European Trade Union Committee for Education

On 8 September 2015, ETUCE’s and EFFE’s joint project on social dialogue capacity building project continued with another successful round table meeting in Warsaw, Poland. ETUCE’s Polish member organisations ZNP and NSZZ “Solidarność” gathered around the table with representatives from the National Association of Management Staff in Education, the Joint Committee of the Government and Local Authorities and the Association of Polish Cities.

With regard to the main objectives within European education social dialogue’s (ESSDE) current work programme, the meeting increased participants’ knowledge about the European and national sectoral and cross-sectoral social dialogue and other related issues. The presentations provided them with know-how on topics related to the social dialogue such as on the development of the European social policy, industrial relation systems at national and European level, the objectives and functioning of the European sectoral social dialogue, the need of tighter network creation between social dialogue delegates, the ESSDE work programme and  achievements. Participants also learned about cross-sectoral issues and became aware of recent developments with regard to the EC's initiative to re-launch the social dialogue and the EC's better regulation agenda. The adherence to the meeting’s work topic demonstrates that the European social partners recognise the importance of a well-established social dialogue. Its continuous  improvement takes a high priority for them. Strengthening the ESSDE's capacities through better structures, more interesting contents and increased commitment is important to make the dialogue as efficient and effective as possible. With a view to this aim, ETUCE and EFFE have intensified their work in this process through a series of round table meetings involving their national member organisations.

However, the clear key focus was on the complicated situation of the current education social dialogue in Poland. This point emerged in almost all contributions from participants. Ryszard Proksa, President of the National Education Section of NSZZ Solidarność, project partner and current ESSDE delegate for Poland concluded that he was hoping that the round table meeting could help to trigger real social dialogue in a situation where the government had no interest in it yet.

ETUCE and EFEE prepared and conducted this meeting together. Despite the many challenges identified in the debate, both organisations noted that they were extremely pleased with the high level of interest in the topic and the fruitful discussions among participants. In the difficult Polish social dialogue context, it was particularly positive to notice a common approach of all participants towards the need to establish an efficient social dialogue in education. ETUCE also hopes now for a Polish contribution to the new ESSDE work programme which will be discussed first at the upcoming ESSDE plenary group meeting in November 2015.