Effective Social Dialogue
Effective Social Dialogue

News

MEETINGS

31/05/2023

3rd Thematic working seminar, 16-17.5.2023

The meeting began with PhDr. Tomáš Majtner, PhD., welcoming the participants on behalf of the beneficiary and introducing the Association of Construction Entrepreneurs as the project's beneficiary. Jana Chobotská provided an overview of the project's content, and Doc. Michael Kroh introduced the first partner, the Norwegian Confederation of Employers NHO. Mr. Augustin, vice-chairman of OS Stavba, introduced the second partner.

The main focus of the morning session was on the presentation of the analysis and research report created within the project, presented by doc. Kroh. After lunch, Ms. Jana Chobotská updated the participants on the progress and results of the March study trip to Oslo, where a thematic meeting with Norwegian partners from NGOs and trade unions (LO) took place.

The second day centered on the presentation of the current state of social dialogue in the Czech Republic compared to the Nordic model applied in Norway, with doc. Kroh, Dr. Majtner, and Mr. Augustin as presenters. Doc. Kroh introduced the individual topics of the project, which triggered a lively discussion among the participants.

Key extracts from the discussion included Zítko's observation about the decreasing number of higher-level collective agreements, attributing it to the fragmentation of employers' organizations. Augustin advocated for unifying the right to leave based on the Norwegian model, emphasizing the positive perception of collective agreements by 80% of the public in Norway. Majtner noted the strong support for social dialogue by the SPS Training Institute through projects.

Grucl highlighted Norway's advantage in oil and gas deposits and stressed the applicability of the Norwegian experience in the Czech context. Vašíček pointed out the negative perception of trade unions by some Czech entrepreneurs. Zítko expressed concerns about potential attempts to eliminate social dialogue in the Czech Republic, citing the government's plan to cancel tax deductions for trade union contributions.

Vojtíšek underscored the need to address the changes brought by Construction 4.0 and suggested intensifying bipartite dialogue to restructure the sector. Švehla found Norway's individual ID system interesting and potentially beneficial for improving health and safety. Janoušek recommended that large companies take a leadership role in social responsibility and limit the number of subcontractors to improve employees' situations.

Majtner highlighted the specific challenges in the construction industry regarding gender equality, emphasizing the importance of socio-economic, rather than biological, foundations for achieving equality. Kroh concluded that many Norwegian experiences can be applied in the Czech context and suggested unions become more active in enforcing workers' rights to become equal partners with employers and the government. He also proposed an alternative plan to the government's cost-saving measures, which would be more socially sensitive and not interfere with necessary subsidies.

 

 

Effective Social DialogueEffective Social Dialogue

I agree to the processing of data in accordance with the Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please disable cookies in your browser. More →

Changes to the Privacy Policy


In accordance with the legal requirements imposed by the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing of the Directive 95/46/WE, a new Privacy Policy applies on this Website, which contains all information regarding the collection, processing, and protection of personal data of users of this Website.

Furthermore, we remind you that for the correct operation of the website we use information stored in cookie files. You can change the cookies settings in the settings of your browser. If you do not agree to the use of cookies on this Website, please change the settings in your browser or leave the Website.

Privacy Policy