- 1 -
- 1 -
"Social Dialogue, industrial relations and civil dialogue:what solutions and role for the ESC-SIs in changing societies?"
International Conference
Wednesday 8 & Thursday 9 October 2014
Zappeion Exhibition Hall
Athens - Greece
PROGRAMME
WEDNESDAY 8 OCTOBER
9.15 / Welcome – Registration9.45 / Opening speech:
Christos Polyzogopoulos,President of the Economic and Social Council of Greeceand President of the Union of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions of Francophonie (UCESIF)
Mohamed-Séghir Babes, Honorary President ofthe International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (AICESIS) and President of the National Economic and Social Council of Algeria
Evangelos Venizelos, Vice-President of the Hellenic Government and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Dimitrios Vitsas, Secretary of the Central Political Committee of the major opposition party of Greece, SYRIZA
George Dassis, President of the Workers Group, European Economic and Social Committee
Georgios Kavathas, President of Hellenic Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen & Merchants
Vassilios Korkidis, President of the National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce
11.00 / Presentation: Social dialogue in different countries and role of ESC-SIs
Patrick Venturini,Secretary General of the AICESIS
11.15 / First Round Table:"Development of industrial relations in the current crisis: changes in progress"
The objectives of this first round table are twofold:
- First, to make an inventory of measures that have been taken recently by governments and companies in different countries in order to change social regulations, the labour market and collective bargaining systems, but also to revive employment and competitiveness.
- Second, to answer the questions: (a) For what kind of collective bargaining model are the different governments and social partners striving and what are the results on the effectiveness of the social dialogue (role of the State, the companies, the trade unions)? (b) Are we heading towards a single model of industrial relations and what can be the benefits for the workers and the economy?
Introductory speech:Afroditi Makrigianni, Scientific Advisor of the Economic and Social Council of Greece
Intervention from ESC-SIS
- Kim, Dae-hwan, Chairman of the Economic and Social Development Commission of Korea
- Marianne Nati-Stoffel, Secretary General of the Economic and Social Council of Luxembourg
- Sylvia Gauci, Executive Secretary of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development
- Vazgen Safaryan, Member of the Public Council of Armenia
- Christos Gortsos, Secretary General of the Hellenic Bank Association
- Fotis Koleventis, Deputy President of the Greek General Confederation of Labour
- Economic, Social and Environmental Council of Morocco
Larbi Belarbi, President of the Commission of Financial Affairs and Strategic Projects
Discussion
13.15 / Lunch
14.30 / Second Round Table:"What are the main changes in progress in work organisation systems, business management and training?"
In the current globalization phase, where emerging countries have already developed and will continue to develop their technological and research capacities and the quality of their labour force, competition is growing keener on high-tech products, as well as for all kind of products and services all over the world. This requires companies to rethink their ways of organizing work, business management and employee training so as to remain viable in the face of world competition in these fields.
• What new ways of organizing work should be considered in industry and services?
• In what jobs and what types of training is it necessary to invest in order to anticipate the changes underway in modes of production in the face of global competition?
• What management methods are needed so that relations between management, supervisors, employees and trade unions can make companies more efficient so as to overcome the crisis and generate new growth?
• Is generalizing the participation employee representatives in the management bodies of companies an efficient means to enable workers to weigh in on strategic decisions?
• What are the necessary new company-territory links to facilitate the social dialogue and to improve the decision-making process taking greater account of stakeholders and the reality in the field?
Moderator: Mohamed-Séghir Babes, Honorary President ofthe International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (AICESIS) and President of the National Economic and Social Council of Algeria
Intervention from ESC-SIS
- Paul Biyoghe Mba,President of the Economic and Social Council of Gabon
- Luc Ayang, President of the Economic and Social Council of Cameroun
- Joséphine Lenaud Guilao, Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council of Guinea
- Françoise Geng,President of the Section of Labour and Employment, Economic, Social and Environmental Council of France
- Michele Dau, Deputy Secretary General of the National Council of Economy and Labour of Italy
- Hristina Vergieva, Chief Expert of the Economic and Social Council of Bulgaria
16.30 / End of the first day of the Conference
20.30 / Gala Dinner
THURSDAY9 OCTOBER
Working languages: en/fr/ru/el
- 1 -
9.30 / Welcome - Registration9.45 / Opening speeches:
Evgeny Velikhov, President of the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (AICESIS) and Honorary President of the Civil Chamber of Russia
Vasso Kollia, Secretary General for Gender Equality, Hellenic Ministry of Interior
Georgios Vernicos, Member of the Executive Committee of the Economic and Social Councilof Greece
10.30 / Overview of findings from recent comparative analysis (AICESIS, EESC, CESE)
Apostolos Xyraphis, Secretary General of the Economic and Social Council of Greece
10.45 / Third Round Table:“How ESC-SIs can be involved in the search for economic, social, industrial and financial solutions in the current situation?”
“To what extent and how can discussions be efficiently broadened to civil dialogue and therefore to the inclusion of other civil society representative organizations. What can be the role of ESCs-SIs in this regard?”
In the modern world, strategies for development require a broad national consensus involving specific resources of society for readjusting production models, in a changing word environment.
ESC-SISs play a central role in the creation of trust to institutional systems and to democracy. They can contribute to identify dysfunctions and weaknesses, prepare a long-term perspective view and make suggestions for public policy, by their recommendations and opinions.
Moreover, societies are changing fast, and the demand for more inclusive societies is increasing. Different stakeholders want to have their own say. Thanks to their compositions and members, ESC-SIs can provide public policy with a unique expert view, as they represent the essence and common ground of social partners and other components of organized civil society. By so doing, they are key players of modern participatory democracy, and contribute to a more inclusive society by enlarging dialogue to other representative spheres and organizations of civil society. They are active parts of modern governance.
Moderator:Paul Biyoghe Mba, President of the Economic and Social Council of Gabon
Introductory speech:Jean Lapeyre, Consultant, former Deputy Secretary General of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
Intervention from ESC-SIS
- Munther Shar’e, President of the Economic and Social Council of Jordan
- Mohamed-Séghir Babes, President of the National Economic and Social Council of Algeria
- René Marie Essome Bikou, Secretary General of the Economic and Social Council of Cameroun
- Armen Ter-Tachatyan, Member of the Public Council of Armenia
- Claude Gérard Coker, Member of the Economic and Social Council of Guinea
- FranciscoGonzález de Lena, Director of the Cabinet of the President of the Economic and Social Council of Spain
- Dmitrii Sazonov, Member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation
- AbdelmakssoudRachdi, Member of theEconomic, Social and Environmental Council of Morocco
- Elias Eliopoulos, Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council of Greece
13.00 / Synthesis of the Round Tables:
Professor John Yfantopoulos, National and KapodistrianUniversity of Athens
Closing speech:
Nickolaos Skorinis, Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council of Greece
Evgeny Velikhov, President of the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (AICESIS) and Honorary President of the Civil Chamber of Russia
13.45 / Lunch
14.45 / End of the Conference
Evening / Cultural visit
Dinner
Working languages: en/fr/ru/el