EUROFEDOP Trade Council Ministries 27-28.05.2024, Budapest (Hungary)

Agenda

Summary
EUROFEDOP’S
TRADE COUNCIL MINISTRIES
Seminar On 27-28th 05. 2024 In Budapest, Hungary

This year's second EUROFEDOP seminar took place on 27 and 28 May 2024 in Budapest, Hungary at the Benczúr Hotel. The theme was Successful recruitment and retention.

The seminar was opened by Norbert Schnedl, President of EUROFEDOP and Dr Géza Agg, President of KSZSZ.

On the first day, the participants were able to listen to two presentations.

As the first presenter, Dr Róbert Tamás Szabó, President of the National Trade Union of the National Tax and Customs Office (NAVOSZ) also Vice-President of the KSZSZ, presented the history of his union, the employer background, the Tax Office, a top body within public administration in Hungary. According to Mr. Szabó, trade union members are bound together by the need to belong to a community, and the wish to present common interests (adequate income, favourable employment rules and working conditions provided by the employer).

NAVOSZ as a trade union is successful because its basic organisations organise community events at the local level, engage in transparent and efficient interest protection activities through their lively contacts with the Office's top management and participate in local and national social dialogue forums. If needed, they also approach the Ministry of Finance and the Government. NAVOSZ is a service-oriented union, offering a range of services to its members, such as collective insurance for death, sickness, legal protection and liability - "underlying responsibility", providing recreation in NAVOSZ holiday resorts, discounts for union members in service providers and retailers, assistance in critical life situations, central and local health preservation activities, and leisure events. According to Dr Róbert Tamás Szabó, members of the union will be in future also those who believe in the power and existence of the community, see results in interest protection, value their services, and believe that the membership fee provides effective interest representation and maximum services.

The second speaker of the day was Mag. Fritz Mannsberger from GÖD/FCG, Austria. Fritz represented the customs area and, in his presentation, aimed to provide a detailed overview of the structure of the Austrian trade union. He stated that in their country, the social dialogue partner on the employer's side is the Federal Ministry of Finance. The trade union can only comment and consult; it does not have co-determination rights in the Federal Government's decisions. However, the trade union can use a wide range of tools, including strikes, if necessary, but the cooperation is fundamentally based on social dialogue. They hold regular forums with the Federal Government and have the right to comment on legislation affecting employment. They provide legal protection for their members in case of labour disputes. The strength of the trade union lies in its unified, confederative representation; in Austria, the trade union landscape is not fragmented, allowing them to advocate for employees' interests effectively.

The second day of the conference was opened by Dr Géza Agg, President of KSZSZ, followed by his presentation. After presenting the main economic and labour data of Hungary, the speaker highlighted the importance of the membership and still favourable perception of the EU among people, based on the latest Eurobarometer survey results. He then outlined Hungary's role in international organizations, emphasizing the work of the ILO (International Labour Organization), in which he also participated personally, and the significance of EUROFEDOP membership. According to his view, Hungary has the international, political, and legal organizational frameworks in place to achieve a high-quality social dialogue. Unfortunately, this is not the case in the public sector today, with few exceptions, due to the abolition of the OÉT (a former tripartite forum, the National Council for the Reconciliation of Interests) and the formal functioning of other forums intended for this purpose. Public sector trade unions are not in an advantageous position; membership is declining, and there is no cooperation between the administrative management and the trade union. In several sectors, professional bodies have been established to discuss social and occupational safety issues, although these topics should fall within the trade unions' remit. To improve the situation, the speaker emphasized the importance of presenting good practices and foreign examples, actively participating in international forums, supporting professional training, recruitment through tenders, and close cooperation with foreign partner trade unions.

