Towards a New Start of Industrial Relations in Construction in Central and East European Countries 2.0

ended

In November 2017, the European social partners of the construction industry (EFBWW and FIEC) and the European Association for Paritarian Institutions (AEIP) signed a cooperation agreement. Through the cooperation agreement the three organisations have committed themselves to strengthen, reinforce and promote industrial relations in the construction industry at all levels. One specific element of the cooperation agreement is that the partners will make better use of the existing EU budget lines related to “industrial relations and social dialogue”, with regards to initiatives targeting Central and East European Countries (CEECs). The general objective of this project is to (re)build, promote and foster industrial relations in the construction industry in the CEECs. The choice of focusing in particular on these countries is based on an internal assessment of the European social partners (FIEC and EFBWW) and the outcome of the EUROFOUND representatives’ study, showing that the system of industrial relations in CEECs have deteriorated significantly in the last decade. With this proposal, the partners aim at creating a stronger added value for the concerned organisations in the CEECs and to build up the capacity of the trade unions and the employers federations to enter in “negotiation” within a system of industrial relations. Construction industry has been heavily impacted in CEECs by COVID-19 crisis and has created extraordinary challenges for continuous social dialogue. General objectives of the project are: 1. To reinforce the capacity of national social partners. 2. To address adaptation of social dialogue and changes in employment.