The Council of Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic (RHSD ČR) was established as an institutionalized platform for social dialogue among the government, trade unions and employers (tripartite body). Its original name "Council of Social Agreement" from the year 1990 was changed several times, reflecting development of preconditions for applying serious and systematic social dialogue in the society. Today the Council represents joint voluntary negotiating and initiative body of the government, trade unions and employers for achieving an agreement in essential issues of economic and social development.
The conditions for renewal of full social dialogue were defined by adoption of Statutes and Standing Orders of the Council of Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic on 13th November 1997 at its 1st Plenary Session. Thus, on the initiative of trade unions and employers as social partners of the government, especially the economic issues were included again into the sphere of common interest in negotiating and initiative process.
The Council of Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic in its present shape allows - in an atmosphere of mutual confidence and in mutually respected immediate operational form - for maintaining and stabilisation of social peace in the demanding period of transformation of economy, reform of public administration and the Czech Republic's gradual approaching the European Union. Social partners together with the representatives of the government take an active share in formulating a number of legal norms and the strengthening of social dialogue is one of the priorities.
The Plenary Session of the Council of the Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic as the top organ of this tripartite body consists of 8 representatives of the government, 7 representatives of trade unions and 7 representatives of employers. At present the social partners of the government from the trade union side are the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions and the Association of Autonomous Trade Unions and from the employers' side the Union of Industry and Transport of the Czech Republic and the Confederation of Employers' and Entrepreneurial Unions of the Czech Republic.
Bodies of the The Council of Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic (RHSD ČR) are:
Plenary Session
Presidium
Working Teams and Groups
Secretariat
The Plenary Session is the top negotiating body of the RHSD ČR. It discusses concepts and selected draft laws, the main tendencies and trends of development, settle principal disputes among partners, solve serious concrete problems. It solves situations endangering social peace, determines the agenda of the session proposed by the RHSD ČR Presidium. On the proposal of the RHSD ČR Presidium, it appoints heads of individual Working Teams and Groups of the RHSD ČR.
The Presidium of the RHSD ČR is the executive body between the Plenary Sessions of the RHSD ČR. The Presidium of the RHSD ČR discusses the strategic documents, debates principal differences which occurred at Plenary Session, considers and assesses the development of social partnership, solves situations endangering social peace. It informs Plenary Session on results of its negotiations.
In urgent cases it informs respective state, trade union and employers‘ bodies.
The Working Teams of the RHSD ČR is its permanent expert bodies for dealing with the matters of its Statutes. The Working Groups of the RHSD ČR are its expert bodies which for the same purpose and with the same level of responsibility extraordinarily and temporarily deal with topical matters of common interest of participating delegations over the framework of the issues set in its Statutes.
Working Teams and Groups of the RHSD ČR pre-discuss the submitted materials, prepare and provide expert opinions to them and other background documents for the bodies of the RHSD ČR. They cooperate in creation of draft legal regulations.
List of Commissions:
Working team for Tripartite and Organizing Matters
Working team for Public Services and Public Administration
Working team for Education and Human Resources
Working team for Social Issues
Working team for Work Safety
Working team for the EU
Working team for Economic Policy
Working team for Wages, Remunerations and Related Matters
Working team for Employees Rights, Collective Bargaining and Employment
Working Group for Taxation and Insurance
Working Group for Concept of Pension Reform
Working Group for Cultural Matters
Working Group for Cooperation with ELO
Working Group for Regional Development
Working Group for Health Care
Working Group for Domestic Market Protection
Working Group for Issues of the Regional Industrial Restructuring
Working Group for Amendment of the RHSD CR Statute and Rules of Procedure
Commission for Transport
The Secretariat of the RHSD ČR ensures the preparation of the draft agenda of the RHSD ČR bodies and provides technical and organisational preparations of the sessions of the RHSD ČR. It produces minutes from the sessions of the RHSD ČR bodies, organises press conferences and provides information from the sessions of the RHSD ČR bodies to the Government of the ČR and mass media. It hands over final wording of the governmental drafts including the introducing reports submitted to the Parliament of the ČR Chamber of Deputies to the secretariats of social partners of the RHSD ČR. The Secretariat of the RHSD ČR is managed by the General Secretary of the RHSD ČR. The General Secretary of the RHSD ČR is appointed by the Government of the ČR on the basis of consensus of all three delegations.
The establishing of tripartite structures in the most affected regions and sectors and activities of social partners aiming at extension of the higher level collective agreements (for instance industry-wide) can be regarded as a contribution to creation of sound and responsible relations of social partnership. In connection with this the representatives of the government and of its social partners express their interest to stabilize the main mutual commitments and deal with the idea of continuing the discussion on the nature of a long-term social pact, concluded between the executive, unions and employers for a longer period of time regardless the political climate, and confirming the agreement on strategic intentions of the development of economy and living standards of citizens.
Main Activities:
Economic policy
Employees rights, collective bargaining and employment
Social issues
Wales and remunerations
Public services and public administrations
Safety at work
Human resources development and training
Position of Czech republic in EU