The second presentation was given by Mark Keane, President of PDFORRA in Ireland, who represented the defence forces. He explained that in Ireland, the defence forces include the army, navy, and air force. The union was originally established by family members and initially focused primarily on providing healthcare services. Over time, however, it expanded its influence significantly. A key point in the union's operation was the contract modification package of 1994, which tightened the conditions of service both domestically and abroad, leading to an increasing number of personnel leaving the field for jobs in the private sector. Since then, the primary goal has been to change the contract system to make this career path attractive to young people once again, especially in today's context where security has become even more crucial. The biggest challenge is that training professionals is a lengthy and costly process, but by the time it is completed, many people leave. Recently, there has been hope for improvement. After 30 years, they have finally begun to achieve results: service conditions have improved through the modification of the contract system, and retirement options have also been enhanced.

The presenter concluded by emphasizing the importance of social dialogue and cooperation with European partners, which were the tools that enabled them to reach wage agreements and achieve career security in the sector.

The third lecturer, Roland Gangl, representing GÖD/FCG, introduced a remarkably interesting and noteworthy model. The core element of the system prevailing in the Austrian education sector is direct representation and personal contact, which is implemented in every region. Representatives of the central union operate at five levels of education, and in some places, separate unions have been established. Without exception, every institution has a professional present to whom problems can be directly addressed. This establishes fundamental trust in the union and facilitates the recruitment of young members, who particularly benefit from the highlighted support provided in family matters. The presenter highlighted the key virtues of the model as rapid and accurate information transfer, free legal advice, and regular communication with the employer, during which the unions act as persistent and influential negotiating partners.

Irina Gheorghe (SindFISC) provided a summary of the situation in Romania. The evolution of social dialogue also there bounds to the development of democracy. This process began in the 1990s, but in the relatively brief time since it has not yet been able to solidify, and the European principles have not yet been fully established. In Romania, many trade unions operate, with sixty in the public service sector alone, making the organization very fragmented and conflict-ridden. Since 2022, influenced by the European Union, the legal environment in this area has changed, granting trade unions slightly more leeway and allowing social dialogue to occur at multiple levels. The speaker identified the establishment of collective agreements as the primary goal. However, this is more effective in the private sector, whereas in the public sector, wage negotiations are not really possible.

The next presentation was held by Slađan Bobic, President of SDSS, who discussed the implementation of social dialogue within the Serbian public service sector. The foundations of the system were established in 2001, and by 2004, the two-tier model still in operation today was developed. Councils were created both for state bodies and at the local (municipal) level, each with its independent organization. Both levels include representation from employers and employees, ministries, and unions, as well as independent professional members, thereby the tripartite dialogue is being realized at both national and regional levels. After two decades, the Social and Economic Council—representing the national level—has become the key area for social dialogue. However, some issues still need to be resolved, particularly regarding low wages. There is a need for broader data collection and more accurate situation analysis to develop a unified system that works well for all parties. In summary, the speaker emphasized that social dialogue in Serbia has proven its legitimacy, and although results have so far been primarily "on paper," continuous efforts are made to implement these agreements in practice.

The day concluded with a presentation by Viorel Rotila, the leader of FSSR in Romania and Vice President of EUROFEDOP, who addressed a highly interesting and timely topic: the use of artificial intelligence in trade union work. The speaker emphasized that while the development of artificial intelligence (AI) presents certain dangers and risks when applied correctly and consciously, it can be of great assistance to trade union work. The risks involve, on one hand, the use of insufficient or poor-quality data, which can produce distorted results, and on the other hand, the possibility that AI might learn and evolve without human intervention, potentially triggering changes without human oversight. This process can lead to direct and indirect harm, social issues, and environmental consequences as well. Despite these concerns, the speaker stressed that we should not fear or reject the use of AI. By creating appropriate databases, we can ensure the full exploitation of AI’s potential. That is what he sees as a significant value in collaboration between unions, including at the international level, because the broader and more diverse the information fed into jointly created databases, the more accurate and effective AI resources can become for union-related issues.

Budapest, 30th May 2024
Presented by the colleagues of KSZSZ.