Employers' unity, social and political consensus for an efficient labor market
Timisoara, 09.06.2020 - Romania needs employers„ unity, social and political consensus in order to develop a medium and long term employment strategy. This is the conclusion of the first debate of this year's ”PACT FOR WORK - TOGETHER TO REBUILD ROMANIA", which took place in Timisoara on June 9, an event initiated by CONAF and FPPG, in strategic partnership with Concordia, moderated by Adrian Măniuțiu.
Representatives of employers, local and central public authorities, entrepreneurs and multinationals debated in Timisoara the problems facing the Romanian labor market and launched solutions to overcome the current situation.
"We want to work in Romania! We want to learn a trade in Romania!” said Cristina Chiriac, President of the National Confederation for Female Entrepreneurship - CONAF.
She also added that it is time to realize that Romania's most important resource is its people and we have a moral duty to create all the conditions for them to improve the quality of life in Romania.
"The Pact for Employment is an instrument through which we invite all the main actors, employers, trade unions, government, to dialog in order to establish and build, as a matter of priority, a medium and long-term strategy for employment policy. It is often said of the business environment that it fails to come together and act as one even when we have objectives of national interest. This is why the Employment Pact is more than an instrument, it is a force integrator, it can even be suggestively called the Entrepreneurs” Party", said Cristina Chiriac, president of CONAF.
For his part, Franck NEEL, President of the Oil and Gas Employers' Federation - FPPG, he said that although the government has taken steps to revive the post-pandemic economic recovery, much more is needed to help Romania's economy.
„We need investment, the only investment that can create new jobs. But this also requires legislative changes. And we need them now! One example is gas in the Black Sea. Investments in this sector have not only the advantage of ensuring the country's energy security, but also of creating tens of thousands of new jobs directly and horizontally", added Franck Neel.
Dragoș Cosmin Lucian PREDA, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Communications, announced that government authorities, together with representatives of the business environment, want to compile a list of opportunities in Romania. According to him, the pandemic has given Romania a chance to restructure, to implement new technologies, digitalization, 5G, etc.
"A list of new trades will probably be needed as new technologies emerge.”, said Dragoș Cosmin Lucian PREDA. .
On the other hand, Christian von ALBRICHSFELD , general manager of Continental Romania, said that in the automotive industry, which has been hard hit by the pandemic crisis, efforts are being made to find solutions that will lead to job preservation. A shortcoming in Romania is that competitiveness has been lost in the last 4 years, the most important reason being that wages have increased without increasing labor productivity.
"Employment strategy needs political consensus”said Dănuț GROZA mayor of Sânnicolau Mare.
According to him, in Romania, there are no more craftsmen, welders, lathe operators, etc.
”Vocational schools have been abolished, they have been turned into high schools where the average promotion rate of the baccalaureate exam is a disaster: almost 0%! We need vocational schools”said Mayor Danut GROZA.
CONAF vice-president Nicoleta Munteanu, an expert in strategic insolvency, added that the legislation should also be amended, because professions are disappearing, as new ones are emerging with digitalization and the use of new technologies.
“After this pandemic is over, I don't know how many returnees will stay here. We need coherent and smart policies for a sustainable economic development of the country“, added Nicoleta Munteanu.
National Confederation for Women Entrepreneurship - CONAF and the Oil and Gas Employers Federation - FPPG, in strategic partnership with the Employers' Confederation CONCORDIA, organizes conferences "PACT FOR JOBS - REBUILDING ROMANIA TOGETHER“ The first conference took place on June 9 in Timisoara, Vienna Hall.
Due to the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the debates, until the situation normalizes in the country, are streamed live on online platforms (Youtube) and social networks (Facebook). In the conference rooms only the speakers are present, the participants - company representatives as well as small entrepreneurs - can interact with the speakers via online platforms. To connect to the videoconference using a PC/laptop or smartphone, all useful information can be found on www.conaf.ro.
The event in Timisoara was attended directly or through digital platforms by Cristina Chiriac - President of CONAF, Franck Neel - President of FPPG and member of the Concordia board, Dragoș Cosmin Lucian Preda - Secretary of State in the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Communications, Marilen - Gabriel Pirtea - Rector of the West University of Timișoara, Dănuț Groza - Mayor of Sânnicolau Mare, Horia Grigorescu - General Director of the National Company “Poșta Română“, Ioana Hațegan - Managing Partner at Hategan Attorneys, Călin Ilie - President of the Federation of the Romanian Hotel Industry - FIHR and member of the Concordia board, Emanuel Victor Picu - President of ANOFM, Cristian Secoșan - General Manager Siemens Romania and Republic of Moldova, Christian von Albrichsfeld - General Manager Continental Romania and Republic of Moldova, Elisabeta Moraru - general director Google Romania, Mihai Mareș - permanent delegate of the administrator Zoppas Industries Romania, Dragoș Damian - general director Terapia Cluj, Nicoleta Munteanu - managing partner Euro Insol SRL and Silvia Terziu - CONAF representative for Timis County. The conference will be moderated by Adrian Măniuțiu, founder of EM360.
The event in Timisoara is the first this year, and the debates at the Pact for Work. Together We Rebuild Romania to continue in Brasov (June 23) and Constanta (July 7).
At the end of two years of debates, the conclusions and solutions found during the discussions will be concretized in an agreement - Memorandum of Understanding - agreed by the participants at the conference. The document will be submitted to the Romanian Government and will include the main solutions identified by the business environment for a flexible, efficient and competitive labor market, with beneficial effects on the entire economy and on the living standards of Romanians.
The initiators of the project are CONAF and FPPG, and the strategic partner is the Employers' Confederation Concordia. Main partners are EM360 and KeysFin and event partner is Hategan Attorneys. The main sponsors are OMV Petrom, SNGN Romgaz and SN Nuclearelectrica, and the event sponsor is Siemens Romania.
Media partners are Adevărul, Agerpres, G4Media, TVR Timisoara, Radio Romania Timisoara, Profit.ro. EVZ, Capital, Ziarul Bursa, Canal 33, Focus Energetic, Revista Cariere, Opinia Timișoarai, Energy Industry Review, Energynomics, Insight, money.ro, The Diplomat, Transilvania Business Magazine, Newsnational, ziare.com, Business 24, ANAA, ADAA, Ultima oră, Bună ziua Bistrița, Radio Brașov, Radio Mix Brașov, Mixtv TV Bv, La pas prin Brașov, Iubim Brașovul, Mujer, and Fashion8.
Further information on the project, initiated by CONAF and FPPG, is available on www.conaf.ro.
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Note for editors
The National Confederation for Female Entrepreneurship (CONAF) aims to support and promote female entrepreneurship and represents the interests of 9 economic and social organizations, aiming to defend the economic, social, financial, legal and cultural rights and interests of business women in their relations with public authorities and to develop business relations.
The Oil and Gas Employers' Federation (FPPG), a founding member of the Concordia Employers' Confederation, represents the framework for development, dialog and efficient management of resources in the energy, oil, gas and energy mining sectors in Romania. FPPG advocates for corporate responsibility in terms of safety, health and security of operations and personnel.
Concordia Employers' Confederation, the only Romanian employers' confederation affiliated to the International Organization of Employers and Business Europe, currently represents eight of the most powerful sectors in the economy: automotive, energy and utilities, financial-banking, hotel, IT, retail, transport, with a total of over 300,000 employees and more than 1,500 companies, both large and small, with Romanian and foreign capital, with a diverse and balanced perspective on the national economy.
