24. 3. 200416:37

Role and Objectives of the Council of Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic (RHSD CR)

Role and Objectives of the Council of Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic (RHSD CR)

The Council of Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic was established as an institutionalized platform for social dialogue among the government, trade unions and employers (tripartite body). Its original name "Council of Social Agreement" from the year 1990 was changed several times, reflecting development of preconditions for applying serious and systematic social dialogue in the society. Today the Council as such represents joint voluntary negotiating and initiative body of the government, trade unions and employers for achieving an agreement in essential issues of economic and social development.

The conditions for renewal of full social dialogue were defined by adoption of new Statutes and Standing Orders of the Council of Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic on 13th November 1997 at its 1st Plenary Session. Thus, on the initiative of trade unions and employers as social partners of the government, especially the economic issues were included again into the sphere of common interest in negotiating and initiative process.

The Council of Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic in its present shape allows - in an atmosphere of mutual confidence and in mutually respected immediate operational form - for maintaining and stabilisation of social peace in the demanding period of transformation of economy, reform of public administration and the Czech Republic's gradual approaching the European Union. Social partners together with the representatives of the government take an active share in formulating a number of legal norms and the strengthening of social dialogue is one of the priorities of the National Programme for the Preparation of the Czech Republic for EU Membership.

The Plenary Session of the Council of the Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic as the top organ of this tripartite body consists of 7 representatives of the government, 7 representatives of trade unions and 7 representatives of employers. At present the social partners of the government from the trade union side are the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions and the Association of Autonomous Trade Unions and from the employers' side the Union of Industry and Transport of the Czech Republic and the Confederation of Employers' and Entrepreneurial Unions of the Czech Republic.

The changes and amendments of the Statutes and Standing Orders of the Council of Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic adopted by its 16th Plenary Session on 12th September 2000 mean further increase of effectiveness of social dialogue in the political system. Their main purpose is a general effort to improve representativeness of social dialogue by including other influential groups of employees and employers into social dialogue on the top level and thus consistently provide for the harmony of rules of activity of this tripartite body with practice. With regard to the present extended scale of subjects dealt with by the Council of the Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic also the importance of its expert bodies - Working Teams and Groups - is increasing.

Also the establishing of tripartite structures in the most affected regions and sectors and activities of social partners aiming at extension of the higher level collective agreements (for instance industry-wide) can be regarded as a contribution to creation of sound and responsible relations of social partnership. In connection with this the representatives of the government and of its social partners express their interest to stabilize the main mutual commitments and deal with the idea of continuing the discussion on the nature of a long-term social pact, concluded between the executive, unions and employers on the lines of the model existing in certain Member States of the European Union for a longer period of time regardless the political climate, and confirming the agreement on strategic intentions of the development of economy and living standards of citizens.