In the past six months, since I have started working on the analysis of social dialogue in SEE, I have dedicated most of my attention and time to the analysis of the available literature. Apart from studying the books and magazines, important sources were also web sites of the social partners from the region, as well as at the EU level, and the international financial institutions. Also, during this period I have established numerous contacts with the representatives of the social partners from the SEE countries by phone or e-mail.

During my previous work I have focused my attention on the following:
- Analysis of the development of industrial relations, especially social dialogue in the individual countries of EU and at the EU level;
- Activities of the EU and the European social partners in the development of social dialogue in the candidate countries for membership in the EU;
- Analysis of the ILO documents on social dialogue, especially the development of social dialogue in the SEE countries;
- Critical experiences in the development of social dialogue and participation of the social partners in the countries in transition;
- Programs of support and cooperation by the EU and the European social partners for the development of social dialogue in the SEE countries, especially the ones that belong to the Stability Pact;
- Analysis of the development of the social partners and the social dialogue itself in the SEE countries;
- Possible recommendations related to the strengthening of the social dialogue in the SEE countries, especially Serbia and Montenegro, and I will dedicate the second part of my work more precisely to this issue.

Apart from that, in the month of April I have undertaken two study visits. The first one was the visit to Belgrade, where I have gathered the documents of the social partners from Serbia and the FRY and have performed a series of interviews with the leaders of the most important trade union and employers’ associations, as well as with some experts in this field. I have organized the other study visit with the help of the colleagues from the UATUC (Union of autonomous trade unions of Croatia). During my stay in Zagreb I have talked to the UATUS officials, with the leaders of the Croatian Association of Employers, as well as with the Secretary of the newly formed state Department for Social Partnership.

I have realized a very significant study visit to the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) in Brussels during July. This visit has enabled me to get all the expert literature in the documentary center of ETUI that I could not find anywhere else. During that stay in Brussels I also undertook a series of interviews with the ETUC representatives in relation to the current activities of this organization related to the promotion of social dialogue in the SEE countries related to the Stability Pact and the Initiative for social cohesion that is included in the work of two Working Tables within the Stability Pact. Apart from that, I have found important information in the library of the ILO Office in Budapest, on the basis of the discussions I have had with the social dialogue specialists in this institution.

During this period I have undertaken other activities, as well, that are not defined by the project itself, but were related to the field of social dialogue. In May I have participated at the Round Table on social dialogue in Montenegro, organized by the European Training Foundation and ECOSOC, where I was a mediator for one of the working groups. After that, in cooperation with the Center for International Labor Solidarity of the AFL-CIO, I have organized and international trade union conference dedicated to the development of social dialogue as a necessary prerequisite for the successful transition in Montenegro, in July, in Igalo, Montenegro, and I have co-chaired that Conference.

During the second half of the project, I have published my work on the development of social dialogue in the SEE countries, in the South East Europe Review magazine. This is a magazine dealing with the problems of labor, labor relations and transition in the SEE countries, and it is published by the European Trade Union Institute and the Hans Boekler Foundation. You can find my work at their web site: Dragan Djuric, Social dialogue in South East European countries, SEER – South East Europe Review for Labor and Social Affairs, Volume 5, Number 3, October 2002.

In November 2002, I have held a seminar for the representatives of the social partners from Montenegro, on the problems related to the development of social dialogue in Montenegro. In January, I have published my work in our language.

As I have established good cooperation with the social partners in Montenegro, I have prepared the project of public advocacy, with the initiative to adopt the Law on economic and social council in Montenegro. The project has been submitted by the NGO “Center for the development of industrial democracy”, where I am a director. This project is supported by the US organization (ORT) and I got the consent of the Union of employers of Montenegro, CITUM, Center for the development of the non-governmental organizations, and Montenegro Business Alliance, to work with the Center on the realization of this project.

This part of the project should be finished by the end of 2003. In this way the research part of the project will be tied to its implementation in Montenegro and the monitoring of the achieved results.

July, 2003                                                                                                                                             Dragan Djuric