Titel der Präsentation Anlass, Ort und Datum

1. Titel der Präsentation Anlass, Ort und Datum Social Partners‘ Participation in Management ofEuropean Structural Fund (ESF & ERDF)in Germany Brussels 13th March 2014 Dr. Christel Degen Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund (DGB) Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

2. Key Principles for sustainable Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 from a Trade Union Perspective in Germany : Cohesion Funds must promote more and better jobs in Europe (Lisbon strategy!) • Firms & enterprises applying for funds in Germany have to achieve criteria of „Gute Arbeit“ („Good Work“ - concerning living wages, health conditions, further training ESF & ERDF.) • Cohesion Funds must support structural change towards a sustainable economy • Greening the economy: ESF should support New Skills for New Jobs • Thematic concentration: 20% of the ERDF in more developed regions to promote resources efficiency and renewable energies • Promotion of the Partnership Principle Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

3. Structures of Partnership in Germany • 16 Federal States with Monitoring Committees for ESF & ERDF & EARDF(partly together) • Two Monitoring Committees on the federal level (NSRF & Social Partner Programme ESF) • Quality of Partnership is heterogeneous: • Broad spectrum of strategic, process and organizational consulting of Social Partners by the administrations - reaches from early consultation to pure information Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

4. Our Activities to prepare 2014-2020: • Influencing the development of the new legal proposals • Influencing the future Common Strategic Framework • Preparing the Partnership Contract on the national level, to make sure that Operational Programmes are future oriented and sustainable • DGB is coordinating regional activities to prepare Operational Programmes on the federal level • Working on Good Practice cases • Exchange with Social Partners and NGOs • Exchange with ETUC Working Group on Economic and Social Cohesion Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

5. Main Problems of Social Partners’ Participation in Germany Social partners’ participation is sometimes insufficient: • Quality of social partners’ involvement is improving, but still depends to some extend to the administration or the person in charge • Information sometimes is still coming too late to influence the programming processes • Quality of jobs is not enough reflected – measurable targets are not always defined • Lack of coherence and transparency concerning funding • No long term strategy, short term actions instead of sustainable investments (ERDF) Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

6. Solutions: Promoting the Partnership Principle or „It takes two to Tango“ ! IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO An EESC study on developing the Partnership Principle in EU Cohesion Policy (http://www.revesnetwork.eu/public/it_takes_two_to_tango_eesc_en.pdf ) Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

7. Promoting the Partnership Principal -Regulation & Code of Conduct & Capacity-building • The Partnership Principle has been upgraded !Article 5 (General Regulation) and code of conduct • Regulation and clear guidance effective control of the Commission are necessary for full application of binding requirements of the Partnership Principle • A guidebook has to be published by the Commission in advanceof the coming Programme Period to be made available to all relevant partners Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

8. It Takes two to Tango – Capacity-building for Social Partners „Resources for capacity-building have made a crucial contribution to making partnership more efficient and genuine Such resources should therefore be available for all partners, both private and public, in all operational programmes across the Union and not only in the convergence regions. Genuine partnership is two way street; after all, IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO“ Source: “It Takes two to Tango”, p.11 Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

9. Good Practice Examples – Capacity-building in the Federal States • Info Centers for Social Partners in Convergence Regions 2007-2013 (structures & funding are different): Berlin (2000-2006) Brandenburg Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Sachsen-Anhalt Lüneburg (Niedersachsen) • Main functions: Consulting of Projects Preparing Social Partners in Monitoring Committees Organizing conferences Networking Newsletter Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

10. Good Practice Example on the Federal Level: Promotion of Vocational Training Activities of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and German Social Partners The Social Partner Initiative “weiter bilden” (further training) • Intention: • To support the efforts of the Social Partners to improve participation rates in further education and training • To promote collective objectives of the Social Partners • To promote regional or branch-specific agreements in order to name particular objectives, action priorities and qualification needs Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

11. The German Social Partner Initiative„weiter bilden“ (further training) • Funding period: 2009 – 2013 • Grants: 140 Mio. Euro Beneficiary of grants: • Union Contractors and Social Partners • An organisational (educational) institution can be assigned for the application and the organisation of the programme • Applicants have to keep their place of work in Germany Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

12. Participation in the Initiative Conditions • Precondition for funding is a sectoral agreement among Social Partners – such agreement can also be concluded within the specific framework of the Social Partner Programme • Funding measures of the Social Partners • Sectoral agreements in which the respective primary goals, focus areas and qualification needs are specified Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

13. Background: Qualification Agreements Corporate training and further education has been increasingly regulated for several years by collective agreements, e.g. • Public services • Metal and electrical industry • Chemical industry • Print industry • Insurance services • Textiles • Telecommunications Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

14. Implementation of „weiter bilden“ (further training) • Advice, support, mobilising on the development of projects • Checks the letters of interest • Helps to prepare agreements on further training • Supports the steering committee • 2. Steering committeeemployers organisations and trade union organisations • Recommends projects for grants 3. Proper authority • Decides on awarding grants Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification • 1. Coordinating officee.g. research institutes and training providers

15. Objectives and Contents of the Social Partner Initiative Object of support: • Measures for improving the general conditions • to improve mentoring/ consulting structures • to determine in-house qualification needs • to develop tools for further training (on the job) • further education and training cooperation • to improve quality and exchange of best practices and experiences • Further education and training in companies • vocational training measures can be funded in order to implement existing qualification agreements • educationally marginalized and so far underrepresented employees have to be particularly considered • Projects can be combined Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

16. Results • 194 projects • Support of around 100.000 employees and 2.500 companies • Promotion of 43 collective agreements on training • 68 new agreements in the period of validity • Five project types: • implementation of training programs • determination of the training needs in branches • building staff development structures • Motivation of target groups • Building networked structures Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

17. Projects according to Sectors Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

18. Framework agreement ANG - NGG branch-specific agreements Confectionery industry Bundesverband der DeutschenSüßwarenindustrie e.V. - NGG Pastry industry Bundesverband der DeutschenSüßwarenindustrie e.V. - NGG BreweriesDeutscher Brauer-Bund e.V. – NGG Other branches Projects (examples) Competence develop. of work councils in terms of qualif. concepts Development of a PD-concept Age structure analysis + development of a succession plan Implementation of personnel development tools Sectorial Agreements and Projects Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

19. Selection of pilot operations Collaborative workshop to introduce the topic and to analyze the current situation of the company in question analysis of how the situation in the company should be in terms of prospective need for specialists development of a broad concept for all employment groups, e.g.: training needs analysis training concepts for low-skilled workers and the elderly schemes for recruiting and training specialists Sectorial Agreement – Project: Design of an Agreement for personal Development Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

20. needs survey in piloting companies advice for the work council on personnel development tools organization/ presentation of joint workshops of work council and Human Resources department selection of appropriate personnel development tools, e.g. appraisal interviews collaborative development of an introductory and implementation concept introduction monitoring feedback Sectorial Agreement – Project: Implementation of personal Development Tools Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification

21. „There is only one thing which is more expensive than Education This is: No Education!!!“ John F. Kennedy Thank you very much for your Attention! Contact: Dr. Christel Degen (christel.degen@dgb.de ) Ulrich Nordhaus (ulrich.nordhaus@dgb.de) Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Dep. Industrial, Service and Structural Policy, Dep. Education and Qualification