Extraordinary cooperation of workers and employers in the Baltic Sea Region

In the midst of economic crisis, workers and employers are working together in cooperation with politicians and governmental bodies to achieve more sustainable labour markets in the Baltic Sea Region.

The Baltic Sea Labour Network (BSLN) is a new 2.7 million euro, 3 year project involving 27 partners from 10 different states. It is financed by the INTERREG IVB Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 which strives to make the region an attractive place in which to invest, work and live.

According to the project manager Katariina Röbbelen-Voigt, the BSLN is something extraordinary.

- Never before workers, employers, politicians and governments joined their forces in such a transnational initiative in the Baltic Sea region. We have come to a conclusion that despite many actors there is not an overall understanding on labour markets in the region. Therefore, an initiative of transnational coordination between trade union bodies, business organizations, politicians and governments is crucial.

There are significant differences among the states of the region in areas such as wages, labour market policies, social and working conditions, and industrial relations and traditions.

- These differences must be understood and taken into consideration if we want the Baltic Sea Region to become a model for the rest of Europe in terms of sustainable labour market developments, says Mika Häkkinen from Baltic Sea Trade Union Network (BASTUN).

According to Eduards Filippovs from Latvian employer organization (LDDK), unrest in Riga and Vilnius show that policies cannot be done without listening to the civil society.

- Decision makers and public must understand what is going on in the region. Therefore, accurate and detailed information on labour markets provided by social partners and academics is needed.

To achieve these goals the BSLN is creating a network to identify improvements of or viable alternatives to existing policies, promote research on challenges in the region's labour market, and facilitate interaction among non-governmental organisations, politicians, public officials and experts.

- The outcome should be an open and public discussion and process which encourages discovery of practical solutions to problems, Ms Röbbelen-Voigt concludes.

The transnational project work started on 25 November 2008 with a tripartite Forum on Mobility of Labour in Copenhagen which examined the issue of the movement of workers between states in the region.

While the full project structure will be established during the spring 2009, the BSLN Facilitator Team, an operational driving force and "the generator" for transnational activities, met for the first time on 19 January. A high-level Steering Committee with strategic role will also be established. BSLN coordinators in every state are responsible for implementing national activities to reach the common goals of the project.

In Finland the Baltic Sea Labour Network involves all three labour confederations: SAK, STTK and Akava. Their activities are coordinated by Project Manager Eve Kyntäjä.