Trausznitz, Gertrud Wiesinger of the FCG/GPA-djp, member of Austrian Parliament August Wöginger and FCG/GPA-djp President Wolfgang Pischinger.

The seminar was opened by EZA President Bartho Pronk who comforted us with the fact that history proves that the kind of crisis we are experiencing today, normally takes ten to eleven years. So indeed probably within one or two years we are approaching the end of the tunnel. The question is what kind of light will there be? One thing is certain, the labour market will be never the same again. So the question is, what kind of labour market we will have? We expect the invited experts to provide us with the necessary data,  analysis and ideas for answers on these questions.

Coffeebreak. In the background from left to right EZA President Bartho Pronk talking with WOW President Roel Rotshuizen and Gerard van Linden of the Dutch CNV Dienstenbond. In the foreground left Portuguese SINERGIA President Alfonso Almeida Cardoso and his colleague.

Mr. August Wöginger, member of the Austrian Parliament , trade union member and secretary general of the ÖAAB (The Austrian Union of Workers is the workers organization of the Austrian People's Party ÖVP ) told us about “Changes on the labour market as political task of the employee-representatives”. While Austria, compared to other European countries, is not doing bad on the labour market, unemployment among young people and workers older than 50 years is too high. The reasons for this are: too much unqualified workers and too little low qualified jobs, too little high qualified jobs, too few apprenticeships and too much early retirement schemes. What must be done? More and better education and training (compulsory until 18), more women working, working longer (part-time work for older employees combined with part-time retirement), tax reform (less tax paid on labour).

From left to right: Danish professor Henrik Schärfe, EO/WOW President Guenther Trausznitz and Alfred Gajdosik of the European Economic and Social Committee.

The presentation of the Danish professor Henrik Schärfe of the Danish Aalborg University, on “the role of technology and the boundaries between humans and machines and what may be the effects for the future labour market” was not only spectacular but also surprising. He gave us an idea what the future will bring: more robots and even androids (robots that look like human beings) that will take over many jobs (pilots, cleaners, car drivers and so on). He himself has build an android that looks like him and who probably made the first android selfie ever, that had traveled by airplane and that was a teacher on the university. His presentation on the future of robots and androids was on one side frightening because robots may take over many jobs which means a drastic change at the labour market. On the other side, androids will help us to make life more comfortable and easy. But there are also urgent questions. For example will this new technology not widen the gap between rich and poor, between high and low educated workers? Questions which need to be answered in the near future.

Member of the EO/WOW Board and FCG/GPA-djp President Wolfgang Pischinger (left) and Alfred Gajdosik of the European Economic and Social Committee.

Alfred Gajdosik (Austrian member of the European Economic and Social Committee) gave “an overview on the implications of a flexible labour-market” and “what the effects are of the growing job insecurity.” The flexible labour-market is a reality in most European countries: part-time working, zero hour contracts, outsourcing to autonomous workers or other countries, short-term contracts etc. It seems that the life time contracts are becoming more and more a minority on the labour market. This of course has consequences for pension systems, social security like unemployment insurance, health care insurance and other social implications like family life and social life in general. Trade unions must look for answers on these challenges on the labour market and decide what is the individual responsibility and what should be arranged by the state and what should be done by private enterprises?

The Dutch Labour economist Ronald Dekker (left) and CGM President and member of the EO/WOW Board Adalbert Ewen.

The Dutch labour economist Ronald Dekker of the Tilburg university wondered about “what the effects are of changing labour relations for both the employee as well the employer?” He made the remarkable observation that “flexibilisation on an inherently imperfect labour market does NOT (by default) lead to better outcomes." At the same time “labour markets are generally becoming more flexible in the sense that a larger share of the workforce is not directly employed on open ended contracts”. This is not all good. It provokes unequal pay for equal work, the evading of minimum workers rights and precariousness. Trade Unions must therefore empower “the flexible worker”. It should be stressed that “what's good for business is NOT by default good for society: more labour market flexibility does NOT result in more jobs and flexible workers (including own account workers) are NOT the direct 'enemies' of permanent workers.

Meeting of the working group of participants coming from Serbia, Republica Srpska-BiH, Croatia, Montenegro and Macedonia.

What is the price of flexible work? The Dutch Profesor Agnes Akkerman of the Amsterdam university investigated this question through a survey of 500 employees, comparing flexible workers with standard workers and teleworkers with not-teleworkers. The survey gave the following conclusions: overall flex workers are not less happy at work, they have a different relationship with their colleagues (more affective than functional), different ways to seek help, different responses to discontent (less willingness for collective actions like for example strikes) and a higher level of undesirable behavior (probably caused by the lack of functional contacts on the workplace).

From left to right: WOW Treasurer Rolf Weber from KRIFA Denmark moderating the panel consisting of Gerard van Linden (CNV Dienstenbond, Netherlands), Savvas Pelentrides (POAS, Cyprus) and Soren Fibiger Olesen (KRIFA, Denmark)

It appeared at the working groups and later during the panel debates that every country has its own experiences with the growing flexible labour market, flexible working times and places, the outsourcing of labour, displacement of labour etc. It is clear that each trade union must look for its own solutions in its own country. An overall European solution does not exist. It was agreed that indeed we are approaching the end of the tunnel but also that there will be an other light than before. There are indeed major challenges for the trade unions to deal with in the coming years.

