12-13 June 2006

Closing workshop on ’Decentralisation, the changing role of the State and trade union responses’

Hotel Bedford, Brussels

closing workshop on “Decentralisation, the changing role of the State and trade union responses

Hotel Bedford, Brussels - 12 and 13 June 2006

This meeting will be the third in a series of three workshops organised by EPSU in the framework of the TRACE project www/traceproject.org

The workshop will discuss the project’s final outcome, a handbook on public sector decentralisation including a glossary. This will be based on experiences of the first two workshops and will be developed in the next months on the online TRACE server.

Participation

All participants from the first two workshops are invited (see participants’ lists attached). Other participants from the LRG and NEA sectors are also welcome, space permitting.

The workshop is open to a maximum of 40 participants, 2 per country (preferentially one from each sector).

Participants can be members of the NEA and LRG Committees and/or officials working in policymaking, collective bargaining, or education (and both at national or regional/local level).

Participants (and other interested affiliates) are asked to contribute to the draft handbook in advance of the workshop so that the discussions can be as efficient as possible at the workshop itself.

Handbook

The handbook will cover:

EU and national institutional framework on public service standards, trade union rights and social dialogue;
Reasons for decentralisation and resources allocation: Political? Financial? Meeting real needs? Will transfer include transfer of funds? Is there a (legal) framework for standards? Is there a (legal) framework for collective bargaining?
Human resources management policy and training;
Workers’ information and consultation rights, prior reforms and during implementation;
Trade union cooperation and social dialogue: decentralisation means multiplicity of players that requires trade unions cooperation at all levels.

The skeleton handbook is attached and is also on the TRACE server.

All EPSU affiliates can join TRACE, and members can download and publish documents (files) and post short messages, like on a regular email system. The server is accessible from the EPSU homepage www.epsu.org, select TRACE NETWORK from the left-hand column, username = epsu - Password = network.

Programme

The draft programme is attached. For those not coming to the planned visit of the Committee of regions / EP, the workshop will start on Monday at 12h30 with lunch.

Working languages

You will be able to speak and listen to English, French and German. You will be able to speak, but not listen to Greek and Russian.

It might be possible to further assist participants. Please contact the EPSU secretariat if you are unable to participate in the proposed languages.

Practical information

See attached practical information sheet.

Please complete and return the attached registration form by 24 April 2006 at the very latest.

Programme