Strengthening Social Dialogue in Private Security Industry – Networking and Set-up of Mutual Assistance in the EU´s Eastern New Member and Candidate Countries - Dec. 2007 to March 2009
GD Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities VS/2007/0524 - Industrial Relations and Social Dialogue
ZBORNICA ZA RAZOJ SLOVENSKEGA ZSEBNEGA VAROVANJA

MINUTES

of the 1st meeting
dated 14. 02.2008 starting at 1.30 p.m. and continued on 15.02.2008 starting at 9.00 a.m.,
both sessions held in the conference room of the »M« Hotel in Ljubljana, Derčeva 4

 

Attendents:

Aleksandras Posochovas	LPSDPS, Lithuania
Darius Salaviejus	LPSDPS, Lithuania
Gediminas Petrauskas	LPSDPS, Lithuania
Anna Zaimova	GSENTU, Bulgaria
Julijan Spasov	GSENTU, Bulgaria
Vladimira Emilova	WAPS, Bulgaria
Ingo Paš	ZRSZV, Slovenia
Marjan Pišek	ZRSZV, Slovenia
mag. Robert Pistotnik	ZRSZV, Slovenia
Dragica Andlovič	SKVNS, Slovenia
Jozsef Kalo	MBVMSZ, Hungary
Jivko Chrakrakchiev	CBOPSS, Bulgaria
Boyan Boyanov	CBOPSS, Bulgaria
Željko Dobranović	HCZ, Croatia
Ivan Funčič	HCZ, Croatia
Krzysztof Zgoda	NSZZ »Solidarnošč«, Poland
Marlena Laskowska	NSZZ »Solidarnošč«, Poland
Dr. Harald Olschok	BDWS, Germany
Hans Dieter Brauns	DAA, Germany
Apostol Marian	CNS Cartel Alfa, Romania
Burtea Jean	CNS Cartel Alfa, Romania
Pistol Viorel	CNS Cartel Alfa, Romania

Others present:

Mrs. Tadeja Kamnikar as the recorder

The executive director of the Chamber Mr. Ingo Paš opens the session at 1.30 p.m., greeting the attending members and asking the chairman of the Chamber, Mr. Marjan Pišek, including the chairman of the Executive Committee of the Chamber, Mr. Robert Pistotnik, for an introduction and welcome, whereupon the latter briefly present the work of the Chamber and emphasises the significance of this European project and this conference.

Mr. Ingo Paš suggests the following

AGENDA:

Thursday, 14.02.2008

1. 13:30 Confirmation of the agenda
2. 13:45 Presentation of the project (ZRSZV)
3. 14:15 Discussion
4. 14.45 Conclusions
5. 15:00 Break
6. 15:15 Presentations by participants, exchange of information and current developments by countries
7. 15:45 Conclusions
8. 16.00 Schedule and locations of future conferences at hosting organisations
9. 16.30 Topics and main goals of national conferences
10. 17.00 Cooperation with other partner organisations
11. 17.30 End of session
12. 19:00 Dinner

Friday, 15.02.2008

13. 09:00 Information concerning the current situation in private security (survey)
14. 09.30 Expert training as a basis for improvement of economic and personal situation in private security industry
15. 10.00 Basic contents of collective agreements, wages and benefits, working hours, holiday leave etc.
16. 10:30 Break
17. 10.45 European harmonisation of national regulation of private security
18. 11:15 Final decision on meeting schedule
19. 11.30 Summary, end of session
20. 12:00 Lunch

Ad 1

Mr. Paš proposes the agenda for the conference.

Mr. Jivko Chrakrakchiev suggests complementing the agenda. GSENTU on behalf of the workers and CBOPSS on behalf of the employers respectively could today conclude an industry collective agreement for workers in private security in the Republic of Bulgaria. The official signing could be performed within the scope of this conference.

