ABOUT THE PROJECT

 

MODEL FOR MEDIATION - A tool to achieve equal opportunities on the labour market

 

•1.   Introduction

 

According to the 4^th labour force survey (2005) of the European Foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions in Dublin a higher percentage of Slovene working population than EU27 average reported being victims of violence, harassment and discrimination: harassment and bullying 7.4 % (as compared to 5.1 % EU27), sexual harassment 2.8 % (1.8 % EU27) and discrimination based on sex 3.5 % (2.7 % EU27). National labour force survey for 2007 based on EUROSTAT methodology confirmed that 8 % of Slovene working population report harassment at workplace.

 

European legislation and strategy documents set objectives for equal opportunities on the labour market as they provide guidelines for antidiscrimination policies and better standards at work place. However we still lack tools to realize these goals.

 

The proposed project in several priority areas supports communication from the Commissions' Roadmap for equality between women and men 2006-2010. It supports Commission's action for gender equality concerning working arrangements that boost productivity, enhance employee satisfaction and employer's reputation. As such it should make possible reaching of the Lisbon employment targets and promotion of women's employment.

 

As a trade union we have encountered direct and indirect discrimination of women at the work place level mostly because of their parental role. Due to potential or existing parental obligations, carried mostly by women, discrimination of women can be detected through: higher unemployment rate especially of young first job seekers, diminished job opportunities, hindered career promotion as well as career regression after birth of each child, pay gap, reconciliation of work and family life, sexual harassment and violence at work place can also be a form of discrimination ect.      

 

Due to their key role on the labour market workers' organizations can, by helping victims of such discriminator, make a difference towards equal opportunities on the labour market and consequently in society in general. However, victims do not seek trade union help, because traditionally the help is offered as a representation in court trials, and that is by some victims who seek normalisation of their position at workplace considered as an escalation of the conflict.

 

Workers' organizations need a new tool that is more adapted to the needs of the victims. Trade union action should consider that young workers with parental obligations are not yet fully established on labour market and are therefore particularly vulnerable and wish to avoid conflict. They seek reconciliation of work and family life through agreement with the employer. Mediation expert, equally acceptable by the worker and the employer, can objectively assess the situation and propose solutions.  The new methods for assisting workers will benefit mostly the regional trade union network that assists workers in individual cases at company level. Help will therefore be provided where it is most needed.

 

• 2. Partners

 

• - officers from national workers' organizations in new member states: Slovenia
• - officers from national trade union organizations from old member states: Austria, United Kingdom
• - officers form national trade union organizations from candidate countries: Croatia

 

•3.   Project aims, Objectives and Results

 

The projects aims at identifying critical situations at labour market and in individual's working career concerning  women's position in the workplace and their economic independence. In these situations help and advice is needed both to individual worker and management to reach peaceful resolution of conflicts. The projects aims as well at identifying good practice and viable solutions at company and workplace level where social partners have reached agreements or concluded collective agreements. The mediation tool should observe needs of three key actors: women, management and shop stewards in following areas:

 

• Improvement of governance for gender equality at the level of social partners by reinforcing networking and supporting social dialogue, encouraging and supporting the work of social partners on gender equality,
• Progress in gender equality in the human resources policy,
• Reconciliation policies of work, private and family life should help people enter and stay on the labour market, using the full potential of the workforce and must be equally available to women and men,
• Anti-discriminatory training and incentives to eliminate gender stereotypes in the labour market, horizontal and vertical segregation.
• Elimination of gender pay gap that results from direct discrimination against women and structural inequalities, such as segregation in sectors, occupations and work patterns, access to education and training, biased evaluation in pay systems, and stereotypes. Tackling these issues requires a multifaceted approach and the mobilisation of all parties.
• Eradication of gender-based violence: Women are the main victims of gender-based violence. Prevention is essential and requires education and knowledge (research), development of networking and partnership, exchange of good practices and implementation of programmes for victims as well as perpetrators.

