Minutes of the
BSLN SteeringCommittee meeting
17 January 2012in Berlin, Federal Foreign Office
From 2 pm to 5 pm
Participants:
Steering Committee
Dr. Thomas Klischan, General Manager of Nordmetall, employers association of the metal and electronics industry
Jan Lundin, Deputy Director General, Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) Secretariat
Uwe Polkaehn, President of the Confederation of German Trade Unions Northern Region (DGB-Nord)
Harri Taliga, President of the Confederations of Estonian Trade Unions EAKL
Franz Thönnes, MP, German Parliament, former Parliamentary State Secretary, Member of the Standing Committee of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference
Facilitator Team
Ilya Ermakov,Senior Advisor, Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) Secretariat
Eduards Filippovs, Employers´ Confederation of Latvia (LDDK)
Silke Lorenz, Research Network Coordinator BSLN, BWH – Bildungswerk der Wirtschaft Hamburg e.V.
Hans Manzke, Nordmetall Verband der Metall- und Elektroindustrie e.V.
Katariina Röbbelen-Voigt, Project Manager BSLN, Ministry of Science and Research, Hamburg
Jan Widberg, Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference BSPC
Guests
Gerhard Almer, Federal Foreign Office, Berlin
Tom Förster, BSLN, Ministry of Science and Research, Hamburg
Marina Grinnik, The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia
Viktor Nikolaevich Ivanov, Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg
Natalia Klimova, The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia
Igor Kovalchuk, Confederation of Labour of Russia
Pirkko Nikula, Finnish Confederation of Professionals STTK
Alexandr Popov, Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg
Minutes
The meeting was opened by Mr Gerhard Almer and Mr. Franz Thönnes and chaired by the lead partner. Mr Almer highlighted the establishment of BSLF during the German CBSS Presidency and the uniqueness of the network. Franz Thönnes thanked for the BSLN conference in November and Mr Almer for his kind words.
Presentation of BSLN results
The lead partner briefly presented the results of BSLN, the studies and the pilot projects and, of course, the establishment of the forum. All results will be presented in the final publication of BSLN which is published in February and on the BSLN website. (Please find attached the presentation)
Presentation of the 1st round table
As the participants of the SC meeting almost all attended the first round table of BSLF it only was highlighted that representatives of 21 institutions already signed the “Memorandum of understanding”. During 2012 more institutions from both social partners are being involved in the forum.
Presentation of the project plan for ForumSDBSR
Silke Lorenz presented the new project ForumSFBSR, please find the presentation attached. (The last slide was changed after the meeting.)
Goal: The establishment of the BSLF at the CBSS Secretariat, the 2nd annual round table of BSLF and working group meetings to be able to involve more institutions as members.
Background:
BSLF was established without having any additional money for the work. During BSLN lifetime it was discussed in the Facilitator Team meetings and in partner meetings if some additional EU money should be applied. The Trade Union members / partners stated that they do not need additional (EU) money for the participation. Nevertheless BASTUN and DGB North are project partners. Additionally to these 2 trade unions confederations and the employer organisations CBSS and BSPC are participating the project. On the Employers side it was decided to apply for some money as there were less members in the project and in the forum than from the TU side. As well it was considered that as difficult to organise the 2nd round table without any funding – only with institutions’ own money. The project application in the frame of the progress program, budget for social dialog, was approved. As in this programme only social partners are allowed to apply for funding, BWH, the Training and Education Centre for Hamburg Businesses was the lead applicant and now coordinator of the project. The forum was named “Forum for Social Dialogue in the Baltic Sea Region” when the project was applied in August 2011 – therefore the projects name is Forum SD BSR. The forums name was changed in “Baltic Sea Labour Forum” in November 2011; the different names might be confusing. On the other hand this makes clear that the project partners are not identical with forum members. The projects duration is one year. Unfortunately activities with the Russian and Norwegian partners are not financed because of the rules of the EU programme. The project team is looking for other solutions / funding. (Please find attached the slides)
The discussion continued regarding both; the establishment of the forum and the additional funding through the project.
Pirkko Nikula highlighted that members from all BSR states are needed; from both, the employer and the TU side. There should be coordination between the members about who is talking with potential members (example: are the Finnish employers contacted by the other employers’ organisations, by the Finnish trade unions or both?)
Uwe Polkaehn asked if the travel costs are covered only for the new project members or for all participants.
Silke Lorenz stated that travel costs are covered for the project members.
