Questionnaire Project ‘European Chemical Industry Social Partners Roadmap 2015-2020
- In which way has your organisation promoted the Framework Agreement (website, social media, press release, publications, etc.)?
Has this agreement become a standard approach in your country? If so, how?
Response: Yes, through our web page, the union bulletin. For SIMA it is now part of the collective bargaining proposals at branch and at company level-
- In how far has the Framework Agreement influenced the relationship with your social partner at national level?
Response: Unfortunately the reception and reaction of the employers have been, as usual in these matters, always a bit skeptical, even so we think that, in some cases,it has influenced at company level.
- Has the Framework Agreement had an impact on the VET (vocational education and training) debate in your country? More specifically, has it fostered the definition of job descriptions in companies?
No, note in Portugal training and VET are a difficult subject in Portugal with many entities involved and sometimes not both social partners are involved.
If we are referring to company level we think that it has fostered in some of them; but at branch collective agreement,as the Chemical agreement is one of the biggest, covered a very wide range of realities, and despite presenting it we do not have yet the results.
3.1. Has the Framework Agreement had an impact on recruiting from other EU countries?
Response:Directly no, but we have to have in mind that some companies on this sector have a huge labour force of other countries.
3.2.What should be adapted in the training programmes in order to meet the skills profile?
Response:A deeper change in VET in Portugal, or profit the labour law where it foresees that the employers should give training; do a specific work directly with the companies in that sense because we do have companies that develop serious training.
- In case the agreement has hadno impact in your country, what do you think are the reasons?
Response: I think that we cannot say that it does not have an impact, at least an alert, but for the employers and even trade union such is a quite sensitive matter and always raises many questions to change.
We think if this comes within a joinedeffort between both parts it could be easier; but also if we could develop a project or a Conference in that sense we think that the impact could be easier.
Or going through the way that SIMAis going, via collective bargaining.
- What skills profiles would you like to add to the framework agreement? Should improvements be made to the two skills profiles that already exist in the agreement? If so, how?
The main criticism comes in the sense that too much is inside the same job; the Portuguese tradition on this sector is to have a very concrete definition. Even, and as SIMA is in almost all sectors, the other branches go towards the framework agreement so we would not do a change.
- What are the skills profiles that you would like to see added at intersectoral level and inter-service level with regard to the 3 sectors in the sectoral dialogue committee?
- chemicals
- pharmaceutical
- rubber
Response:Note: in Portugal chemicals and rubber are the same branch agreement; pharmaceutic is a complete different sector with a different collective agreement, in a different association with very lower rights wages etc.
Here the situation is much more difficult.