Cooperation between SMEs and trade unions in Europe on ... - ETUC

ETUC – UE APME: <strong>Cooperation</strong> betw een <strong>SMEs</strong> <strong>and</strong> Trade Unio ns <strong>in</strong> <strong>Europe</strong> 19
vacancies <strong>and</strong> help<strong>in</strong>g people return to the labour market. This objective clearly has a
local <strong>and</strong> regional dimension. This territorial dimension also characterises the objectives
def<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> the context of the recent “New Skills for New Jobs” <strong>in</strong>itiative of the EU
Commission, namely the aim to make sure that <strong>Europe</strong>an labour markets anticipate
future needs, to improve the long-term job prospects on the workforce <strong>and</strong> to exploit
opportunities for growth <strong>and</strong> jobs.
Not only crisis management, prevention <strong>and</strong> anticipation have a strong territorial
dimensions: Also concrete needs <strong>in</strong> the field of tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> skills development aga<strong>in</strong>st
the background of globalisation, market developments <strong>and</strong> technological change as well
as issues such as the effects of demographic change on bus<strong>in</strong>ess transfers or
entrepreneurship development seems to be best monitored <strong>and</strong> anticipated at the local
<strong>and</strong> regional level. The <strong>in</strong>formation on good <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>novative practices <strong>in</strong> this context is
characterised to a large extent by a strong <strong>in</strong>volvement of social partners' <strong>in</strong>itiatives
<strong>and</strong> pro-active approaches by local <strong>and</strong> regional public authorities.
Also a clear message deriv<strong>in</strong>g from the background study <strong>in</strong> the context of the EU
Commissions’ SME Restructur<strong>in</strong>g Forum <strong>in</strong> 2007 was that those <strong>SMEs</strong> who are actively
<strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> cooperation <strong>and</strong> network<strong>in</strong>g (with large companies as well as other <strong>SMEs</strong>
but also with public <strong>in</strong>stitutions, R&D bodies, social partner organisations <strong>and</strong>
professional organisations) are perform<strong>in</strong>g better than others. 16
In particular, the specific features <strong>and</strong> development conditions of micro <strong>and</strong> small
companies might be addressed more efficiently, accord<strong>in</strong>g to most people <strong>in</strong>terviewed,
if small companies created networks, cha<strong>in</strong>s or districts focus<strong>in</strong>g on strategic objectives.
By creat<strong>in</strong>g a network, the <strong>SMEs</strong> acquire more barga<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g power towards third bodies
(i.e. banks, suppliers, clients, f<strong>in</strong>ancial bodies etc) <strong>and</strong> can afford more consistent
<strong>in</strong>vestments <strong>in</strong> research, tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong>novation <strong>and</strong> technology, develop<strong>in</strong>g
competitiveness <strong>and</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess skills.
Susta<strong>in</strong>able development <strong>and</strong> employment growth <strong>in</strong> a region are strongly correlated
with the development of entrepreneurship <strong>and</strong> of <strong>SMEs</strong>. Among the ma<strong>in</strong> factors that
reduce the likelihood of the creation <strong>and</strong> growth of <strong>SMEs</strong> are the lack of or difficult
access to f<strong>in</strong>ancial resources, an <strong>in</strong>adequate regulatory framework, an <strong>in</strong>efficient
<strong>in</strong>stitutional environment <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>sufficient <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>novation, poor <strong>in</strong>frastructures.
As a consequence, restructur<strong>in</strong>g can also be seen as the opportunity for regions to
reshape their policy <strong>in</strong> these fields <strong>and</strong> to overcome traditional <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>efficient policy
strategies.
Mak<strong>in</strong>g a Change a Chance <strong>in</strong> the Tampere Region of F<strong>in</strong>l<strong>and</strong>
This project focus on develop<strong>in</strong>g the read<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>and</strong> flexibility of <strong>SMEs</strong> to respond to changes <strong>in</strong>
the regional economy of the Tampere Region through <strong>in</strong>novative <strong>and</strong> comprehensive
approaches. Three sub projects “Learn, Adapt <strong>and</strong> Renew”, “Work Capability” <strong>and</strong> “Contact”
have been designed to give an all-embrac<strong>in</strong>g service to <strong>SMEs</strong> fac<strong>in</strong>g structural change. They
aim to improve the adaptability of firms by rais<strong>in</strong>g the skills <strong>and</strong> “read<strong>in</strong>ess for change” of their
most vulnerable workers. 17
16 See: Structural change, company restructur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> anticipation of change <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Europe</strong>an small <strong>and</strong>
medium-sized enterprise sector, Background Document, SME Restructur<strong>in</strong>g Forum, Brussels, 26/27
November 2007-
17 “How dynamic regions face restructur<strong>in</strong>g - The role of the <strong>Europe</strong>an Social Fund <strong>and</strong> of the other Structural
Funds”, Background Paper, RESTRUCTURING FORUM , Brussels, 4/5 December 2006, p. 9/10.