Strengthening social dialogue

Background:

The social partners have unrivalled knowledge and experience of the employment and social situation on the ground. They can help strike a fair balance between workers' and employers' interests, making policies and laws more acceptable and effective. Social dialogue at national and EU level plays a key role in shaping economic, social and labour policies that promote upward convergence – the elimination of disparities and the improvement of living and working conditions across Member States. The Commission's Communication and the proposal for a Council recommendation on strengthening social dialogue in the European Union aim to further strengthen and promote social dialogue by means of specific measures at national and EU level, recognising it as a cornerstone of the EU's social market economy and its competitiveness.

Key points:

In the opinion, the EESC:

• stresses that the positive results of social dialogue should not be taken for granted. The Commission should look at successful national, regional and sectoral models and see why they worked so well;

• agrees with the Commission that more needs to be done both nationally and at EU level to support collective bargaining coverage. However, while listing important factors in improving coverage, the Recommendation does not include a highly relevant point made in the Communication, namely the importance of sectoral collective agreements;

• supports the Recommendation's aim of enhancing social dialogue at both European and national level but notes that in some Member States, this dialogue is more a matter of form than substance. To ensure quality consultations with the social partners, a common national framework should be established, while the results of the consultations should be linked to national plans. If the social partners are not meaningfully involved, the EESC recommends that the Commission take action.

The text of the opinion can be found here.

Additional information

Section: Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC)

Opinion number: SOC/764

Opinion type: Optional

Rapporteur: Pekka RISTELÄ

Co-rapporteur: Mariya MINCHEVA

Reference: COM(2023) 38 final 2023/0012 NLECOM(2023) 40 final

Date of adoption by section: 03/04/2023

Result of the vote: 71 in favour/15 against/13 abstentions

Date of adoption in plenary: 27/04/2023

Result of the vote: 177 in favour/54 against/17 abstentions

Contacts:

Press officer:  Laura Lui          

Tel.:     00 32 2 546 9189

email:  laurairena.lui@eesc.europa.eu

Administrator: Triin Aasmaa Gomes

Tel.:     00 32 2 546 9524

email: Triin.AasmaaGomes@eesc.europa.eu