Moving forward towards European social dialogue in the sport sector:
Social dialogue is defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to include all types of negotiation, consultation or simply exchange of information between, or among, representatives of governments, employers and workers, on issues of common interest related to economic and social policy. The social dialogue is a driving force behind successful economic and social development.

Previous European projects have identified the growing employment potential in the sport sector across the European countries and revealed that the development of social dialogue is perceived by all stakeholders as the key factor to professionalize the sector. When new employment is created, workers need to be covered by collective agreements and be assured of a decent job. Employers also need to be covered by collective agreements to secure the work relation with their employees. The sport social partners have to be proactive to defend the specificities of the sector through European social dialogue.

UNI-Europa/EURO-MEI (employees) and EASE (European Association of Sport Employers) have recognised each other as the European social partners for the sport sector at the occasion of the RBT (Reinforce the representativeness of the social partners in the sport sector: Row the BoaT) project’s final conference on 7^th and 8^th February 2008 in Papendal, Arnhem, the Netherlands. This mutual recognition marked the start of a new phase in the development of European sectoral social dialogue for the sport sector, an evolution that finds it origins in the BSDSS project (Building the Social Dialogue in the Sport Sector) of 2003.

For more information on the Row the BoaT project, please click here

For more information on the BSDSS project, please go to the EASE website.

In line with the point 53 of the Action Plan “Pierre de Coubertin” to the White Paper on Sport (July 2007), the European Commission continues to support the joint work of EASE and EURO-MEI to develop social dialogue by financing the “Content and Contact project” (CC-project - VS/2008/0194). Please go to the website of the White Paper.

« (53) The Commission encourages and welcomes all efforts leading to the establishment of European Social Dialogue Committees in the sport sector. It will continue to give support to both employers and employees and it will pursue its open dialogue with all sport organisations on this issue ».

The CC-project aims to bridge the gap between the end of the RBT project and the start of the official European sectoral social dialogue for the sport sector as a whole, including the sub-sectors voluntary, commercial and professional sports, of which the latter respects the specific initiatives of Professional Football and Cyclists.

Throughout the development of the project’s activities, EASE and EURO-MEI will work to increase their representativeness in the European Union countries.

Summary of the project

Call for proposals: Budget Heading 04.03.03.01 “Industrial Relations and Social Dialogue” of the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunity of the European Commission. The CC-project is co-financed by the European Union (80 %). For more information click here.

Duration: 1 year - from 1^st July 2008 to 30^th June 2009

Project leader: EURO-MEI
Managing partner: EASE
Strategic partner: EU Sport Office

The main phase of the project will revolve around three meetings:
- two 2-day content-based conferences to gather and review materials on specific issues
- and one informal social dialogue meeting.

The conferences will be open to national social partners and interested stakeholders from the sport sector.

The informal social dialogue will be open to national social partners from the sector.

Conference on the contractual landscape in the sport sector
The first 2-day conference will have as its theme the contractual landscape in the sport sector as described above. The discussions will be launched by a presentation of the small-scale study. Contracts for sport workers other than professional players will be specifically addressed.
For more information on this meeting, please click here.

Conference on health & safety in the sport sector
The second 2-day conference will have as its theme health and safety in the sport sector in a broad sense. The discussions will be launched by a presentation of a study and will include issues that address the health, safety and well-being of workers in the sport sector as well as the ways in which health and safety can be guaranteed through collective bargaining and other forms of co-operation between the social partners at different levels.
For more information on this meeting, please click here.

Informal social dialogue meeting
The informal social dialogue meeting will have on the agenda issues such as the structure of the future European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee, rules of procedure, issues to be dealt with at European level, initiatives from other disciplines of sport (namely Professional Football, EU Athletes and Cyclists). The meeting will consist of discussions and exchange of information between the national social partners in the sport sector. The aim is to have several “best/worst practices” in different fields presented to the meeting, as well as country overviews (a “Tour of Europe”).

The informal social dialogue meeting will be organised mirroring the official social dialogue meetings as organised by the European Commission: the morning of the meeting day will be devoted to separate discussions among employer and employee representatives (in separate rooms) while the afternoon will be a plenary session, where all will be present, including the observers.
For more information on this meeting, please click here.

All three meetings will provide the opportunity to discuss current important issues in the sport sector as well as set the course for the European social dialogue, once it will be established. The last objective will be fulfilled during the informal social dialogue meeting, while the conferences will be aimed at the first objective.

Results
The results of the project will include the proceedings from the two 2-day conferences and from the informal social dialogue meeting as well as the results from the two studies undertaken. Concretely, the project partners aim to achieve during these meetings:
A list of contractual basic clauses for sport workers in general, annexed by a shortlist of specific basic clauses for professional players.
Please click here for the joint recommendations.
Please click here for the results of the study by Planet Labor.

A compendium of best (and worst) practices on health and safety in the sport sector.
Please click here for the joint statement.
Please click here for the results of the study undertaken by the T.M.C. Asser Institute.

A list of topics to be put on the agenda of the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the sport sector in the coming years.
Please click here for the joint statement.

Also, the project will build on the database of contacts already established during the RBT project: two Maps of 100.
This database will become even more a valuable tool to activate social partners and stakeholders in the sport sector and to prepare for an effective European social dialogue between representative partners.

For further information, please contact:

For employees:
EURO-MEI (UNI-Europa)
31, rue de l'Hôpital
1000 Brussels BELGIUM
Ph.: +32 (0)2 235 08 66
Fax: +32 (0)2 235 08 70
Contact: Jim Wilson / Marjolein Oorsprong
marjolein.oorsprong@uniglobalunion.org

For employers:
EASE
1, Avenue Pierre de Coubertin
75 640 Paris cedex 13 FRANCE
Ph.: +33 (0)1 40 78 29 48
Fax: +33 (0)1 40 78 28 91
Contact : Marie Leroux / Emilie Coconnier
ease@easesport.eu
www.easesport.eu