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ETUC – UE APME: <strong>Cooperation</strong> betw een <strong>SMEs</strong> <strong>and</strong> Trade Unio ns <strong>in</strong> <strong>Europe</strong> 2 Contents Preface 3 Part I: Context <strong>and</strong> background – The Challenges 5 The role of <strong>SMEs</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Europe</strong> today 5 Patterns <strong>and</strong> driv<strong>in</strong>g forces of structural change <strong>in</strong> <strong>SMEs</strong> 10 “Silent restructur<strong>in</strong>g once aga<strong>in</strong>”: The position of <strong>SMEs</strong> <strong>in</strong> the current economic crisis 12 The role of social dialogue 15 Part II: Factsheets on common economic <strong>and</strong> social concerns 18 Introductory note 18 1 The territorial dimension: Local <strong>and</strong> regional development 18 2 Management of demographic challenges <strong>and</strong> the role of tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>SMEs</strong> 21 3 Innovation <strong>and</strong> quality 31 4 Undeclared work 37 Part III: Conclusions 44 References 47
ETUC – UE APME: <strong>Cooperation</strong> betw een <strong>SMEs</strong> <strong>and</strong> Trade Unio ns <strong>in</strong> <strong>Europe</strong> 3 PREFACE As <strong>Europe</strong>an enterprises <strong>and</strong> employees are seriously affected by the current f<strong>in</strong>ancial <strong>and</strong> economic crisis, the search for the best policy-mix to master theses crises <strong>and</strong> turmoil as well as to support economic recovery <strong>and</strong> labour market stabilisation is a jo<strong>in</strong>t <strong>in</strong>terest of <strong>Europe</strong>an social partners. And hav<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d the dom<strong>in</strong>ant role small <strong>and</strong> medium sized enterprises play <strong>in</strong> <strong>Europe</strong>’s economy <strong>and</strong> their important contribution for employment, it is evident that SME have a crucial role <strong>in</strong> this recovery. It is a common view of the <strong>Europe</strong>an Institutions <strong>and</strong> the Social Partners that though <strong>SMEs</strong> are regarded as a key player <strong>in</strong> job creation, <strong>in</strong>novation <strong>and</strong> economic as well as social progress <strong>in</strong> <strong>Europe</strong> there still are many challenges <strong>in</strong> the context of unlock<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>ess constra<strong>in</strong>ts, improv<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>ess environments, work<strong>in</strong>g methods <strong>and</strong> processes <strong>and</strong>/or work<strong>in</strong>g conditions <strong>and</strong> foster<strong>in</strong>g high quality employment <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> micro, small <strong>and</strong> medium sized enterprises. Therefore the EU Commission has <strong>in</strong>itiated a number of activities <strong>in</strong> order to support <strong>SMEs</strong>, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the adoption of the “Small Bus<strong>in</strong>ess Act” <strong>in</strong> June 2008 <strong>in</strong> order to improve the competitiveness of these companies. It is aga<strong>in</strong>st this background that UEAPME <strong>and</strong> the ETUC have <strong>in</strong>itiated a jo<strong>in</strong>t project on “<strong>Cooperation</strong> <strong>between</strong> <strong>SMEs</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>trade</strong> <strong>unions</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Europe</strong> on common economic <strong>and</strong> social concerns”. This jo<strong>in</strong>t project is not the first jo<strong>in</strong>t <strong>in</strong>itiative of the two organisations: In recent years, UEAPME <strong>and</strong> the ETUC have undertaken a number of bilateral <strong>and</strong> multilateral activities with the other two <strong>Europe</strong>an employers' organisations through jo<strong>in</strong>t work programmes <strong>and</strong> projects thereby document<strong>in</strong>g their jo<strong>in</strong>t responsibilities <strong>in</strong> the context of economic <strong>and</strong> social change. These <strong>in</strong>itiatives have made the partnership <strong>between</strong> UEAPME <strong>and</strong> ETUC <strong>in</strong>to one of the constituent elements of <strong>Europe</strong>an Social Dialogue. Three <strong>in</strong>itiatives which have been developed by UEAPME <strong>and</strong> the ETUC or where both have been actively <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> should be mentioned <strong>in</strong> particular here: A jo<strong>in</strong>t declaration on recognition of "Social dialogue as an <strong>in</strong>strument for meet<strong>in</strong>g the economic <strong>and</strong> social challenges faced by small enterprises" published 2001. A jo<strong>in</strong>t project undertaken by the ETUC <strong>and</strong> the UEAPME with a view to enlargement, focus<strong>in</strong>g on the social acquis, social dialogue <strong>and</strong> <strong>SMEs</strong> <strong>in</strong> the new member states <strong>in</strong> Central <strong>and</strong> Eastern <strong>Europe</strong>. F<strong>in</strong>ally, with<strong>in</strong> the framework of their jo<strong>in</strong>t work programmes, the <strong>Europe</strong>an social partners have also organised a number of sem<strong>in</strong>ars on the development capacity of their respective members <strong>in</strong> the new member states <strong>and</strong> on restructur<strong>in</strong>g. These jo<strong>in</strong>t experiences, evaluated positively by employers <strong>and</strong> <strong>unions</strong> alike, also emphasised the <strong>in</strong>terest of debat<strong>in</strong>g the role, common <strong>in</strong>terests <strong>and</strong> shared responsibilities of the social partners, whether <strong>Europe</strong>an or national. Above that, the participation of UEAPME <strong>and</strong> the ETUC (along with the other <strong>Europe</strong>an social partner organisations) <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Europe</strong>an Commission's "Restructur<strong>in</strong>g Forum” on the theme of "Adaptation of <strong>SMEs</strong> to change" <strong>in</strong> November 2007, also constituted encouragement for the further development of jo<strong>in</strong>t research <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>itiatives <strong>in</strong> thematic
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