Franz Thönnes asked how the results and activities started within BSLN are being continued. As well he asked if the Steering Committee is responsible for BSLF or for the project ensuring additional funding.
Katariina Röbbelen-Voigt and Silke Lorenz answered the questions. The results of BSLN build, as one part, the knowledge pool for BSLF. Additionally the continuation of the BSLN activities depends on decisions of the SC of BSLF and on the discussions at the annual round table. Anyway it is important knowledge as basis for the BSLF work. The Steering Committee is clearly responsible for the BSLF. The project is there to support the establishment of BSLF.
Dr. Thomas Klischan pointed out that the supporting project (additional funding) is only for one year and that BSLF has to include all social partner institutions that already have signed and even additional ones. Anyhow the funding is also used to involve more partners from the employers’ side. Ways for future funding still have to be sorted out.
Jan Lundin stated that, as member of the SC and of the project, he is happy to be part of both parallel processes – BSLF and the supporting project. One aim of the project is also the transfer of the project secretariat from the Hamburg Ministry of Research and Science to the CBSS Secretariat.
Ms Röbbelen-Voigt pointed out again that the supporting project helps with the organisation of all practical issues.
Natalia Klimova asked if Russian organisations can participate in the EU project.
Ms Röbbelen-Voigt explained that Russian organisations are involved in BSLF as planned even if the supporting projects’ funding does not cover Russia (as non EU country).
Mariya Grinnik stated that the SC should try to find a perspective for the future and the important topics to tackle (regarding migration and labour markets). Positive development of labour markets should be the goal. Russia is working hard for solutions in this area. BSLF should define the most important topics for its work. That is more important than additional funding.
Mr Lundin agreed that money is not the most important issue but that equality of all BSLF members is important (same possibility to participate). Russia should not be treated differently. We can learn a lot from Russia as unemployment figures are better than in the other BSR states. CBSS is preparing the Russian presidency and considering a conference on labour markets on political level (In 2014). Maybe the conference can be used as “continuation” of the one year’s additional funding as platform for BSLF issues.
Victor Ivanov thanked for the invitation to the SC meeting and stated that Russia should be fully involved and that a financial basis should be developed. As well the programme, goals and objectives of BSLF should be developed. Important are practical results and e.g. the exchange of experience in the field of labour legislation or internal cooperation, to learn about practices in other countries. The standards are different in the countries. The focus could be on different business sectors and the application of laws.
Ms Grinnik mentioned that in Russia there is a new concept of labour relations. Anyhow the challenges of the crisis are reason enough for an exchange of experience.
Igor Kovalchuk said that the involvement of the political level in either St. Petersburg or Moscow is possible. The (CBSS) conference could be used for the definition of the role of Russia.
Mr Ivanov mentioned that there are a lot of events in Russia, like the German-Russian week and others. BSLF should be brought on the agendas of the different events.
Jan Widberg asked if the next SC meeting is involving all signed institutions. SC should discuss in beforehand the topics but then prepare the 2nd round table in a meeting with all signed institutions.
Mr Thönnes supported this proposal from his experience with the BSPC Standing Committee. If everyone is invited they feel committed. The meeting could have first the preparing part with the SC and then continue in bigger composition.
Mr Widberg highlighted once more that the more partners are on board the better. The SC is a kind of task fource for the transition from BSLN to BSLF.
Dr Klischan proposed that the SC should prepare the “bigger” member meeting.
Mr Polkaehn also agreed and said that the member group should make the decisions and the SC should prepare the meeting etc.
Pirkko Nikula pointed out that meetings with all members are a good idea but that contents are needed. For the inclusion of the missing social partners a good agenda is needed.
Mr Thönnes proposed the planning meeting with all members before the summer holidays.
Mr Lundin proposed a video conference for the SC before the face to face meeting for preparation purposes.
The following procedure was agreed, according to the proposal of Jan Widberg:
-There will be a draft work programme including goals and priorities, presented at the SC video conference
-After that a draft for the rules (decision making) will be set up which will be discussed at the member meeting in summer
-Additionally a plan for future financing will be set up
Dr Klischan pointed out that the more concrete the contents in the work plan are the better is the chance to get funding.
Dates will be sorted out for
-For a Facilitator Team meeting
-The SC video conference
-And the BSLF member meeting
-As well as for the 2nd round table of BSLF.
Continuation of the SC
The SC members agreed to continue in the Committee of the representatives of the different social partner organisations.
The meeting was closed at 5 pm
27 January 2012Katariina Röbbelen-Voigt
Seite 1 von 5