Mr. Ingo Paš suggests including a new item to the agenda following conclusions on project presentation, i.e. under a new item 4.a. Other participants were in agreement with the proposal and thus adopted the following

RESOLUTION: The amended agenda is hereby adopted. The resolution was unanimously adopted.

Ad 2

Mr. Ingo Paš provides an accurate presentation of the contents of the European project. The presentation constitutes a component part of the minutes.

Ad 3

The project presentation prompted individual questions or comments relating to anticipated dates of future conferences. Mr. Paš explained that the agreement on this subject is anticipated under item 8 of the agenda.

Mr. Paš explained that Mr. Badea from the Romanian employers' organisation apologised for his absence due to an urgent business trip and gave firm assurance of his cooperation on the project. At the same time, he expressed his disappointment regarding the fact that representatives of CoESS and the other Bulgarian employers' organisation, NAFTSO, would not be involved in the project. He stated that he felt that cooperation on the project could not be subject to exclusion of respective partner organisations, as the project is actually intended to establish a social dialogue between all relevant or representative organisations in the field. Representatives of the stated organisations will continue to be invited to participate in the project as well as take part in future conferences.

Mr. Aleksandras Posochvas explained the basis of social dialogue, i.e. to establish a balance of interests and benefits on the level of employers and trade unions.

Mr. Harald Olschok presents experience related to social dialogue in Germany. He explains that these extend back as far as 1901. Both trade unions and employers are involved, and together they solve problems. In the last 10 years the main topics were particularly vocational qualifications for security guards and additional vocational training. Since 2002, we have a system of specialist education for security guards in place, which is performed at the place of work. There is currently more than 3000 people undergoing this training process. Our goal is to develop the service and raise the quality of work in order to be able to raise prices. We are involved in the project in order to provide experience.

Mr. Ingo Paš sums up the words of Mr. Olschok, namely that he addressed all the items relevant to the project. This experience is of fundamental importance for everyone working on the project.

Mr. Jivko Chrakrakchiev says that 2005 saw them reach an agreement with the Bulgarian trade unions on cooperation in this direction of development. We feel that we need a new instrument – in the sense of a collective agreement and qualified work force. This will help us to achieve our goal: more money for more expertise.

Ad 4

Mr. Paš summarised possible conclusions of the previous discussion relating to the project presentation. A proposal was voiced prompting invitation of new partners from the stated countries on to the project, likewise to invite representatives of CoESS and company NAFTSO in the future. The discussion emphasised the significance of a balance between interests and benefits both for employers as well as workers. The second very important conclusion is that the improvement of the level of private security service is subject in a great extent to professional training of security personnel, which is related to the issue of raising the prices of services and thereby also raising salaries in the sector.

Based on the discussion, the participants adopted the following

RESOLUTION: Presentation of the project and the stated proposals are admitted. The resolution was unanimously adopted.

Ad 4 a

Mr. Ingo Paš invites the principal actors of the collective agreement in Bulgaria, i.e. representatives of GSENTU and CBOPSS, to conclude the agreement and officially sign it. At the same time, he thanks the Bulgarian partners for their important contribution to the conference and the project.

Representatives of the stated organisations sit themselves behind the chairman's desk and officially sign the revised text of the industry collective agreement. The original copy of the signed agreement constitutes a component part of these minutes.

The conclusion and signing of this collective agreement is welcomed by all the present parties with acclamation.

Ad 6

Presentation of participants, exchange of information and current development in respective countries:

Mr. Jivko Chrakrakchiev presents current conditions in Bulgaria. The material represents a component part of the minutes.

Mrs. Vladimira Emilova represents conditions in Bulgaria’s women’s association (WAPS). The material represents a component part of the minutes. At the same time, she explains that the number of women employed in the sector is approx. 10 % including administrative workers. Mrs. Anna Zaimova says that approx. 9 % are members of the trade union.

Mr. Apostol Marian recounts that there are approx. 3000 private security companies in operation in Romania, employing approx. 50.000 workers. The weekly working schedule consists of 40 hours, although workers frequently exceed this figure. The salary of a qualified worker in the sector amounts to 165 €, while a non-qualified worker would earn 135 €.

