UNIT 12: ANNEX – National action plans

Italy

Stakeholders in Italy have identified the following points as possible steps in enhancing the level and quality of workers’ participation in agriculture:

• Improvements in legal framework, with the aim of clearly establishing the obligation to introduce information and consultation procedures in all company contexts, including introducing sanctions for not respecting this obligation;
• Introducing incentives for employers with good social dialogue and functioning information and consultation procedures, such as lower taxes or social contributions;
• Introducing clear and precise provisions on information and consultation procedures in collective agreements, both at sectoral and company level;
• Raising awareness of added value of workers’ participation in facing challenges related to the climate change, especially about usefulness of workers’ contributions and proposals for individual employers and the whole sector.

North Macedonia

Stakeholders in North Macedonia have identified the following points as possible steps in enhancing the level and quality of workers’ participation in agriculture:

• Adopting the legal framework on workers’ participation on company level, including through transposition of the European Information and Consultation Directive;
• Promoting the practice of timely information of workers on all the issues that concern them, with the aim of allowing them to voice their opinion for improving situation;
• Engaging the  workers in the production process and implementation of all innovations and reforms in agricultural sector, including through using of available European funding;
• Including issues related to climate change in educational programmes, in order to raise general level of awareness on the challenges arising from climate change and measures undertaken to mitigate it.

Poland

Stakeholders in Poland have identified the following points as possible steps in enhancing the level and quality of workers’ participation in agriculture:

• Strengthening social dialogue, especially on company level, in order to promote more frequent and substantive consultations between employers and trade unions;
• Raising awareness of workers on their information and consultation rights, including explaining their difference and additional value compared to usual trade union activity;
• Raising awareness of employers on existing legal framework on information and consultation;
• Organising training and conferences with the aim of promoting good practices in information and consultation of workers;
• Promotion of tripartite social dialogue on climate change and green transition, which needs to be followed by and clearly linked with dialogue at  sectoral and company level;

Romania

Stakeholders in Romania have identified the following points as possible steps in enhancing the level and quality of workers’ participation in agriculture:

• Improving the legal framework for workers’ participation, including through:
  • Extending the scope of information and consultation rights to wider range of situations and decisions, such as restructuring, business closures, business transfers and implementation of new technologies,
  • Strengthening the role of works’ councils in company-level decision-making process,
  • Ensuring better access of workers to information relevant for decision-making, through establishing efficient and transparent communication mechanisms between employers and workers’ representatives
  • strengthening protection of trade union and workers’ representatives against unfair dismissals
• Ensure better implementation of existing legal framework on workers’ participation, including through:
  • Promoting education and awareness among agricultural workers about their information and consultation rights by information campaigns, guidance materials and training for workers and employers,
  • Promoting measures for introducing information and consultation mechanisms on company-level, such as creation of joint or consultation committees and establishing formal channels of communication between employers and workers,
  • Promoting social dialogue between trade unions, employers and the Government, including adopting clear information and consultation provisions in collective agreements,
  • Establishing the system for monitoring of information and consultation mechanisms, based on regular evaluation, collecting feedback from employers and workers and identifying problems and possible solutions in practice
• Raise awareness on usefulness of information and consultation mechanisms in times of crisis, through promotion of good practices such as:
  • Creation of crisis committees which include workers’ representatives and are in charge of coordinating measures to protect workers, inform them and consult them in decision-making process
  • Involving workers in adoption of adequate occupational health and safety measures,
  • Arrangements on flexibility of working hours and teleworking
  • Including workers in discussions and negotiations on income protection measures
• Promote better use of workers’ participation in issues related to climate change and implementation of European Green deal, including through:
  • Education and awareness raising activities on climate change aimed at workers,
  • Actively involving workers in decision-making on environmental policies and practices in the workplace
  • Training and professional development for workers on sustainable technologies and practices
  • Recognising and awarding workers’ efforts in adopting green practices and contributing to climate change mitigation (rewards, bonuses and public recognition)

Serbia

Stakeholders in Serbia have identified the following points as possible steps in enhancing the level and quality of workers’ participation in agriculture:

• Transposition of the European Information and Consultation Directive (currently planned in 2025 through adoption of the new Labour Law);
• Organising discussions with workers in agricultural sector on how to involve them in company-level decision making processes, especially related to their working conditions;
• Promoting social dialogue on all levels on the topics of climate change, such as reduction of greenhouse gases emissions, energy efficiency, reduction of pollution on company level and similar;

Slovenia

Stakeholders in Slovenia have identified the following points as possible steps in enhancing the level and quality of workers’ participation in agriculture:

• Creating a governance and participatory structure that would integrate different stakeholders in decision-making and monitoring policies related to rural areas and climate change;

Spain

Stakeholders in Spain have identified the following points as possible steps in enhancing the level and quality of workers’ participation in agriculture:

• Improve national legislative framework for workers’ participation, with a focus on ensuring clear and concise transfer of relevant information to all the workers by the fastest possible means
• Encourage meetings between all stakeholers,
• Conduct surveys on workers’ suggestions and improvements
• Improve implementation of existing legal framework by building trust among employers and workers and promoting creation and implementation of joint plans of actions
• Promote good practices on using workers’ participation mechanisms in crisis situations, including through:
  • Creating a protocol for carrying out procedures and actions in planned, organised and systematic manner,
  • Promoting workers’ technical, psychological and social competences related both to their professional and private life;
• Provide  training for workers and their representatives on issues related to climate change such as:
  • Greenhouse gas effects and renewable energies
  • Innovation as a climate-friendly tool that guarantees fairness and cost-effectiveness,
  • Local products,
  • Recycling and waste management,
  • Sustainable mobility.