Czech Republic - Council of Economic and Social Agreement

Institutional characteristics

1. Establishment

- Date of creation: November 13, 1997

- Year operational: 1997

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

Mutual agreement between the government and social partners organizations

- 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

Collective voluntary tripartite body of trade unions, employers and the government with the aim of reaching agreement on fundamental economic and social development matters.

4. Composition :

- Number of members: 22

- Duration of the term: no limit

- Membership categories:

members of the 3 delegations – government, employers organizations and trade unions

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

Nomination by represented organizations on side of employers and trade unions, ministers of represented departments.

5. Management organs

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

is the executive body which prepares meetings of the Plenary Sessions, program and general aim of activities of the Council. The Presidium discusses the strategic documents, debates principal differences which occurred at Plenary Session, considers and assesses the development of social partnership, solves situations endangering social peace. There are three members of each delegation as members of the Presidium, regularly presidents and/or vice-presidents of represented organizations (prime minister, minister of social affairs and his/her deputy on the side of government.

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

Plenary Session - is the supreme body. The Plenary session discusses selected draft laws, basic development orientation and trends, where fundamental disputes between partners are negotiated. The Plenary Session consists of prime minister, 7 representatives of the government, 7 representatives of trade unions and 7 representatives of employers. The Plenary Session´s meeting usually takes place once in about 2 months.

General Secretariat: Please specify role, composition, designation:

Secretariat - ensures the preparation of draft agenda of the Council´s bodies and provides technical and organizational support for meetings of the Council. It is also responsible for communication between the government and social partners. The Secretariat is directed by the Secretary General who is appointed by the government. By organization is the Secretariat incorporated into a structure of the Office of the Government as an independent unit.

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):

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 ☐

There is no special budget of the Council. The salary costs for the secretariat staff and other related costs are covered by the Office of the Government.

III. Organizational Structure

1. Committees/Sub-committees/working groups:

• Working team for Public Services and Public Administration
• Working team for Education and Human Resources
• Working team for Social Issues
• Working team for Work Safety and Health at Work Protection
• Working team for the EU
• Working team for Economic Policy
• Working team for Employees Rights, Collective Bargaining and Employment
• Working team for Taxation and Insurance
• Working team for Concept of Pension Reform
• Working team for Cultural Matters
• Working team for Regional Development and EU Funds
• Working team for Health Care
• Working team for the Internal Market
• Working team for Cooperation with the International Labour Organization
• Working team for Non-profit Organizations
• Working team for Agriculture and Environment

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?

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 ✅

(in case the consensus is not reached, the dissent statements are attached)

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

None

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?

No

7. Are there official publications of the Institution opinions?

No

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

Yes, there are regular press meetings after every Plenary Session meeting with the attendance of prime minister and presidents of main employers and trade union´s organizations.

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 ☐

V.Main technical areas of competencies

Since the Council discusses topics upon social partners´ interest and request, all the mentioned fields are subject of discussion within the Working Teams and Plenary Session.

Agriculture ✅

Civil Society ✅

Corporate Social Responsibility ✅

Culture ✅

Education and Training ✅

Employment policy and labour market regulation ✅

Environmental Policy ✅

European Affairs ✅

Financial and Economic Policies ✅

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

During last two years, during the covid-19 pandemic, the Council played very important role in the process of reaching agreement on health restrictive measures. Before a new pandemic measure related i.e. to working conditions and/or health safety at work, etc. came into force, social partners were asked to give their opinion and the measure were discussed within the working teams and Plenary Session. As a result, these measures were better accepted and government had a strong support of social partners in these cases.