VOST MESSAGE ON INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT STATEMENTS

The Kiev Maidan Place these days of the Revolution of Dignity, Eurorevolution or Euromaidan.

VOST “VOLYA” (VOST) receives solidarity messages and support from trade unions from all over the world for the just struggle of the Ukrainian people for decent life and decent work in free, democratic, really independent, prosperous Ukraine

Information message of the All-Ukrainian Union of Workers Solidarity VOST “VOLYA” (VOST) of 03 February 2014

The Revolution of Dignity which is named Eurorevoltion or Euromaidan too, showed aspirations of Ukrainians both from the West and the East to decent life and decent work in their free, democratic, really independent, prosperous Ukraine to the whole world. The longing for freedom is so strong that any sacrifices of patriots, any sadist NKVD repressions, any severe frost can stop it. The occupation illegitimate criminal oligarchic regime of bloody dictator Yanukovych surpassed itself in its crimes against the Ukrainian people and showed that it doesn’t only kill and disable but it also became terroristic because it grabbles innocent people straight at streets and uses them as hostages to intimidate while this regime imitates the so-called negotiations with the opposition.

In this tragic situation democratic trade unions of the world send declarations of solidarity with the Ukrainian people to VOST “VOLYA” and persuade their countries of the necessity of more efficient practical pressure by the world community against the regime.

Olexandre Dzhulyk, President of VOST "VOLYA" (picture taken at the  'European Social Week seminar' held in  Belgium, January 2014) 

NSZZ “Solidarnosc” (Poland) which began the age of renewing democracy not only in Poland but in the whole Eastern Europe expresses the solidarity with Ukrainian workers and emphasizes in the declaration of the National Commission concerning the situation in Ukraine: “The catastrophic economic and social situation in Ukraine is a result of unskillful policy of the government and the president’s administration, an oligarchic economy, corruption and lack of democratic procedures, first of all lack of authentic social dialogue… We call the authority of Ukraine to stop repressions against the society… NSZZ “Solidarnosc” declares the complete support for European aspirations of Ukraine and will cooperate with Ukrainian free trade unions… which want that Ukraine would join the EU”.

ZR of NZSS “Solidarnosc” in Gdansk (Poland) – a city that is a cradle of NSZZ “Solidarnosc” - expresses solidarity with aspirations of the Ukrainian people and remembers in its declaration it addressed to the president of VOST “VOLYA” Oleksandr Dzhulyk: “The history has showed that democracy can’t be prisoned, stopped by police cordons, damped by a police stick…Therefore we remember the authority of Ukraine that a modern state which will have its place in Europe, with its standards and democratic life model, can be built by listening to the voice of society.” There are also important words of Pope John Paul II in the declaration: “People is always right in a controversy between the authority and people”.

In the middle Yuri Kurilo, Vice-President of VOST "VOLYA". (Picture taken at the Seminar "What reasons do have trade unions to exist in a market with a declining support?" held in Denmark, february 2013.)

The Spanish Trade Union Confederation “Union Sindical Obrera” (USO) declares its support of Ukrainian citizens, workers, VOST in their struggle for freedom and free choice of their future. “Freedom doesn’t bring in coincidence with the policy of repressions. We watch the events in Ukraine attentively and are ready to help You in satisfaction of Your just demands” - Spanish trade union tells in its declaration.

The Democratic League of independent trade unions of Hungary (LIGA) “expresses its concern about the escalating situation in Ukraine and sends its solidarity to the workers. We would like to express our worry about the violence the peaceful street actions triggered by the side of the government and hope that the democratic tool of demonstrations and strikes will not lose their force in the future as a consequence.”

The World Organization of Workers (WOW) – with the headquarters in Brussels, Belgium – declares the “full solidarity to the trade union VOST-VOLYA and to the Ukrainian people” in its declaration and underlines that VOST “VOLYA” has always protected rights and interests of Ukrainian workers and now it struggles for political changes for new democratic Ukraine. “The Ukraine is part of Europe and an important partner for Europe. Through the activities of the opposition it has become clear, that the people want to be part of Western Europe and the European Union and are opposed to president Yanukovych and thus against the dictate of Russia”- the WOW declares.

The Austrian National Christian Trade Union FCG/CPA-djp emphasizes that “Christian values connect our two trade unions” and expresses the support for the Ukrainian people and activists VOST “VOLYA”, participants of Eurorevolution. FCG/CPA-djp supports the necessity of democratic changes in Ukraine and declares: “It is time for a change of power in the Ukraine. Democracy and liberty should become lived values. The undermining of human rights must come to an end.”

Reference. VOST “VOLYA” (VOST) is an independent democratic trade union association, whose activity is based on the universal principles of Christian morality. Trade union organizations that formed VOST have operated since 1989, and Trade union “VOLYA” was the first in Ukraine free inter branch union. VOST unites more than 150000 members and is a membership organization of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). VOST comes out for the trade union reform in Ukraine and implementation of the motto “The 21st century – new trade unions”. Oleksandr Dzhulyk is the VOST president. The VOST “VOLYA” headquarters are located in Lviv.