Mr. Jozsef Kalo presents conditions in Hungary. The material represents a component part of the minutes.

Mr. Željko Dobranovič presents conditions in Croatia, which are dynamic compared to those 10 years ago. Private companies account for approx. 11.000 workers. At the moment, there is a shortage of people willing to work in private security in Croatia. The annual fluctuation amounts to approx 25 %, whereby the figure for the east is lower than the west. A salary of a worker in private security amounts to 600 € gross, which is 30 % less than in other sectors. The law permits 20 hours of overtime, although workers frequently exceed this limit. The private security act is undergoing amendment and we feel that new provisions should be in place by the first half of this year. There are 224 companies working in private security, whereby approx. 100 companies are working in technical fields while others operate in physical security.

The session concludes at 6.15 p.m. The next session will resume on 15.02.2008 beginning at 9.00 a.m.

Mr. Ingo Paš welcomes all participants and suggests the meeting continues with a presentation of conditions in Poland.

Mr. Krzysztof Zgoda states that the trade union dealing in the field of private security has been in operation for two years. It is currently working with 8 companies, and its goal is to achieve a suitable agreement on workers’ rights. 6 of the 8 companies have already signed an agreement, of these 2 are multinationals. The average salary in Poland is 750 € gross, 615 € net in the private sector. The minimal wage in Poland amounts to 320 € gross. The trade union accounts for approx. 4000 members. Problems arise particularly in the low payment for services rendered, with the hourly rate at 1,5 €/hour. Workers on average work up to 360 hours monthly and have no paid overtime. A major problem is represented by trade unions working under the influence of employers – yellow trade unions. The gross salary of a security guard working 40 hours a week represents the minimal wage, i.e. 320 € gross, which means 290 € net.

Mr. Harald Olschok highlights the problem of employing Polish workers in Germany, as they are currently subject to a ban. This should change on 1 May, 2009, when this ban is set to be lifted. He was interested in whether Mr. Zgoda feels that the lift on this ban would be interesting for Polish workers, as the average hourly rate in Germany amount to 6,5 €?

Mr. Krzysztof Zgoda says that salaries in Poland are on the rise, with the current salary at 750 € gross. Entry into the EU prompted many workers to find jobs abroad, although this number is falling. When the ban in Germany is lifted, the difference between the wages in Poland and Germany will have reduced.

Mr. Aleksandras Posochovas briefly represents conditions in Lithuania, where there is approx. 200 companies operating with a work force of around 10.000. Activities in the form of a trade union began 2 years ago, and we have an agreement in place with G4. Our goal: a collective agreement for the industry.

Mr. Ingo Paš presents conditions in Slovenia. The material represents a component part of the minutes.

Ad 7

Mr. Paš summarises the main issues of the presentations, which on the one hand point to relatively large differences in respective countries (as regards salaries and prices), while on the other hand there are certain common characteristics, particularly as regards the situation of the industry itself, and problems in the field of social dialogue. The latter discouraging characteristics must represent the focal content of the project.

 

Ad 8

Hosts, locations and dates of forthcoming conferences:

In an extensive debate representatives of respective partners agreed on the following conferences in respective countries, whose organisers are participating partners at this conference:

- Bulgaria 03. and 04.04.2008
- Lithuania 24. and 25.04.2008
- Romania 22. and 23.05.2008
- Poland 19. and 20.06.2008
- Croatia 17. and 18.07.2008
- Hungary 11. and 12.09.2008

Mr. Paš gave note that organisation of a conference in Croatia shall be subject to preliminary approval by the European Commission.

Following the debate, participants adopted the following

RESOLUTION: the above stated agreement and proposals are hereby adopted. The resolution was unanimously adopted.

