Objective
The goal of the Strengthening Social Dialogue Project is to improve the social dialogue as a means to create more and better jobs. The project will support the participation of social dialogue institutions in policy making at national and local levels and will foster the practice of regular consultations through the national and local economic and social councils. It will create conditions for the social partners to be better equipped to provide quality policy advice and deliver demand-driven services. The project consists of three specific components, namely:
| Specific objective 1 | Enhanced participation of the Economic and Social Council in shaping the national economic and social reform agenda |
| Specific objective 2 | Enhanced participation of local Economic and Social Councils in formulation and implementation of local employment policies |
| Specific objective 3 | Increased effectiveness of Trade Unions and Employers’ Organizations |
Description of the project
Component 1 aims at improving the functioning and visibility of the Economic and Social Council (ESC) through devising methods for increasing its influence and overcoming challenges in funding, opinion making and tracking the follow up to its recommendations/opinions/advice. The Project will facilitate national reflection on necessary changes to the current legal and institutional frameworks of the ESC and will assist the tripartite constituents in seeking customized solutions to current legal and practical bottlenecks.
Component 2 focuses on the improvement of social dialogue at the local level, by improving the structure and functioning of the local Economic and Social Councils (LESCs), with prospects of reviving the ones that are not functioning. The ILO will assist four operational LESCs to negotiate, conclude and monitor the implementation of local employment pacts (LEPs), addressing youth unemployment challenges. LEPs support the decentralized implementation of a national employment policy. They are tailor-made interventions agreed upon by multiple labour market actors in order to develop local solutions to specific employment challenges at municipal or regional level.
Component 3 seeks to promote the visibility, relevance and the capacity of the Trade Unions and Employers’ Organizations. To achieve this, the proposed strategy is twofold. On the one hand, it capitalizes on earlier success by providing support with the implementation of both strategic and marketing plans. On the other hand, given the challenges that social partners face with retention and increasing of membership, the project will also focus on developing social partners’ capacity to develop and introduce new demand-driven chargeable services or improve the existing ones, which will increase the level of satisfaction of current members but also make the organisations more attractive for potential members, which will, in turn, entail a better financial sustainability, a broader and more representative membership base and improved quality of policy advice.
Background
The Economic and Social Council is the only tripartite social dialogue institution at national level, with a consultative role to the Government in the development and implementation of economic and social policies. The ESC has an advisory role, and issues opinions and recommendations to the Government on matters pertaining to the areas of economic and social interest of the employers and workers.
At the local level, despite some progress made in raising awareness on the benefits of social dialogue, the utilization of the LESCs as an effective tool for self-governance is still very limited. The cases where the municipality has sought the opinion from the LESC about a particular issue to be decided are very rare.
The Macedonian social partners have been struggling to become influential actors at national level. In many economic sectors, the membership of the organizations remains low, and the ability to address working conditions and the needs of businesses through collective bargaining and other forms of social dialogue is limited.
A number of progress reports by the European Commission indicate a need to further develop social dialogue among main stakeholders in the economy. In this direction, the International Labour Organization assists the country in its endeavors to advance the social dialogue as an essential element of the European Social Model, which promotes competitiveness, sharing of gains and enhancing economic prosperity and social well-being.
A number of progress reports by the European Commission indicate a need to further develop social dialogue among main stakeholders in the economy. In this direction, the International Labour Organization assists the country in its endeavors to advance the social dialogue as an essential element of the European Social Model, which promotes competitiveness, sharing of gains and enhancing economic prosperity and social well-being.
Beneficiaries
The project targets the members of the Economic and Social Council and its Secretariat, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance, the office of Deputy Prime Minister for economic affairs, the Secretariat General of the Government and the Parliament, the local Economic and Social Councils, 14 Municipalities and the City Council of Skopje where LESCs have been established, local social partners, national employers’ and workers’ organisations.
The final beneficiaries are employers and workers and the general public of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.