Social partners establish a common agenda

Friday 21 September - the day of love in Bolivia - employers and trade unions from the Cochabamba region have set a common agenda for improving the economy of the region. This concerns the fight against smuggling - something that Cochabamba suffers heavily - the quality of employment and the increase in productivity.

Javier Bellot, chairman of the employers' organisation FEPC, described the meeting as unique and historical. "We are very pleased with this attitude, because this is how we should work Bolivians, listening to each other and especially working on what unites us. We have more in common than differences and we have a clear goal: the growth of our region. "

Ermo Pérez from the Cochabamba COD confederation emphasized that the priority is to maintain job security and generate employment for the new generation. "Because the many graduate technicians and professionals deserve a place on the labor market. That is the goal that unites us. "

"We are always ready to find solutions together," the executive secretary of the Federation of Factory Workers Mario Céspedes added. "We are fighting to improve our job security, so we can take home our daily bread."

The unique meeting between trade unions and employers for Bolivia and perhaps for the whole of South America stems from a meeting ten days before about social dialogue. This meeting was jointly organized and prepared by Roel Rotshuizen of CNV International and Sip Nieuwsma and Peter Boorsma of DECP.

Employers and trade unions have agreed to meet every 21st of the month. They start by working out a proposal to the government to combat smuggling through the smart use of import tariffs.