BUSINESSMED's Projects

You are here

Home > Projects

SOLiD

Duration 
3 Years
Budget 
3.75 MILLION €

SOLiD-South Mediterranean Social Dialogue is a three-year programme (2016-2018) with a budget of 3.750 million Euros, funded up to 80% by the European Union. It is coordinated by a consortium of 10 partners.

The major political changes that occurred in 2011 and mainly concerned Southern Mediterranean countries have shown the limits of the economic and social policies followed so far and made more obvious the need for urgent institutional reforms.

Since 2008 and in the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), the EU has embarked on a process involving governments and representatives of employers and employees. This process aims to give a "more effective" role to social dialogue in the Mediterranean countries.

It is in this context that the pilot project for the promotion of social dialogue in the southern Mediterranean - SOLiD - was launched in 3 countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan) and could expand to other UfM partner countries.

Objectives

Develop the capacity of social actors (employers' and employers' union organizations and their counterparts, workers' union organizations) in Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan to promote an institutionalized, strengthened, dynamic and inclusive social dialogue.

Activities

The activities of the SOLiD project are divided in 3 phases:

Phase 1 - 2016

This phase is dedicated to the diagnosis of the existing social dialogue institutions and structures, the existing collective bargaining agreements but also the involved stakeholders in the targeted countries. The study will also look into the political, social and economic backgrounds in the targeted countries, providing additional insights to the social dialogue environment. A deep dive into the stakeholders’ functioning and reputation will be realized through initial and final surveys, ensuring an impartial and efficient assessment of the project’s impact. Several national and regional capacity building workshops involving social partners will be also planned during this phase.

Phase 2 - 2017

This phase should mark the beginning of concrete practicing of social dialogue through bipartite, tripartite and multipartite discussions between the several stakeholders, as part of the numerous activities such as seminars, workshops, exchanges and study visits. The efficiency of this phase’s outcomes will undeniably depend on the accuracy of the first phase’s conclusions.

Phase 3 - 2018

The final phase should be the product of numerous bipartite consultations (Employers and Workers) and would capitalize on the conclusions, results and the technical literature provided by the two first phases, leading to a wider agenda, i.e. a regional and Euro-Mediterranean perspective. The main findings and recommendations will be presented at 2 conferences. The first conference’s outcome should be a common policy declaration reuniting the stakeholders, which would illustrate a united vision on principles and good practices of social dialogue in the region. The second conference should lead to the creation of a “South Med Social Dialogue Charter” or “SOLiD Charter”, focusing on the promotion of a Euro-Mediterranean community of practice on social dialogue, clearing the path for further work on social dialogue policies and practices in the Southern Mediterranean region.

 

Partners