Information center of the VOST “VOLYA” (VOST), tel. +380 63 407 72 98

SOCIAL DIALOGUE IN EUROPE

Left Profesor Milan Katuninec who gave an overview of the Social Dialogue in central and eastern European countries like Hungary and Slowakia. He explained why in these former communist countries the Social Dialogue is still 'under construction'.
In the centre of the photograph Günther Trausnitz, vice president of the WOW, president of the European Organization of WOW (EO/WOW) and Executive Secretary of the Austrian Union GPA-djp for Christian fraction. His organization hosted the seminar. Günther also introduced to the seminar audiance the so-called "Magic Triangle" of the Social Dialogue in Austria as one of the pillars of the welfare state Austria.
On the right Reinhardt Schiller, member of the EO/WOW and former president of the German CGM.

European Social Christian oriented unions held an EZA sponsored two-day seminar in Vienna about the Social Dialogue in Europe (April 18-19). Trade union representatives of 17 European countries listened and debated with 12 speakers and discussed matters in working groups. The seminar was organized by WOW together with its member-organisation from Austria, the Christian Fraction of the trade union GPA-djp.

In the middle of the photograph Jonathan Stabenow, Executive Secretary of the European Christian Democratic Workers Group (EUCDW). Jonathan started the seminar with an introduction of the activities and aims of the EUCDW. He invited WOW members to stay in contact with EUCDW about its opinions and ideas.
Right in front you see Rolf Weber from the Danish KRIFA and treasurer of WOW. He presented together with Sören Fibiger Olesen, president of  KRIFA, and Jesper Wengel, Administrative Director of KRIFA, the story of KRIFA in Denmark, about the succesful new aproach of KRIFA to grow and the failure of the Danish Government to recognize trade union pluralism in the Social Dialogue.
Left you see Ana Kostovska from the Macedonian Trade Union of Finances. Behind Ana sits Freek Ruijs from the Dutch Dienstenbond CNV.

In working groups they discussed on such questions as if they consider the Social Dialogue in their country as a success, if not why not, what the role is of the trade unions in the Social Dialogue, if employers and governments respect the trade unions as their social partners, what should be the future of Social Dialogue, what is the position of trade unions in the society (trade unions in Europe are losing members) etc? 

The Spanish speaking working group together with members of the trade union ASIPA (Zaragoza), FEC-CAT (Barcelona), FCG/GPA and the Dienstenbond CNV.
Behind you see one of the English speaking groups at work with members of the Slowakian trade union NKOS and the Maltese trade union UHM.

Speakers from countries that have a long-term experience with Social Dialogue like for example Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands agreed that the Social Dialogue has brought stability and welfare for all people in their countries. But they also concluded that because of the globalisation, the fast technological developments, the demographic developments (people become older), the financial crisis of 2008, the European crisis today, etc. it is necessary to revaluate the Christian social values and based on this revaluation to come to a redefinition of the employment conditions and functioning of the labor market.

EZA president Bartho Pronk and former member of the European Parliament told that he was glad to be present at an seminar of its member organization WOW. He also introduced the activities of EZA for the next year. EZA is very eager to assist its members to find answers on the contemporean problems of the trade unions from the social Christian point of view.
Left on the photograph Günther Trausnitz who has been already introduced. Right on the photograph Wolfgang Pischinger,  President of FCG/GPA and member of the EO/WOW board.

However, in other countries the Social Dialogue is still ‘under construction’ because governments and or employers do not respect the trade unions, don’t want to enter in a dialogue or use the dialogue just for their own political agenda. In some countries like for example Serbia, employers don’t even accept the existence of a trade union in their company. Trade unions have still to struggle to become recognised as a valuable partner for democracy, socio-economic progress and social justice.

CNV President Jaap Smit explained the need to find new answers based on the classical social Christian values. In his words; trade unions should redecorate their homes and change old furniture for new furniture. Social Dialogue has proved its value for the Dutch society but today it is at stake because of dramatic demographic changes, new technologies, on-going globalization, the arrival of a new generation with new poriorities etc.

The participants agreed that trade unions should have the courage to look with fresh eyes to the labor world of today and based on a revaluation of Christian social values should reformulate how “redecorate the labor world with new wallpaper and new furniture”.

Before closing the seminar a panel discussion on the role of the social partners took place. Moderator was Mara Erdelj, member of the EO/WOW board and President of the Serbian Trade Union Bofos. Panel members were  (from left to right) Valère Jung, also board member of EO/WOW and secretray general of the French CFTC Metal, Jelena Soms from the Lithuanian LDF and Demetris Patsalos of the trade union POAS in Cyprus.

During the evening FCG/GPA offered the participants a dinner at an typical Austrian restaurant. Here a view of the Serbian BOFOS delegation with President Mara Erdelj (right in front of the photograph) and the delegation of the Croation trade union SING. Behind you see the Maltese UHM  delegates Secretary General  Josef Vella (left) and President Jesmond Bonello.