WIM3 is based on the outcomes of WIM and WIM2 project activities that MEF realised in the period 2012-2016.
Projects activities have shown that none of the participating EU Candidates have any legal framework on employee participation in undertakings. But all of them have well organized trade unions, established at all levels - company level, branch level and national level. EU Candidates have to work on the awareness raising of potential benefits of implementing the participation-of-workers model in the decision-making processes, as well as on the identification of challenges and mental barriers which could hinder such implementation. Key future challenge is not merely of legal nature, but a challenge of placing the institute of employees’ participation in decision making in existing legal and cultural industrial relations framework. It is necessary to work with trade unions in this issue in the future, to define their role in anticipated future state, and to consensually redefine the role of trade unions if deemed necessary, and delimit the role of trade unions and works councils in the future.
Moreover, WIM3 project activities will be switched from generally informative to concrete ones. Namely, the experiment in pilot companies will be implemented (implementation of the draft legislation on employee involvement based on the solutions from the WIM2 draft of “Workers’ Participation in Management Act”). This will add value and introduce actual benefits of the employee participation in decision making processes. Activities and results will refer to all relevant stakeholders – governments, employers and trade unions, not only in countries, where the experiment will be implemented (Macedonia, Montenegro), but also in other EU Candidates and potential Candidates.
Objectives of the project:
· to acquaint social partners and actors at company level with the relevant content of employee involvement and to instruct them on the importance of effective employees’ representation bodies to contribute to company decisions, reinforcing business competitiveness and results and more efficient coping with the challenges of global competition;
· to initiate transnational actions and co-operation for improvement of current situation of employee involvement in New Member States and Candidate Countries;
· to promote the EU law and policies on employee involvement in participating EU Candidates, namely through exchange of information, expertise and good practice, as well as to create favourable conditions for the setting up of mechanisms and national information, consultation and participation bodies;
· to examine the feasibility of implementation of the Acquis Communautaire (EU law as well as European standards, recommendations) in the EU Candidates, and of improvement of the existing national legislation in the New Member States;
· to adapt the relations between employers and employees to changes in employment and work related challenges (such as the modernisation of labour markets, quality of work and decent work;
· to strengthen cooperation between employers and employees for the development of employee involvement which could better address the consequences of the economic crisis.
Applicant:
Association of Employers of Slovenia (ZDS)
Co-applicants:
Employers organisations:
Croatian Employers’ Association (CEA)
Bulgarian Industrial Association – Union of the Bulgarian Business (BIA)
Business Confederation of Macedonia (BCM)
Montenegrin Employers’ Federation (MEF)
Serbian Association of Employers (SAE)
Union of Albanian Business (BiznesAlbania)
Trade unions:
Macedonian Confederation of Free Trade Unions (KSS)
Union of Free Trade Unions of Montenegro (UFTUM)
The Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia (CATUS)
The Union of the Independent Trade Unions of Albania (BSPSH)
Active supporting partner/external expert:
Confederation of German Employers’ Associations (BDA)
With support by the European social partner organisation:
BUSINESSEUROPE
14/12/2018
23/12/2014
23/12/2014
