Ruben McSweenBoard MemberCaribbean Employers’ Confederation

Joint Outcome 4 of the Project’s Plan of Activities is Employers’ Organisations and Trade Unions play their role in the implementation, governance and monitoring of the effects of the EPA’s Social Aspects Charter.

Article 196 requires there to be effective social dialogue mechanisms supported by member states and CARIFORUM.

This envisages mechanisms at both national and regional levels.

The European Union has had a long history of institutionalised social dialogue at the national level of each of its 28 members and at the regional level through the Economic and Social Committee of the European Commission.

Regional representative organisations are similarly well-established. The first regional EO was established in 1958 (UNICE) which became Business Europe in 2007.

The key purpose of the Study Tour was to meet with the various institutions to learn how two-way communication and interaction worked between the regional and national employer representative organisations to ensure policies were developed regionally with full buy-in and support from national constituents.

CEC◦ Wayne Chen - Jamaica◦ Ruben McSween – Trinidad and Tobago◦ Joyce Martin – Antigua and Barbuda◦ Marie-Louise Russo - Haiti◦ Anne Knowles

CCL◦ David Massiah – Antigua and Barbuda◦ Chester Humphrey - Grenada◦ Jennifer Isaacs-Dotson - Bahamas◦ Dennis de Peiza - Barbados◦ Christopher Harper - NPO◦ Paula Robinson

ILO Office – accredited to the EU European Joint Economic and Social

Committee DEVCO – International Cooperation Officer for

the Caribbean Business Europe Federation of Belgian Employers - VBO

National Level (Belgium example – replicated throughout Europe)

National Labour Council - bipartite◦ 26 members – 13 appointed by NEO after wide

consultation with industry groups ◦ Meets monthly in plenary◦ Working groups on various topics meet weekly◦ Members involved in collective bargaining for

specific industries – all report to plenary

◦ Administrative support from Government in form of independent agency (ie not drawn from Labour Deptofficials)

◦ Focuses on labour matters – minimum wage, OSH, labour law reviews etc

Invite drafters of laws to explain / listen to Council members’ views

Wide consultation with members – mostly web-based both for provision of information and for input

If unanimous recommendation from Council, Government implements it

Fee of 13 euro per plenary meeting for incidentals (most don’t take)

40 member federations from 34 European countries (28 EU countries + Norway, Switzerland, Iceland etc)

Recognised as the European Social Partner to the EU (and European Commission) along with the European Trade Union Congress (ETUC)

Staff of 48 servicing 7 policy committees and their working groups◦ Legal affairs, economics, social affairs (OSH, data

and physical security, taxation), international relations, internal market, entrepreneurship and SMEs, industrial relations

Works directly with European Commission and its Directorates

Influences policy development on an on-going basis (meets daily with EC on one topic or another)

If agreement by BE and ETUC then it will be implemented by EC / EU through its Directives which are binding on all member countries

Member Federations of BE have an office in Brussels to ensure full input and physical presence

European Economic and Social Committee Formal part of the EU institutions 353 members – bipartite plus “other interest

groups” (eg France specifies certain number to represent farmers)

Members from each EU member based on population of country

Nominated by national Governments 5 year terms

Meets 9 times a year Advisory body that issues opinions on EU

issues to the European Commission, Council of the EU and the EU Parliament

Members often retired from positions of influence (eg the ex-CEO of the Belgian Employers’ Federation is a member)

More high-level discussions than the BE / ETUC interface directly with the EC .

Constant communication between regional representative body and NEOs imperative

Best option by electronic means with interactive facility

Working groups comprising people with expertise / interest in particular matter important

Important not to be spread too thinly –prioritisation of issues necessary

Having an employer person in the secretariat of the EESE (and national Labour Council) assists in soft lobbying

Having status within specific workgroup (egCOHSOD, COTET) as important as having status within CARIFORUM as a whole

More urgency for European NEOs to engage as EU Directives are binding

BUT as the Caribbean Single Market and Economy becomes more important, input to its deliberations on all matters MUST have a systematic mechanism for an employer voice.