Date: July 6-7, 2023

Day 1 – July 6, 2023:

• Welcome and Partner Introduction: The seminar began with a welcome from Ángel Lozano on behalf of the Antonio Bustamante Foundation (FAB), followed by individual introductions of project partners.
• Presentation of National Reports:
  • Spain: Ángel Lozano discussed the structure of the Spanish public sector, emphasizing its decentralization, workforce size (2,731,117 employees), labor relations model, and the role of unions.
  • Italy: Giuseppe Catanzaro highlighted the absence of worker participation in the Italian public sector, despite some EWCs in multinational companies.
  • North Macedonia: Lazar Jovevski discussed the Macedonian public sector’s characteristics, labor relations, and challenges in collective bargaining.
  • Serbia: Nebojsa Pejcinovic described Serbia’s public sector, labor legislation, and the complexities of collective bargaining.
• Comparative Report: The first day concluded with a presentation and subsequent debate on the Comparative Report.

Day 2 – July 7, 2023:

• European Works Councils and Directive Review: The seminar began by discussing the establishment of European Works Councils (EWCs) based on Directive 2009/38/EC and the proposed revision of the directive. It highlighted the need to improve worker participation and consultation in companies with a community dimension.
• Alternatives for Worker Participation in Public Services: The discussion explored the challenges in establishing EWCs in the public services sector and evaluated alternative information and consultation systems. These alternatives aim to foster transnational cooperation among member states and candidate countries.
• Challenges and Activities: The seminar concluded with a discussion on the challenges of creating EWCs and the planned activities within the project.

The seminar provided valuable insights into worker participation in the public services sector and explored alternatives to enhance transnational cooperation. Questions and answers were addressed during the event.