BUSINESSMED has the pleasure to announce the launch of a new project named #SOLID on the issues of social dialogue in the South-Mediterranean. This 3-year project, with a total budget that amounts to 3,750 Million Euro, cofounded by the European Commission and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), is managed by 3 main entities: BUSINESSMED, representing the Confederations of Mediterranean Employers based in Tunisia, the ATUC representing the Confederations of the Arab Trade Unionists based in Jordan and three ONG’s working for the civil society based in Morocco, Lebanon and Brussels, namely the ANND, ISCOS and SOLIDAR. Other partners are also members of this Consortium like the Portuguese Industrial Association AIP as well as the Institute South Project and the Belgian and Moroccan Economic and Social Councils.

This  project aims to encourage and strengthen the social dialogue in the region, starting by a pilot/planning phase through 3 countries, namely Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan with the intention of involving further applicant countries in the South Mediterranean throughout the subsequent phases of the SOLID project.

In this context BUSINESSMED currently manages the employers’ section jointly with its employers members and specifically the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Crafts (UTICA Tunisia), the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) and the General Confederation Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM).

The first national conference of Employers took place in Amman on August 8th and 9th 2016, under the high patronage of the Jordanian Minister for Labour, Mr Ali Ghezawi and in partnership with JCI-Jordan represented by its President, Mr. Adnan Abou Al Ragheb. This session led to the signature of a consensus and partnership agreement between BUSINESSMED and, Tunisian, Moroccan and Jordanian Employers, for a more effective cooperation on social dialogue issues. The conference brought together several experts and top managers in order to develop proposals and recommendations by opening a dialogue on the consensus between the employers and the employees for the smooth running of company performance.

In this regard, during the opening ceremony of the seminar, Mrs. Jihen BOUTIBA MRAD, BUSINESSMED Secretary General, underlined that “The adoption of the social dialogue represents an unquestionable priority for the consolidation of social peace in the region, an imperative need/sine qua non for meeting future challenges in terms of development, supporting an active participation to work ethic and promoting the consolidation of social justice.” 

This first seminar will be followed by two national seminars in Tunisia and Morocco before leading to a regional seminar which will show the first project results and the state of play of the social dialogue in each concerned country with specific analyses drawn up by international experts, providing valid and practical ways of improving and strengthening the social dialogue and the economic development, key factors for peace and social stability in the Mediterranean region.

This seminar was the occasion to compare national situations on the field of the social dialogue providing a platform for discussion and sharing of views between experts and institutions: a way to look more closely at how social dialogue in today’s world geo-political framework may play a fundamental role.