Description
The project aimed to increase the capacity of trade union representatives in the metal industry involved in social dialogue in dealing with issues related to employment of foreign workers and work in multicultural environment. The project aimed to transfer best practice from their Norwegian project partner, and organisations from other countries taking part in the different seminars.
The project mapped the current status during the initial workshops, followed by analysis of legal, economic and social aspects of the areas identified as challenging by participants in the workshops. The project aimed to organise seminars and training for 160 representatives of trade unions. The project documented their findings and conclusions in a report for possible further and future use.
The project had the following activities:
- Problem identification workshops on the employment of foreigners
- Mapping the current legal, economic and social challenges and solutions
- Study visits, allowing representatives to familiarize with solutions used in other countries
- International seminars in Poland with participation of trade union delegates from 5 countries
- Training for 160 trade union activists
- Dissemination of the project achievement, publication of the project’s findings
Summary of project results
The project aimed to address the challenges related to the employment of foreign workers and the dynamics of working in a multicultural environment within the metal industry in Poland. The primary issues included the lack of capacity among trade union representatives to effectively engage in social dialogue on these topics, as well as the need to understand and implement best practices from other countries. The project sought to map the current legal, economic, and social challenges faced by foreign workers and to enhance the ability of trade unions to address these issues through improved social dialogue.
The project undertook several key activities to achieve its objectives. It began with problem identification workshops to map the current status and challenges related to the employment of foreigners. This was followed by an analysis of the legal, economic, and social aspects identified during the workshops. The project organized study visits to allow representatives to familiarize themselves with solutions used in other countries and held international seminars in Poland with trade union delegates from five countries. Training sessions were conducted for 160 trade union activists, and the findings and conclusions were documented in a report for future use. The project also disseminated its achievements and published its findings to ensure broader impact.
The project successfully increased the capacity of trade union representatives in the metal industry to handle social dialogue issues related to the employment of immigrants. It mapped the competency deficits of trade union activists and supplemented these through training and consultancy. An agreement was established between partners from five Central and Eastern European countries to monitor the migration situation in the metal industry and exchange information. The competence of 150 trade union activists was enhanced, enabling them to introduce issues related to foreign workers in social dialogue forums. The international seminar facilitated the exchange of experiences and increased knowledge about available solutions. Overall, the project conducted 23 editions of basic training, training 276 union activists. The primary beneficiaries were trade union representatives and foreign workers in the metal industry, who benefited from improved social dialogue and better handling of multicultural work environments.
Summary of bilateral results
The project included transfer of knowledge and experience from the Norwegian partner. The project promoter reported that they learned about various challenges related to foreign workers in the labour market, and they got also got various ideas on how trade unions can support foreigners in the workplace.