Tripartism and social dialogue, Workers' and Employers' organizations
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Tripartism and social dialogue, Workers' and Employers' organizations

In Central and Eastern Europe, the ILO played an important role in establishing and strengthening social dialogue and tripartism after the fall of the Iron Curtain. The change in the early 90s was quite profound because trade unions functioned in a different way in the old system, employers’ organizations and private enterprises hardly existed before in this region and the government’s role was different. The ILO’s support was essential after 1989 to establish employers’ organizations, to form new trade unions or transform the old ones into modern organizations.
 
Nevertheless the importance of social dialogue as an instrument of participation and realization of fundamental principles and rights at work and of consensus building on social and economic policies is still far from being accepted and understood everywhere in the region. There are still a number of problems preventing social dialogue from operating properly in the region, such as the insufficient legal framework, the weakness of social partners, the ineffectiveness of the institutions of social dialogue and a lack of experience in social dialogue.

Featured

In Moldova, there has been success in fighting child labour in the country's vast agricultural sector. One key to that success is the employers' Code of Conduct to eradicate the worst forms of child labour, which was developed with assistance from the ILO. Moldova's employers are also investing in new technologies and in their communities, to ensure a more prosperous future without child labour.
Press release

ILO assistance

The ILO DWT/CO-Budapest provides assistance in strengthening bipartite and tripartite institutions for social dialogue at all levels of decision making, in reforming the legal framework, and in strengthening government institutions in dealing with social dialogue and industrial relations as well as workers' and employers' organizations. It provides a whole range of services such as training activities, technical seminars, advisory missions and sub-regional meetings for exchange of information and experience. Also, it runs technical cooperation projects funded by different donors aimed at strengthening the framework and the practice of social dialogue in the countries of the region on a medium-term basis.

What's new

  1. ILO project helped to consolidate social dialogue institutions in the Western Balkan countries and Moldova

    10 November 2011

    A sub-regional tripartite conference was organized on 9-10 November 2011 in Becici, Montenegro to discuss achievements and challenges ahead for social dialogue institutions in the Western Balkan countries and Moldova.

  2. Regional employers’ organisation representatives discuss post-crisis opportunities and challenges

    29 September 2011

    How employers’ organisations can assist their members to meet the opportunities and challenges brought about by the economic and financial crises will be one of the key topics at a meeting in Belgrade next week. Twenty one high level representatives from employers’ organisations from six countries* of the Western Balkans and Moldova will participate in a two day Conference on 5 and 6 October 2011.

  3. ILO and Canada launch a new project to promote good labour relations in Ukraine

    08 September 2011

    The International Labour Office (ILO) and the Canadian Government have launched a new project ‘Improving Collective Bargaining and Labour Law Compliance in Ukraine’, which aims to promote effective realization of the right to organize and bargain collectively and to assist Ukraine in its efforts to modernize its labour inspection machinery.

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