Brussels, 23/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - The social partners have to become more involved in the EU strategy on jobs and growth: this is the main conclusion of the Tripartite Social Summit which took place in Brussels on 23 March (see EUROPE 9156). “This morning's trilogue was extremely interesting” because of the involvement of the social partners who “are a very important part of European life,” said European Council President Wolfgang Schüssel at the final press conference. He went on to say that the EU needed such vigour for the creation of jobs. Acknowledging the Austrian Chancellor's “commitment to social dialogue”, Commission President José Manuel Barroso noted the existence of different sensibilities among those taking part in the Social Summit on a number of issues and the “clear consensus among them that growth and jobs have to be promoted”. “It is clear that the social partners support the growth and jobs strategy, but we have to involve them more at national level and bring them to take greater ownership of the strategy. I am convinced that that will be possible,” commented Mr Barroso.
“This is the start of a fruitful tradition and a very productive atmosphere,” said the Deputy Secretary General of ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation) Reiner Hoffmann, for whom understanding the differences and identifying the points in common was very important. Mr Hoffmann was critical that trade unions were hardly consulted during the preparation of national reform programmes (NRP) and felt that to make progress, structural reform and a favourable macro-economic climate were necessary. The Secretary General of UNICE (the employers' organisation) Philippe de Buck pointed out that his organisation was committed to social dialogue. “We are counting on heads of state and government to implement the national reform programmes for which an effective monitoring system is needed,” said Mr de Buck. The President of the CEEP (Enterprises of General Economic Interest) Caspar Einem welcomed the deepening of the social dialogue because “this will restore the confidence of the citizens of Europe”. The President of UEAPME (European Association of Craft Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) Paul Reckinger thought that the trilogue went right in the direction of jobs and growth. Austrian Social Security Minister Ursula Haubner, speaking as President of the EU Social Council, that this dialogue was necessary to restore the confidence of the people in Europe and felt it was desirable that the European Summit spoke about the fight against poverty -especially child poverty - and social exclusion, on equality of opportunity and on the involvement of young people in Europe. She concluded that all taking part had agreed on the new partnership for growth and jobs.
Youth employment was at the heart of the Lisbon Agenda, but in France, the proposal for a first employment contract (FEC) was made without social dialogue, said a journalist. Chancellor Schüssel replied that a joint strategy was needed; change, stability and security had to be combined.
The exchange of views among heads of state and government which then took place with the presidents of UNICE Ernest-Antoine Seillière, ETUC Candido Mendez and ECB Jean-Claude Trichet (“to enrich the Spring Summit debate,” said Mr Schüssel) brought a strong reaction from UEAPME Secretary General Hans-Werner Mueller, whose organisation had not been invited to the meeting. “Mr Schüssel speaks about SMEs as the strong point of the Summit and Mr Barroso says that the red carpet has to be rolled out for SMEs. For the first time, the social partners were able to speak to the 25 European leaders but without any representatives of SMEs. This sends a negative signal that must not be ignored!” exclaimed Mr Mueller. An official letter will be sent to Chancellor Schüssel, he said. “European social dialogue can only be successful if all the relevant players are around the table. The employers are not sufficiently represented by UNICE only,” said CEEP Secretary General Rainer Plassmann. “The social partners (have to be) treated with enough respect for their representativeness and autonomy, by the Presidency as well as by the partners,” he said in a press release.