Serbia - Social and Economic Council

Institutional characteristics

1. Establishment

- Date of creation: August 1, 2001

- Year operational: 20

- Nature of the texts that create the institution (Constitution, law, decree, etc.): 

Law on Social and Economic Council of the Republic of Serbia

- Have any changes in recent years happened concerning the nature, membership, capacities of the Institution.

No changes

2. Mandate

Consultation and advisory ✅

Negotiation ☐

Both ☐

3. Mission and attributions

The Council was established with the aim of engaging in and developing a social dialogue on the issues of importance for realizing economic and social freedoms and rights, improving the financial, social and economic position of employers and employees and their living and working conditions, developing the negotiation culture, encouraging a peaceful settlement of work-related disputes, developing democracy and issuing magazines, brochures and other publications within the scope of its work.

4. Composition :

- Number of members: 18.

- Duration of the term: 4 years

- Membership categories: The Government of the Republic of Serbia, representative associations of employers, representative trade unions

- Process of designating the members (election, nomination, by whom, etc.):

By the decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, respective bodies of Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia (CATUS), Trade Union Confederation "Nezavisnost" (TUC "Nezavisnost") and Serbian association of employers (each side decides independently for their 6 members represented in the Council)

5. Management organs

Presidium / Bureau / Cabinet / Other: Please specify role, composition, designation :

Assembly General / Plenary session / Other: Please specify role, frequencies of meeting:

General Secretariat: Please specify role, composition, designation:

• The Chairman (is elected by the members of the Council for one year term)
• Plenary sessions which as a rule take place once a month
• Secretariat: Organizational and administrative and technical operations for the Council are carried out by the Secretariat of the Council

6. Operational arrangement of the Permanent Secretariat

Yes ✅

No ☐

7. Gender balance (% of women)

Between 0% and 9% ☐

Equal or more than 10% ✅

Equal or more than 30% ☐

Equal or more than 50% ☐

8. Reporting Institution

Government ☐

Parliament ☐

Cabinet of President ☐

Cabinet of Prime Minister ☐

Ministry of Finance ☐

Ministry of Labour ☐

Ministry of Social Affairs ☐

Others (please specify): The Council is an independent body established by the Law on Social and Economic Council of the Republic of Serbia

9. Budget

Amount :

Between $0 and $249,000 ☐

Equal or more than $250,000 ✅

Equal or more than $500,000 ☐

Equal or more than $750,000 ☐

Source of funding: The budget of the Republic of Serbia

III. Organizational Structure

1. Committees/Sub-committees/working groups:

Four permanent working bodies:

• PWB for legislation
• PWG for economic issues
• PWB for occupational health and safety
• PWB for collective bargaining and peaceful
resolution of labor disputes.

2. Is there in your country any institutions of social dialogue outside your institutions?

no

IV. Functioning of the ESC

1. Who convenes the Institution? The Chairman.

2. Has the Institution a legal right to issue own-initiative opinion? Yes.

3.How are decisions taken inside the Institution

By vote ☐

By consensus ✅

4. What kind of payment do the Councillors receive: wage, compensation, other?

Monthly compensations

5. Is the Government obligated to follow the opinion issued by the Institution?

No

6. Is the Government obligated to report on the fate of the Institution opinions?

Yes

7. Are there official publications of the Institution opinions?

No

8. Is the public opinion informed about the Institution works? How?

Yes, there are press conferences after each session of the Council and press release for media and general public

9. What kind of relationship does the ESC have with civil society?

Part of the Institution ✅

Institutionalised relation ☐

Uninstitutionalised relation ☐

Collaboration ☐

Participation in the drafting of reports ☐

Nothing at all ☐

Notice: Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia (CATUS), Trade Union Confederation "Nezavisnost" (TUC "Nezavisnost") and Serbian association of employers are nongovernmental and nonprofit organizations

V.Main technical areas of competencies

Agriculture ✅

Civil Society ☐

Corporate Social Responsibility ✅

Culture ✅

Education and Training ✅

Employment policy and labour market regulation ✅

Environmental Policy ✅

European Affairs ✅

Fiscal and Taxation Policies :✅

Fundamental principles and rights at work ✅)

Gender equality and anti-discrimination ✅

Governance ☐

Health and Medical Policy ✅

Infrastructure, Transport, and Energy Policies ✅

International affairs ☐

Labour Law reform ✅

Legal Affairs ✅

Productivity and competitiveness ✅

Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy and Industrial Policy ✅

Social Affairs ✅

Social Dialogue and Tripartism ✅

Industrial relations and Collective bargaining ✅

Dispute prevention and resolution ✅

Social Security and Social Protection ✅

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ✅

Territorial Management ☐

Workplace compliance and working conditions ✅

Youth Employment ✅

Other :

VI. Brief description of major results obtained by your Institution in the last 3 years

Please give examples (Recommendations issued, Reports, Collective Agreements concluded, Conflict prevention and social peace obtained, National policies or legal frameworks including recommendations, Reform of your institution) and attached relevant documents

• Initiative for the adoption of the National Strategy of the Republic of Serbia (June 11, 2018);
• Recommendations of the Council to amend the Draft Law on Safety and Health at Work (December 13, 2021);
• Non-tax revenue reform initiative (January 26, 2022);
• Initiative for improving the material position of employees in educational activities (January 26, 2022);
• Initiative for holding negotiations in the Social and Economic Council of the Republic of Serbia for the amount of the minimum wage twice during 2022 and in the following years, until the end of the economic crisis (October 29, 2021);
• The effect of increasing the minimum wage on employees in public utility companies (December 13, 2021);
• Remarks on the Proposal of the Special Collective Agreement on Amendments to the Special Collective Agreement for Cultural Institutions Founded by the Republic of Serbia, Autonomous Province and Local Self-Government Unit (October 29, 2021);