 

General objective is to exchange information and practices between relevant workers' organizations from old to new member states and also candidate countries. The priority is to create practical guidelines that will serve also for future training in the area of dispute resolution and prevention of discrimination at work place.

 

The research phase of the project will be subcontracted as the Association of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia - ZSSS lacks its own research facilities and competences. A multidisciplinary expert group is to analyse the perception of three focus groups (workers, management and shop stewards) in which areas discrimination at workplace level actually occurs and how it is being tackled. On the basis of this analysis a new trade union tool is to be prepared to effectively assist victims of discrimination on the labour market with aim of peaceful reconciliation of disputes. At the main conference the project partners will, on the basis of proposed tools and good practices, evaluate and confirm guidelines and materials for future training. Follow up phase will be carried out in the form of pilot training for regional trade union professionals which are directly involved in the counsel of the workers.

 

The project partners will gather information and practices in their own organizations and therefore prepare country case study report. The report will include good practices and methods of trade union work in the area of discrimination and peaceful dispute resolution.

 

The expected results are new trade union procedures in assisting victims of discrimination and proactive methods of dispute resolution. The aim is also to set up regional network of mediation experts based on training prepared through this project. The follow up phase will encompass pilot training which will serve as evaluation method of the designed and proposed mediation tools.

 

The project presents a new stage in the functioning of workers' organizations. It should serve as mitigation of disputes that arise from discrimination at work place. The designed method of peaceful reconciliation of disputes will strive to prevent victimisation and assist normalisation of the worker position at the workplace and will at the same time minimise damage to business reputation, balancing the interests of business and its human resource.

 

We would like to create a new trade union tool of mediation that would encompass:

• Network of competent mediators,
• Procedures at company level,
• Possible outcomes of mediation for different problems,
• Structured guidelines for educational purposes.

 

The project aims are:

 

• To exchange good practices in the area of dispute resolution through mediation,
• To create a new trade union tool of mediation procedure that will normalize the relations between victim of discrimination and employer/middle management/co-worker,
• To create guidelines for mediation,
• To set up a network of mediators,
• To actively contribute to the resolution of disputes based on discrimination.

 

•4.   Implementation

 

• a) Preparatory phase
• Preparatory meeting of Steering committee group,
• Collecting existing good practises in project partners' organizations,
• Collecting information through research by contracted experts,
• Designing the questionnaire for focus groups,
• Preparation of the mediation model.

 

• b) Main event
• Concluding conference to develop a model, based on research results, proposed actions and good practices,
• Formulating the Guidelines for mediation,
• Publication of the training support materials.

 

• c) Follow up
• Evaluation of the guidelines and training materials in pilot training (for regional trade union professionals who offer counsel to workers),
• Set up of regional network of confident persons for mediation.

 

 

 

 

5. Work Programme

 

Phases	Date	Venue	Type of event
Preparatory phase	10th - 11th September 2008	Radovljica (Slovenia)	Preparation meeting of the Steering committee group
	1st October 2008	Ljubljana (Slovenia)	Meeting with the external research group
	October 2008 - March 2009	Ljubljana (Slovenia)	Research on focus groups by external experts
Main event	13thth - 14th May 2009	Ljubljana (Slovenia)	Main Conference
Follow up	10th - 11th June 2009	Radovljica (Slovenia)	Evaluation through pilot training

 

•6.   Products, documentation....

 

The project materials will be accessible on the website in three working languages. The dissemination of project documents will be made available to the widest audience through the partners concerned. The results will be presented at the ETUC Women's Committee events.

 

The products will entail:

• Publication of good practises,
• Mediation guidelines for trade unions,
• Draft training material.

 

•7.   Use of the results

 

• Regional trade union level:
• o Mediation support of victims of discrimination in individual cases,
• o Training activities in the area of equal opportunities and discrimination.

 

• Company level
• o Education and training support for shop stewards,
• European level
• o Model offered as a good practice example to the members of the ETUC.

 

•8.   Multiplier effect

 

• Distribution of the materials on the internet trough ETUC affiliates,
• Distribution of the manual to shop stewards at company level.