Ad 9

Topics and main objectives of national conferences:

Mr. Jivko Chrakrakchiev suggested forming a topic for the meeting in Bulgaria, where a new private security act helping the sector to develop properly is being drafted. Both employers’ (CBOPSS, NAFTSO) and trade unions’ (PODKREPA, SITUP) representatives are in negotiations with the government. Therefore, invitations to the conference should include representatives of the said organisations as well as the government and contractors. Mr. Chrakrakchiev and Mrs. Zaimova will prepare the necessary information. They will attempt to persuade the government to adopt measures improving conditions on the market in Bulgaria.

Subject of the topic: Conditions for public tenders of Security Services

Below the conference participants outlined framework topics for the remaining hosts, namely as follows:

- Croatia: stress in private security, professionalism, relation to workers
- Hungary: concluding industry collective agreements
- Lithuania: social dialogue between trade unions and employers, finding a balance, issue of salaries
- Romania: topic to remain undecided (to be agreed together with employers’ association)
- Poland: workers’ rights, accession to trade unions, relation of employers towards trade unions, workers’ councils, yellow trade unions

Ad 10

Mr. Hans Dieter Brauns explains that the main aim of the project is to involve more organisations from respective countries, both employers’ and trade unions’ representatives. Topics will be formed following discussions. We are currently in a situation where there is only one side present – either the trade union or the employers’ association of respective countries. I suggest that respective countries organise individual meetings with representatives of these organisations and invite them to cooperate. In as far as the European Commission will allow, we will invite other countries to participate as well.

The participants were unanimous in that the project should be extended to new partners from within the new EU member states, particularly the Czech and Slovak republics, Latvia and Estonia. At the same time, Mr. Paš suggested that we inquire with the European Commission on whether it would be possible to involve other countries from the Western Balkans in the project, particularly Macedonia.

Ad 11

Mr. Paš suggested that proposals stipulated under items 9 and 10 be adopted, whereby any developments and eventual later requirements would subject them to suitable changes or modifications.

Following the debate, participants adopted the following

RESOLUTION: the above stated proposal is hereby adopted. The resolution was unanimously adopted.

Ad 13

All representatives of participating partners at the conference received a special written questionnaire with basic questions regarding the terms of operations and work in private security in their respective countries. The filled out questionnaires and its respective analysis constitutes a component part of these minutes.

Ad 14 to 19

The stated issues prompted a debate which emphasised certain positions from previous discussions.

Mr. Paš summarised the adopted positions, namely:

• In private security, all partners cited giving particular emphasis on the pressing need for quality training of security personnel
• Quality training and the possibility of obtaining vocational qualification are a vital basis for appropriate price positioning of the industry
• Private security needs to place a significantly greater emphasis on quality standards in performance of security services
• The framework of social dialogue should work to include suitable working conditions in quality standards, in particular private security workers’ salaries
• The framework of social dialogue should work to find such possible proposals for solutions which will allow a vital balance of interests and benefits on behalf of terms of operation and working conditions.
• In order to achieve the stated goals, it is necessary to stimulate social dialogue in all areas where there is a standstill or where it is non-existent, and include all representative employers’ and workers’ organisations, including competent professional institutions without any mutual exclusion

Mr. Paš proposed to adopt the stated conclusions as guidelines for work at future conferences.

Based on the above statements, participants adopted the following

RESOLUTION: RESOLUTION: the above stated proposals are hereby adopted. The resolution was unanimously adopted.

In his closing statement, Mr. Paš gave note that the dates, and in particularly the topics of subsequent conferences have been set out in rough and that there is every possibility of subsequent modifications should they be required.

If we will be able to include the Czech and Slovak republics in the project we will try to organise two more conferences. Organisation of the last concluding conference where we will review the final report remains an open issue. I would like to invite a representative of the European Commission to this meeting, whereby we will adapt to suit his schedule.

As there were no further proposals and questions, Mr. Paš thanked everyone for attending and concluded the session at 12.00 noon.

 

Recorded by: Tadeja Kamnikar

Conference coordinator: Ingo Paš, univ.dipl.iur.