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> 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